Source and lifecycle disclosure
Data Practices
The principles Sonar uses to minimize data, describe uncertainty, govern sources, and retain property-review evidence.
Our data philosophy
Sonar is an analytics product, not a public-record warehouse. We assemble evidence for a specific property review, translate it into a standardized report, and preserve uncertainty when the available evidence does not support a conclusion.
This public policy explains our decision rules and user protections without publishing our integration architecture, internal source inventory, field mappings, acquisition methods, or coverage-routing logic. Each property report still identifies the sources actually used for that review and explains material limitations so the user can verify the evidence.
- Purpose-limited
- We use information only when it supports a specific property review or the safe and reliable operation of the service.
- Permission-aware
- Technical availability is not enough. We consider source terms, authorization, attribution, and intended use before enabling a check.
- Minimized
- We keep the smallest practical analytical record and avoid natural-person or contact information that is not needed for the review.
- Standardized and candid
- Every supported property uses the same report structure, and missing evidence remains visible instead of becoming a false clear result.
- Analytics, not redistribution
- We do not sell source datasets or offer raw or bulk source-data exports.
Coverage meanings
- Success
- The report received usable evidence from the check.
- Partial
- Some work completed, but a material gap or warning remains.
- Unavailable
- The check could not be completed; the result is unknown, not clear.
- Not licensed
- The check was not performed because current policy does not permit the use.
Current availability
Current beta coverage includes properties in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties. Every supported property uses the same report structure, while source depth varies by county and issuing jurisdiction. Availability can differ among jurisdictions and can change as sources, permissions, and service reliability change. For a particular property, the report states what was checked, what remains uncertain, and where direct verification is required.
Report-level transparency
Every report identifies the sources used for that property, provides verification context and direct links when appropriate, and carries material attribution and limitations. A source shown in one report should not be treated as a complete inventory of Sonar's sources, methods, or coverage.
Lifecycle and retention
| Category | Current handling | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Saved property reviews | A saved review retains the property context submitted by the user, the analytics presented in the report, verification context, and any feedback attached to the review. | For the private-beta period or until a verified deletion request; no fixed automatic expiry is enabled yet. |
| Source processing | Source information is minimized to what supports the analytics and is not maintained as a user-accessible raw-data archive. | Temporary working material is discarded when it is no longer needed for processing. Limited evidence and provenance may be retained when needed to support saved reports and service reliability. |
| Feedback | Rating, optional reason, and optional comment are stored with a pseudonymous browser identifier. | For the private-beta period or until a verified deletion request. |
| Service telemetry | Limited, privacy-reduced service and reliability information is used to operate and improve the beta. | For the private-beta period; there is no fixed automatic expiry yet. Provider service/security logs follow provider settings. |
| Account and beta membership | An external authentication provider handles sign-in; Sonar stores beta email, user ID, and access status. | Until beta access is removed, the private beta ends, or a verified deletion request is completed. |
Source governance and change
Before enabling a source use, Sonar considers its relevance, terms, authorization, attribution, privacy boundary, and intended product use. Technical access alone is not treated as permission. If that posture changes, Sonar can stop a check, restrict sharing, or stop displaying affected evidence. Saved reports retain their original review context and are not silently refreshed.
Corrections and source concerns
Report an incorrect fact or deletion request to support@dealskeptic.com. Send attribution, licensing, or source-authorization concerns to licensing@dealskeptic.com. Public-source use does not imply agency endorsement.