Thanks for using ScanLinks. Here we describe how ScanLinks collect, use and handle your information when you use the app
ScanLinks collects the following data in order to provide the link scanning functionality:
URLs you click in an external app: ScanLinks needs the URL in order to scan it and determine whether the link is safe to view or not. ScanLinks only collects URLs you click within an external app (for example, Whatsapp or GMail). ScanLinks does not collect URLs from your browser as it does not have access to it.
ScanLinks shares the URLs with the following third-parties:
CIRCL: Computer Incident Response Center Luxembourg - The URL is passed to CIRCL, which is a government-driven initiative to tackle computer security threats and incidents. CIRCL takes the URL and sends it to VirusTotal for analysis.
VirusTotal: A subsidiary of Google - VirusTotal scans the URL for malware and other suspicious content using 45+ different antivirus and security tools.
Security: ScanLinks makes connections to CIRCL over HTTPS for extra security. All exchanges happen with CIRCL directly, and not with VirusTotal, which operates over HTTP.
Retention: ScanLinks does not retain any URLs you click on in external apps, it only forwards the URL to CIRCL (which forwards it to VirusTotal). CIRCL does not retain any URLs that is sent by ScanLinks, because ScanLinks sends it directly to CIRCL's VirusTotal scanning endpoint. CIRCL only retains the URL when you manually report it on their website. VirusTotal retains the link when passed for scanning for further classification and to improve malware detection and antivirus services.
Any changes made to this Privacy Policy in the future will be posted on this page and, where appropriate, notified to you by e-mail.
VirusTotal: https://www.virustotal.com/en-gb/about/privacy/
CIRCL: https://www.circl.lu/services/urlabuse/
Last updated: 1st February 2017