Privacy Policy

1. About This Policy

SuburbScan ("we", "us", or "our") is operated by Yakhnov Studio. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information when you use our website at suburbscan.com.au (the "Service"). We are committed to complying with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

• Search queries — suburb names, addresses, and postcodes you search for on our platform.
• Usage data — pages visited, time spent, browser type, device type, operating system, and referring URLs.
• IP address — collected automatically when you access the Service.
• Cookies and similar technologies — used to improve your experience and analyse site usage.

We do not currently require you to create an account or provide personal details such as your name, email address, or phone number to use the free features of the Service.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and improve the Service, including search functionality and suburb data.
• Analyse usage patterns to enhance user experience and site performance.
• Monitor and prevent abuse or misuse of the Service.
• Comply with legal obligations.

4. Data Sources

The property, demographic, crime, bushfire, coastal erosion, aircraft noise, transport, and school data displayed on SuburbScan is sourced from publicly available Australian government datasets. We do not collect or display personal information about individual property owners or residents. For a full list of data sources, see our Data Sources page.

5. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to remember your preferences (such as light or dark mode) and to collect anonymous usage analytics. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some features of the Service.

6. Third-Party Services

We may use third-party services that collect information on our behalf, including:

• Analytics providers — to understand how visitors use the Service.
• Map tile providers — to render interactive maps (e.g., OpenStreetMap).
• Hosting providers — to serve and maintain the website.

These third parties are bound by their own privacy policies and we encourage you to review them.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:

• With service providers who assist us in operating the Service, subject to confidentiality obligations.
• When required by law, regulation, or legal process.
• To protect the rights, safety, or property of SuburbScan, our users, or the public.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from unauthorised access, modification, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention

We retain usage data and analytics for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy. Anonymous, aggregated data may be retained indefinitely for analytical purposes.

10. Your Rights

Under Australian privacy law, you have the right to access and request correction of any personal information we hold about you. If you wish to make such a request, please contact us.

11. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us so we can promptly delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us.