Privacy Policy

We collect only the data required to provide the LocalGuard service. This includes:

• Google Business Profile data — your business name, address, phone number, category, and customer reviews. Fetched via the Google Business Profile API using OAuth tokens you authorise.
• Google Ads data — campaign names, keyword lists, budget settings, and performance metrics from your connected Google Ads account.
• Business profile information — details you enter manually in the LocalGuard dashboard (business type, city, service description, special offers).
• Contact details — an alert email address you optionally provide for reputation alerts. We do not collect personal information about your customers beyond what Google provides via the Business Profile API (reviewer display names, which are set by the reviewers themselves).
• Call tracking data — if you enable the call tracking feature, we record call volumes and durations via Twilio. No call audio is recorded.

Your data is used exclusively to operate the LocalGuard service:

• Displaying your reviews, reputation score, and business profile in the dashboard
• Generating AI-drafted review responses using the Anthropic API
• Posting owner replies to Google reviews on your behalf (only when you click the publish button)
• Monitoring competitor activity near your business location
• Creating and publishing Google Ads campaigns that you review and approve
• Sending reputation alerts to your registered alert email address
• Generating SMS marketing campaigns via Twilio (only if you configure this feature)

We do not sell your data to third parties. We do not use your business data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose outside the service described above.

LocalGuard requests the following Google OAuth scopes when you connect your account. Each scope is used for a specific purpose:

We request only the permissions necessary for the features described. We do not request access to Gmail inboxes, Google Drive, Google Calendar, or any other Google services.

Your data is stored in a PostgreSQL database hosted on a cloud provider with encryption at rest. OAuth tokens obtained via Google are encrypted before storage and are used only to make API calls on your behalf.

We use HTTPS for all data in transit. API access is protected by authentication tokens. Access to the LocalGuard dashboard is restricted to authorised staff.

We retain your data for as long as your business account is active. You may request deletion at any time (see “Your Rights” below).

LocalGuard integrates with the following third-party services to provide its features. Each has its own privacy policy:

• Google APIs — Google Business Profile, Google Ads, Google Places (Google Privacy Policy)
• Anthropic — AI-generated review response drafts are processed via the Anthropic Claude API. Review text is sent to Anthropic for generation purposes only and is not retained by Anthropic beyond the request (Anthropic Privacy Policy)
• Twilio — SMS campaigns and call tracking, if enabled (Twilio Privacy Policy)

You have the following rights with respect to your data:

• Access — request a copy of the data we hold about your business.
• Correction — update inaccurate business information directly from the dashboard Settings tab.
• Deletion — request that we delete your business account and all associated data. Contact us at the email below.
• Disconnect Google — revoke LocalGuard's access to your Google account at any time via your Google Account permissions or from the LocalGuard dashboard Settings tab. Revoking access stops all further API calls to your Google account.

The LocalGuard dashboard uses a single session cookie (lg_session) to keep you logged in. This cookie is httpOnly, not accessible from JavaScript, and expires after 8 hours. We do not use tracking cookies or advertising cookies.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of LocalGuard after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

For any privacy-related questions, data access requests, or deletion requests, contact us at:

See also: About LocalGuard