Privacy Policy

Who we are

HalalSearch is a US Muslim-ecosystem directory. This policy describes the HalalSearch website and API as they exist today: a server-rendered directory, optional user reviews and business-claim forms, and browser-only favorites.

What we collect

Reviews you submit (optional display name, star rating, and review text). Business-claim forms (contact name, email, optional phone, role, and how you say we can verify you). Those claim fields are stored so a human can moderate the request. Favorites you save in this browser (listing IDs in LocalStorage under the key halalsearch.saved). Server logs may include standard request metadata generated by the HTTP stack. We do not store raw IP addresses for rate-limiting or reviews.

What we do not collect by default

HalalSearch does not set tracking cookies, advertising pixels, or third-party analytics by default. Favorites never leave your device. We do not require an account to browse. We do not sell a list of Muslim-owned businesses derived from names.

Directory and government data

Restaurant and mosque listings in /v1/places come from a frozen public directory seed (18,891 US places). Professional identity for some pilots comes from public NPPES registry records (NPI, practice name, address, taxonomy). Mosque community-directory listings are copied from official Islamic-center pages that we were allowed to fetch. NPPES and a mosque directory listing are location/relevance signals. They are not proof of Muslim ownership or a Halal guarantee.

How we use this information

To show the directory, moderate user reviews before they appear, review claim-this-business requests, and operate the site. User reviews stay pending until a human approves them. Approved claims only mean we treated someone as a manager/owner of the listing. They do not change muslim_owned or Halal fields.

How long we keep it

Directory records stay until we take them down or you send a valid removal request. Pending, approved, and rejected reviews and ownership requests remain in our SQLite store until an operator deletes them. LocalStorage favorites last until you clear site data.

Your choices

Do not submit a review or claim form if you do not want that text or contact information stored. Clear this site’s LocalStorage to remove favorites. Email support@halalsearch.org to ask us to hide a review, a claim form, or a listing you control.

Children

The directory is not directed at children under 13. Do not submit reviews or claim forms on behalf of a child.

Contact

Questions: support@halalsearch.org.