Our Privacy Scoring Methodology

Transparency is important to us. Here’s how we evaluate tools and calculate privacy scores in Privacy Registry.

How Privacy Scores Work

Each tool in our directory receives a privacy score from A (excellent) to F (poor). This overall grade is calculated from five key factors, each weighted according to its importance for user privacy.

The Five Scoring Factors

1. Data Residency (30% weight)

Where is your data stored?

This is our most heavily weighted factor because data location determines which laws protect your information.

Classification	Score	Description
EU Only	100	Data stored exclusively in EU/EEA countries
EU + Others	60	Data stored in EU plus other jurisdictions
Non-EU	20	Data primarily stored outside the EU

Why it matters: EU data protection laws (GDPR) provide strong privacy rights. When your data is stored in the EU, you benefit from these protections.

2. Open Source Score (20% weight)

Is the code open source and auditable?

We assess whether the software’s source code is publicly available and can be independently verified.

Score Range	Meaning
90-100	Fully open source, regularly audited, active community
70-89	Mostly open source, some proprietary components
50-69	Partially open source (e.g., clients only)
25-49	Minimal open source, mostly proprietary
0-24	Fully proprietary, no code transparency

Why it matters: Open source code can be audited by security researchers, making it harder to hide privacy-invasive practices.

3. Privacy Policy Score (20% weight)

How clear and user-friendly is the privacy policy?

We evaluate privacy policies based on clarity, completeness, and how well they respect user rights.

Score Range	Meaning
90-100	Exemplary: Clear, comprehensive, user-friendly, minimal data collection
70-89	Good: Clear policies, reasonable data practices
50-69	Average: Standard policies, some concerns
25-49	Below average: Vague policies, concerning practices
0-24	Poor: Unclear, extensive data collection, or missing policy

What we look for:

• Clear explanation of what data is collected
• Transparent data retention periods
• Easy-to-understand language
• Clear user rights and how to exercise them
• Minimal data collection philosophy

4. Trackers Score (15% weight)

What third-party trackers are used?

We analyze the service’s websites and applications for third-party tracking scripts and analytics.

Score Range	Meaning
90-100	No third-party trackers, self-hosted analytics only
70-89	Privacy-friendly analytics only (e.g., Plausible, Fathom)
50-69	Limited tracking, essential analytics only
25-49	Multiple trackers, some advertising-related
0-24	Extensive tracking, advertising networks, social trackers

Why it matters: Third-party trackers can follow you across the web and build profiles of your behavior, often without your knowledge.

5. Terms of Service Score (15% weight)

How fair are the terms of service?

We assess whether the terms are balanced and respect user rights.

Score Range	Meaning
90-100	User-friendly terms, strong rights retention
70-89	Fair terms with minor concerns
50-69	Standard terms, typical limitations
25-49	Concerning clauses, broad rights grants
0-24	User-hostile terms, extensive liability waivers

What we look for:

• Data ownership and portability
• Account termination policies
• Dispute resolution fairness
• Liability limitations
• Arbitration clauses

How We Calculate the Overall Grade

The overall grade is calculated using a weighted average:

Overall Score = (Data Residency × 0.30) +
                (Open Source × 0.20) +
                (Privacy Policy × 0.20) +
                (Trackers × 0.15) +
                (Terms of Service × 0.15)

The resulting score (0-100) maps to a letter grade:

Grade	Score Range	Meaning
A	90-100	Excellent privacy practices
B	80-89	Good privacy practices
C	70-79	Average privacy practices
D	60-69	Below average privacy practices
F	Below 60	Poor privacy practices

Example Calculation

For a hypothetical tool:

Factor	Raw Score	Weight	Weighted
Data Residency (EU Only)	100	30%	30.0
Open Source	85	20%	17.0
Privacy Policy	90	20%	18.0
Trackers	95	15%	14.25
Terms of Service	80	15%	12.0
Total			91.25

Result: Grade A (score 91.25 rounds to 91)

Important Disclaimer

Our privacy scores are assessments based on publicly available information, including:

• Official privacy policies and terms of service
• Public security audits and certifications
• Open source code repositories
• Third-party security research
• News reports and official announcements

Limitations to understand:

1. Point-in-time assessment: Scores reflect our evaluation at the time of review. Policies and practices can change.

2. Public information only: We cannot verify internal practices or undisclosed data handling.

3. Subjective elements: Some scoring factors involve judgment calls based on our interpretation.

4. Not legal advice: Our scores are informational and should not be considered legal or security advice.

5. Regional variations: Some services may have different practices in different regions.

Review Process

Each tool is reviewed by our team using a standardized checklist. We aim to re-review tools periodically and when significant changes are announced.

The “Last Reviewed” date on each tool indicates when our most recent assessment was completed.

Feedback and Corrections

We strive for accuracy and welcome feedback. If you believe a score is inaccurate or have updated information about a tool, please contact us.

Tool vendors are also welcome to reach out with clarifications or to provide additional information about their privacy practices.