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Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 15, 2026

Plain-English version: Honor Bound LLC. is run by Veterans for Veterans. We collect the minimum data needed to run a community site. We don't sell anything to anyone. We don't use third-party ad trackers. Verification documents (if you upload one) are deleted after review. If you ask us to permanently delete your account and data, we will complete that within 45 days. Read on for the detailed version.

1. Who we are

Honor Bound LLC. (the "Site") is operated by Honor Bound LLC, a limited liability company organized under the laws of Connecticut ("we", "us", "our"). You can reach us at [email protected].

2. What we collect

Information you provide

  • Account details: username, email address, hashed password.
  • Profile fields you choose to share: display name, real name (private by default), branch of service, era, units, deployments, MOS/rate/AFSC, location (city/state/country), bio, operations served in, decorations earned. You control which of these are visible to other members.
  • Verification: we verify service electronically through the VA's own confirmation system (the VA Lighthouse API). This returns only a yes/no result — we do not receive or store any military records, documents, or personal identifiers from the VA.
  • Community content: forum posts, threads, direct messages, and any other content you post on the Site.

Information collected automatically

  • Server logs: when you use the Site, our web server records IP address, browser type, pages requested, and timestamps. These are kept for up to 30 days for security and operational reasons, then deleted.
  • Session cookies: we use a single first-party cookie to keep you logged in. We do not use third-party cookies, advertising trackers, or analytics services on the Site.

Data from the VA Lighthouse API

When you verify your Veteran status through our VA-connected verification gateway, we query the VA Lighthouse API on your behalf. The only data we receive and store from that query is a confirmation token indicating that your Veteran status was validated — a yes/no result. We do not pull, store, or log your electronic health records, disability ratings, claims history, Social Security Number, or any other data from VA systems. That token is used solely to set your account's verified status and is not shared with any third party.

Information from other verification partners

If we offer identity verification through a third-party partner and you choose to use it, we receive only a confirmation that you are a verified Veteran. We do not receive your military records, social security number, or any other identity data from the partner. Your relationship with that partner is governed by their own privacy policy.

3. VA Disability Rating Reference tool

Honor Bound LLC. includes a public-facing VA Disability Rating Reference tool that displays educational information from 38 CFR Part 4. This tool operates under stricter data-minimization rules than the community site:

  • No account required. The rating reference tool is accessible without creating an account and without logging in.
  • No personal information collected. We do not collect, store, or process any personal information — including health information, disability status, or claims information — in connection with your use of the rating reference tool.
  • No protected health information (PHI). The tool displays only publicly available regulatory text from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). No health data you enter or view is transmitted to or stored by our servers.
  • Client-side preference only. The only data stored when you use the rating reference tool is a dark-mode preference saved in your browser's localStorage. This never leaves your device and is not accessible to us.
  • Same server logs apply. The standard server-log entry described in Section 2 (IP address, browser type, pages requested, timestamp) is generated when you access the tool, and is subject to the same 30-day retention and deletion policy.

4. What we don't collect

We don't collect anything we don't need. Specifically, we do not:

  • Use third-party advertising trackers or analytics services
  • Sell, rent, or trade any user information to anyone for any reason
  • Share data with social media platforms
  • Build advertising profiles or behavioral models from your activity
  • Operate any service that monetizes your personal information

5. How we use your information

We use the information we collect strictly to operate the Site:

  • To create and maintain your account and profile
  • To verify that you are a U.S. military Veteran or service member
  • To enable you to find and connect with other Veterans
  • To send transactional emails (password resets, verification status updates, direct message notifications you can opt out of)
  • To moderate content and prevent abuse
  • To comply with legal obligations

Special Forum Areas — Radio Silence

We offer a private forum category called "Radio Silence" where verified Veterans can post and reply anonymously. In this space, no usernames, ranks, or identifying information are visible to other members. Only verified Veterans may view or participate. Posts in Radio Silence are not indexed by search engines. Administrators can see the true identity of the poster solely for safety, moderation, and enforcement of our rules. We do not use content from this category for any other purpose, nor do we share it with third parties except as required by law.

6. How we share information

We share information in only these limited cases:

  • With other members, based on the privacy controls you set on your profile.
  • With service providers that help us operate the Site (currently: Cloudflare for DNS and traffic delivery; Resend for transactional email delivery). These providers are contractually limited to using your data only to provide their service to us.
  • If required by law, in response to a valid legal process such as a subpoena or court order. We will challenge overbroad requests where reasonable.
  • To protect safety, if we have a good-faith belief that disclosure is necessary to prevent serious harm.

We do not sell, rent, license, or otherwise commercially share your information.

7. How long we keep information

  • Account and profile data: as long as your account is active. If you choose to delete your account, your profile attributes are immediately and permanently anonymized and your login credentials are disabled. Full hard-deletion — removing all remaining records — is available on request and will be completed within 45 days of receiving your written request at [email protected].
  • Verification data: the VA Lighthouse API returns only a yes/no confirmation token, which is not retained after your verified status is recorded.
  • Forum and message content: retained as part of the community record. Upon account anonymization, your authored content is re-attributed to "[deleted user]." Hard-deletion removes it entirely within the 45-day window.
  • Server logs: up to 30 days, then automatically deleted.
  • Email logs: our email provider (Resend) retains delivery metadata for their standard period (currently 30 days).

8. Your rights and controls

You have the right to:

  • Access: view all your profile data via Profile → Edit, and export it on request.
  • Correct: update any profile information at any time.
  • Delete: request deletion of your account. Your profile is immediately anonymized upon request. Full hard-deletion — permanent erasure of 100% of your data from our systems — is available by emailing [email protected]. We will complete hard-deletion within 45 days of receiving your request.
  • Opt out of optional emails: via Profile → Edit → Email Preferences. Transactional emails (password resets, verification status) cannot be opted out of while your account is active.
  • Object: if you believe we are processing your data unlawfully, contact us at [email protected] and we will respond within 30 days.

9. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information:

  • Passwords are hashed using industry-standard methods (we never store passwords in plaintext)
  • The Site is served only over HTTPS
  • Verification documents are stored outside the public web root with restricted file permissions and deleted after review
  • We use two-factor authentication for administrator accounts where feasible

No system is perfectly secure. If we discover a security incident affecting your data, we will notify affected users within 72 hours of discovery, in line with applicable breach-notification laws.

10. Children's privacy

The Site is intended for users 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If we learn we have collected information from a person under 18, we will delete it.

11. International users

The Site is hosted in the United States and intended primarily for U.S. Military Veterans. If you access the Site from outside the U.S., your information is transferred to and processed in the U.S. By using the Site, you consent to that transfer.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via a notice on the Site and, where reasonable, by email to your registered address. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

13. Contact

Privacy questions: [email protected]
General contact: [email protected]

Honor Bound LLC · Connecticut, USA