Privacy Policy - Expand Data for Google Sheets

Effective Date: September 8, 2025
Version: 9.0
Last Updated: September 8, 2025
Reason for Update: Updated for PN (Places New) pipeline system, revised T2 pricing to $0.10 per row, enhanced AI batch processing capabilities, and improved location intelligence system architecture

Overview

Expand Data Inc. is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, process, and protect your information when you use our AI-powered location intelligence service for Google Sheets.

Company Information:

• Legal Name: EXPAND DATA INC
• Business Address: 401-2287 W 3rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6K1L5
• Incorporation Number: BC1224717
• Contact: support@expanddata.com

Privacy-First Architecture

Core Privacy Principles

1. Data Minimization: We collect only the data necessary for service functionality
2. Purpose Limitation: Data is used solely for the specific analysis you request
3. User Control: You maintain full control over your data and can delete it at any time
4. Transparency: Clear disclosure of all data processing activities
5. Security by Design: Privacy and security are built into our system architecture
6. Immediate Deletion: Maximum 10-minute data retention for all jobs

No Persistent Data Storage

Expand Data never stores your spreadsheet data permanently. All data processing follows a privacy-first approach:

• Temporary Processing Only: Your data is processed in-memory and automatically deleted
• 10-Minute Maximum Retention: ALL job results deleted after 10 minutes
• No Recovery Period: Once processing completes, data is immediately available then auto-deleted
• Automatic Cleanup: Continuous background process ensures data deletion
• No Backup Storage: Your analysis data is never included in system backups

Data Retention Schedule

Privacy-First Retention Policy:

Information We Collect

User Account Information

• Email Address: Used for account identification and authentication (SHA-256 hashed for storage)
• Authentication Tokens: Secure session management with Google OAuth
• Account Creation Date: For service analytics and billing purposes
• User Number: Sequential identifier for bonus program eligibility
• Last Login: To maintain account security and inactive account cleanup

Billing and Transaction Data

• Credit Balance: Current and historical credit balances for service usage
• Transaction History: Records of credit purchases and usage charges
• Payment Information: Processed securely through Stripe (we store only last 4 digits of cards)
• Usage Metrics: Anonymous analytics on service utilization patterns
• Bonus Program Data:
  • Welcome bonus eligibility and usage (first 1000 users, $5 credit)
  • First purchase bonus ($5 extra added with first $5+ purchase)
  • Volume discount applications (10% at 100 addresses, 20% at 1000)
• Job IDs: Unique identifiers for billing only (no data content stored)

Processing Data (Temporary Only - 10 Minutes Maximum)

• Address Data: Temporarily processed for geocoding and business analysis
• Analysis Parameters: Job configuration (T1/T2 tier selection)
• Results: Analysis outputs available for immediate use only
• Processing Metrics: Time, cost, success rates (anonymized)
• API Call Logs: Technical debugging only (no user content)

How We Use Your Information

Primary Uses

1. Service Delivery: Process your location intelligence requests
2. Immediate Results: Deliver analysis directly to your Google Sheet
3. Authentication: Verify your identity and maintain secure access
4. Billing: Calculate costs, process payments, maintain transaction records
5. Customer Support: Respond to inquiries and provide assistance
6. Email Notifications: Send receipts and account updates

Data Processing Details

Location Intelligence Processing Architecture

Current Pricing Structure:

• T1 Foundation: $0.01 per address (16 location fields only)
• T2 Complete: $0.10 per address (includes all 54 fields: T1, T2, A_, META_)

T1 Fields - Location Data (16 fields) - $0.01/address

• Google Maps Geocoding API: Address standardization and validation
• Processing: Geocoding with component extraction
• Fields Delivered: 16 location fields (T1_ prefix)
• Examples: T1_standardized_address, T1_latitude, T1_longitude, T1_city, T1_postal_code

T2 Fields - Business Intelligence (23 fields) - Included in T2 tier

• Google Places API (New): Advanced business environment analysis using PN pipeline
• Smart Pagination System: Adaptive API calls based on location density (1-2 calls vs legacy 3 calls)
• Optimized Field Masking: Reduced response size by ~40% for faster processing
• Cost-Efficient Processing: 50-67% reduction in API costs through intelligent pagination
• Fields Delivered: 23 business metrics (T2_ prefix)
• Examples: T2_total_businesses, T2_business_density_per_sqkm, T2_average_business_rating

A_ Fields - Enhanced AI Analysis (6 fields) - Included in T2 tier

• Enhanced Data Pipeline: Enriched business data prevents "data starvation" in AI analysis
• Batch Processing: Up to 10 locations processed simultaneously for improved efficiency
• Raw Business Data: Up to 20 individual businesses with full details provided to AI
• Statistical Analysis: Complete rating and price distributions for comprehensive insights
• Google Gemini Analytical Model: Strategic market insights and analysis
• Harmonized Analysis: A_market_dynamics synthesizes 7 key T2 indicators
• Fields Delivered: 6 analytical insights (A_ prefix)
• Examples: A_market_dynamics, A_competitive_intensity, A_economic_indicators

META_ Fields - Quality Control (6 fields) - Included in both tiers

• Quality Indicators: Data confidence and processing metadata
• PN Pipeline Metrics: Smart pagination and cost optimization tracking
• Fields Delivered: 6 quality metrics (META_ prefix)
• Examples: META_T1_location_type, META_T2_radius_confidence, META_AI_analysis_confidence
• Purpose: Transparency on data quality and processing confidence

Volume Discounts:

• 100+ addresses: 10% discount
• 1000+ addresses: 20% discount

Total Fields Delivered:

• T1 tier: 16 fields + quality metrics
• T2 tier: 54 comprehensive fields

Processing Location: Google Cloud Platform (us-central1)
Retention: 10 minutes maximum after processing

Delivery Confirmation System

For billing accuracy and consumer protection:

• Frontend Confirmation: Your browser confirms successful data receipt
• Automatic Refunds: Credits refunded if delivery not confirmed
• No Data Storage: Confirmation tracked without storing your data
• Privacy Maintained: Only success/failure status recorded

Third-Party Services

Google Cloud Platform

• Services Used: Cloud Run, Cloud Tasks, Secret Manager, Cloud Logging
• Data Location: us-central1 region
• Security: SOC 2, ISO 27001 certified
• Privacy: Covered under Google Cloud Privacy Terms

Google Maps Platform

• APIs Used: Geocoding API for address validation
• Data Shared: Address strings and coordinates only
• Purpose: Location validation and standardization
• Privacy: Governed by Google Maps Platform Terms

Google Places API (New) - PN Pipeline System

Enhanced Architecture

• API: Google Places API (New) via PN (Places New) pipeline system
• Smart Pagination: Adaptive 1-2 API calls based on location density (vs legacy 3 calls)
• Field Masking: Optimized field selection reducing response size by ~40%
• Cost Optimization: 50-67% reduction in API costs through intelligent processing
• Data Shared: Location coordinates and optimized field requests only
• Processing: Enhanced business environment analysis with improved efficiency

Google AI (Dual Model System)

Gemini Flash 2.0

• Model: gemini-2.0-flash-002 via Vertex AI
• Purpose: AI radius determination for optimal search area (200-2000m)
• Data Shared: Location coordinates and type only
• Processing: Fast, lightweight radius selection

Gemini Analytical

• Model: Gemini Analytical model via Vertex AI
• Purpose: Strategic market analysis and insights generation
• Enhanced Input: Raw business data from up to 20 individual businesses
• Data Shared: Combined T1 + T2 data for comprehensive analysis (no PII)
• Batch Processing: Up to 10 locations processed simultaneously for efficiency
• Analysis:
  • Competitive landscape assessment with enriched business data
  • Economic indicators evaluation with statistical distributions
  • Harmonization of 7 T2 indicators into A_market_dynamics
  • Rating and price distribution analysis
• Processing: Enhanced batch optimization with improved data quality

Privacy: No model training on user data for either model

Stripe Payment Processing

• Data Shared: Payment method details (never stored by us)
• Security: PCI DSS Level 1 certified
• Storage: We store only last 4 digits and card brand
• Privacy: Governed by Stripe Privacy Policy

SendGrid Email Service

• Data Shared: Email addresses and job notifications
• Purpose: Transactional emails only (no marketing without consent)
• Privacy: Governed by SendGrid Privacy Policy

Neon Database

• Service: Managed PostgreSQL database
• Location: Azure East US 2
• Data Stored: Account information and billing only (no spreadsheet data)
• Security: Encrypted connections and automatic backups

Data Security

Technical Safeguards

• Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted using TLS 1.3
• Database Security: PostgreSQL with encrypted connections
• Hashing: SHA-256 for all user identifiers
• Access Controls: Role-based with principle of least privilege
• API Security: Bearer token authentication with session management
• Secret Management: Google Secret Manager for credentials

Operational Security

• Code Reviews: All changes reviewed before deployment
• Security Scanning: Automated vulnerability scanning
• Access Logs: Complete audit trail of data access
• Employee Access: Limited, logged, and reviewed
• Incident Response: 24-hour response commitment

Infrastructure Security

• Cloud Run: Serverless, auto-scaling, isolated containers
• Database: Managed PostgreSQL with automatic backups
• Network: VPC with firewall rules
• Monitoring: Real-time alerting for anomalies
• DDoS Protection: Cloud Armor ready

Your Rights

Access and Control

• Access Your Data: Request a copy of your account information
• Correct Your Data: Update inaccurate information
• Delete Your Data: Request complete account deletion
• Export Your Data: Download transaction history
• Opt-Out: Disable account at any time

How to Exercise Your Rights

• Email: privacy@expanddata.com
• In-Product: Privacy settings in your account
• Response Time: Within 30 days of request

Automated Decision Making

• Pricing: Automated volume discounts (10% at 100, 20% at 1000 addresses)
• PN Pipeline: Smart pagination automatically optimizes API calls based on location density
• Bonus Eligibility: First 1000 users automatically determined
• Refunds: Automatic for undelivered results
• Right to Review: Request human review of automated decisions

Data Breach Notification

In the unlikely event of a data security incident:

1. Detection: Continuous monitoring with automated alerts
2. Assessment: Initial review within 24 hours
3. Notification: Affected users notified within 72 hours
4. Remediation: Immediate steps to prevent recurrence
5. Report: Detailed incident report available upon request

Children's Privacy

Expand Data is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

International Data Transfers

Your data may be processed in the following locations:

• Primary Processing: United States (Google Cloud us-central1)
• Database: United States (Azure East US 2)
• Company Headquarters: Canada
• Legal Basis: Standard contractual clauses with processors
• Your Rights: Same privacy protections regardless of location

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect:

• Service Improvements: New features or capabilities
• Legal Requirements: Compliance with new regulations
• User Feedback: Improvements based on your suggestions

Notification: Material changes communicated via email and in-product notice

Compliance

Regulatory Compliance

• GDPR: Full compliance for EU users
• CCPA: California privacy rights respected
• PIPEDA: Canadian privacy law compliance
• COPPA: No collection from children under 13

Industry Standards

• Privacy by Design: ISO 29100 principles
• Security Standards: NIST Cybersecurity Framework
• Encryption: AES-256 and TLS 1.3
• Authentication: OAuth 2.0 standard

Contact Information

Privacy Questions

Email: privacy@expanddata.com
Response Time: Within 48 hours

Data Protection Officer

Name: Privacy Team
Email: dpo@expanddata.com
Address: 401-2287 W 3rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6K1L5

Regulatory Inquiries

Email: legal@expanddata.com

Cookie Policy

Expand Data uses minimal cookies:

• Session Cookies: Authentication only (2-hour expiry)
• No Tracking Cookies: We don't track you across sites
• No Marketing Cookies: No advertising networks
• Local Storage: Minimal usage for UI preferences only

Special Provisions

California Residents (CCPA)

• Right to Know: What personal information we collect
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your information
• Right to Opt-Out: We don't sell personal information
• Non-Discrimination: Equal service regardless of privacy choices

European Residents (GDPR)

• Legal Basis: Legitimate interest and contract performance
• Data Portability: Export your data in standard format
• Right to Object: Object to specific processing
• Supervisory Authority: Lodge complaints with your DPA

Canadian Residents (PIPEDA)

• Consent: Clear consent for data collection
• Access: Review your personal information
• Challenge Compliance: Contact Privacy Commissioner

Document Version: 9.0
Effective Date: September 8, 2025
Review Schedule: Quarterly or as needed

Your privacy is our priority. Our 10-minute maximum retention policy and PN pipeline optimization ensure your data is processed efficiently and never stored longer than necessary for processing and delivery.