Effective Date: January 1, 2026
At Crank Report, we believe that the protection of whistleblowers and the integrity of primary source evidence are essential to a free and transparent society. Our privacy philosophy is simple: We do not want your personal data.
Data Collection & Non-Retention
Unlike most websites, our systems are configured to avoid the collection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
No IP Logging: Our web servers and submission forms are configured to strip and discard IP addresses. We do not know who you are or where you are connecting from.
No Account Required: You do not need to register, provide an email, or create a profile to use this site or submit a tip.
No Tracking Cookies: We do not use marketing or tracking cookies (e.g., Google Analytics or Meta Pixels) that follow you across the web.
Anonymous Submissions
When you use our Submission Form, the information is treated as a “blind” entry.
Encrypted in Transit: All submissions are protected by industry-standard SSL/TLS encryption.
Metadata Warning: We recommend that all whistleblowers strip “EXIF” or “Metadata” from photos and documents before uploading. While we do not intentionally store this data, the safest practice is to remove it at the source.
Optional Contact: If you choose to provide an email address for follow-up, it is stored in a secure, encrypted environment and is never shared, sold, or used for marketing.
Use of Information
Any information submitted to Crank Report is used solely for:
Verifying public claims against primary source evidence.
Updating our digital archive of court-certified records.
Improving the accuracy of our fact-checking database.
Third-Party Services
To maintain the highest level of security, we limit the use of third-party plugins.
Embedded Content: If we embed a document viewer or video, those third parties may collect your IP address as part of their standard delivery process. We recommend using a VPN or the Tor Browser if you wish to remain anonymous to these third-party providers.
Legal Requests
Because we do not log IP addresses, names, or locations, we have no data to provide in response to subpoenas or legal requests regarding the identity of our visitors or whistleblowers. We cannot turn over what we do not possess.
Your Rights
Under global privacy laws (like GDPR and CCPA), you have the right to access, delete, or correct your data. Since we do not collect your data, these rights are largely “protected by design.” However, if you have provided an email address and wish for it to be deleted, please use our Corrections Form to make the request.
