Privacy Policy

Introduction

Disabled Vet Benefits (operated by CI Industries, Sarasota, FL — referred to as “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website located at disabledvetbenefits.com (the “Service”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have regarding your data. By using the Service you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account or complete the onboarding questionnaire we collect:

• Full name and email address
• Password (stored in hashed form — we never see or store your plaintext password)
• VA disability rating percentage
• Permanent & Total (P&T) disability status
• State of residence
• Homeowner status and approximate home value range
• Number of dependents
• Military service era
• Whether you are planning to attend school or a training program
• User type (veteran, surviving spouse, or dependent)

1.2 Information Collected Through Google Sign-In

If you choose to sign in with Google, we receive the following data from your Google account through Google’s OAuth 2.0 authentication service:

• Email address — used to create and identify your account
• Full name — used to personalize your experience
• Profile picture URL — displayed within the app for account identification

This Google account data is used solely for account creation, authentication, and identification within the Service. We do not use your Google data for advertising, remarketing, or any purpose beyond operating your account. We do not access your Google contacts, calendar, Drive files, or any other Google services.

1.3 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our site we may automatically collect:

• IP address and approximate geolocation (country/region level)
• Browser type, operating system, and device type
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referral URLs
• Click and scroll interactions

This data is collected through cookies, analytics tags, and tracking pixels as described in Section 4 below.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Account creation and authentication — to set up and secure your account
• Benefits personalization — to calculate and display the federal, state, and local veteran benefits you may qualify for based on your profile
• Savings estimation — to provide projected financial value of eligible benefits
• DVB AI assistant — to power personalized responses to your veteran benefits questions
• Ad personalization — to display relevant advertising through our advertising partners
• Email communications — to send welcome emails, password reset notifications, and service updates
• Analytics and improvement — to understand how our Service is used and to improve the user experience
• Fraud prevention — to detect and prevent unauthorized access

3. Third-Party Services and Data Sharing

We never sell your account information. Our public pages show Google ads, which use cookies (see Advertising and cookiesbelow). We use the following services to help us operate the Service:

3.1 Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

We use Google Analytics 4 (Measurement ID: G-DV32843KYE) to understand how visitors interact with our website. GA4 collects anonymized usage data such as pages viewed, session duration, and device information. Google may use this data in accordance with its own privacy policy. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.

3.2 Meta Pixel (Facebook)

We use the Meta Pixel (Pixel ID: 815160821602957) to measure the effectiveness of our advertising on Facebook and Instagram. The pixel collects data about page views and conversions. You can opt out of Meta’s interest-based advertising through your Facebook Ad Preferences or through the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out page.

3.3 Abacus AI

Our DVB AI assistant is powered by Abacus AI. When you interact with the DVB AI feature, your questions and relevant profile context (such as your rating and state) may be sent to Abacus AI’s servers to generate personalized responses. Abacus AI processes this data solely for the purpose of providing the DVB AI service and does not use it for independent marketing or advertising.

3.4 Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our public-facing pages. Google AdSense may use cookies and web beacons to serve ads based on your prior visits to our website or other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet. You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. For more information about how Google uses data, see How Google uses information from sites that use its services.

3.5 Google OAuth

If you sign in with Google, authentication is handled through Google’s OAuth 2.0 service. Google receives a confirmation that you have authorized our application. We receive only the limited profile data described in Section 1.2 above. Our use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

3.6 Aggregated Research & Insights

We publish anonymized, aggregate research about veteran benefit trends — for example, which benefits veterans in a given state most often look into, or how benefit awareness changes over time. We make some of this research available to organizations like veteran service organizations, researchers, state agencies, and businesses, either as public reports or as a paid subscription product.

No individual’s information is ever included or identifiable in this research. We only ever share statistics describing our user base as a whole, built to a standard where no specific person’s data can reasonably be identified — never your personal information, and never anything that could be traced back to you. For the specific safeguards we apply — including our n≥30 sample-size floor and our commitment never to re-identify anyone — see our Research Ethics & No-Reidentification Policy.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use the following types of cookies and tracking technologies:

• Essential cookies — Required for authentication, session management, and security. These cannot be disabled without breaking core functionality.
• Analytics cookies — Set by Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymized usage statistics. These help us understand which features are most useful and where users encounter issues.
• Advertising cookies — Google AdSense uses cookies (including the DoubleClick cookie) to serve ads relevant to you. The Meta Pixel places cookies to track conversions from Facebook and Instagram ads.

Advertising and cookies

Our public pages (state guides, benefit guides, news updates, and free tools) show ads from Google AdSense. Google and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to show ads based on your visits to this and other websites. This happens only on our public web pages. We don’t show Google ads inside our logged-in app or mobile apps, and we never give Google your account details, benefit profile, or disability rating. We also use the Meta (Facebook and Instagram) pixel on our public pages to measure our own ads and show them to people who visited our site. Meta does not receive your account details, benefit profile, or disability rating from us. You can opt out of personalized ads at adssettings.google.com or aboutads.info/choices, limit Meta ads in your Meta ad preferences, and residents of some states can use the ‘Your privacy choices’ link in the footer of our pages (and the opt-out button Google shows on pages with ads) to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. See Google’s explanation at policies.google.com/technologies/ads.

How to Opt Out

You can control or disable cookies through the following methods:

• Browser settings: Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Refer to your browser’s help documentation for instructions.
• Google Analytics: Install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Add-on.
• Meta Pixel: Adjust your Facebook Ad Settings or visit the DAA opt-out page.

5. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you request account deletion, we will permanently delete all personally identifiable information associated with your account within 30 days of your request, including:

• Your name, email address, and profile picture
• VA rating, state, and all onboarding questionnaire responses
• DVB AI conversation history
• Account and usage records

Anonymized, aggregated analytics data (which cannot be used to identify you) may be retained indefinitely for statistical and service improvement purposes.

Inactive accounts (no login for 24 consecutive months) may be flagged for deletion. We will send an email notification to the address on file at least 30 days before any such deletion occurs.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:

• All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS (HTTPS)
• Passwords are salted and hashed using bcrypt — we never store plaintext passwords
• Database access is restricted and monitored
• No payment or credit card information is collected — the service is 100% free

While no system can guarantee absolute security, we are committed to protecting your information and will notify affected users promptly in the unlikely event of a data breach.

7. Your Rights Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the CCPA:

• Right to Know: You may request a detailed description of the personal information we have collected about you, the sources of that information, the purposes for which it was collected, and the categories of third parties with whom it was shared.
• Right to Delete: You may request the deletion of your personal information. We will comply within 30 days, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing: We never sell your account information. Google ads and the Meta pixel on our public pages use cookies, which some state laws treat as “selling” or “sharing” for targeted advertising. You can opt out with the “Your privacy choices” link in our site footer, and we honor Global Privacy Control browser signals. The aggregate research described in Section 3.6 does not involve your personal information — it’s statistics about our user base as a whole, built so no individual can be identified, which is a different thing from selling personal data.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello [at] disabledvetbenefits.com. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 30 days.

8. Rights for Users in the European Union (GDPR)

Although our Service is primarily directed at U.S. veterans, we respect the rights of users who may access the Service from the European Union or European Economic Area. If you are located in the EU/EEA, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right of access — request a copy of the data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure — request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Right to restrict processing — request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object — object to processing of your data for certain purposes

Our lawful basis for processing personal data is (a) your consent, provided when you create an account or sign in with Google, and (b) our legitimate interest in operating and improving the Service. To exercise any GDPR rights, email us at hello [at] disabledvetbenefits.com. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Children’s Privacy

The Service is not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18 years of age. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello [at] disabledvetbenefits.com, and we will promptly delete such information.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the services we offer. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and notify registered users by email. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

• Email: hello [at] disabledvetbenefits.com
• Operated by: CI Industries, Sarasota, FL
• Response timeframe: We will respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.