Privacy Policy

Version: draft · Last updated: 27 May 2026

Who we are

Auto Consul (autoconsul.nl) provides licence-plate reports based on official RDW data, with optional AI analysis and chat. Questions or requests? Email contact@autoconsul.nl.

What data do we process?

Plate lookups — to fetch RDW data and an indicative market value. A plate check can be done anonymously, without an account.
Account data — if you create an account for AI chat and saved dossiers: your email and (with Google sign-in) your name, via Firebase Authentication.
Saved dossiers & chat history — linked to your account so you can find them later.
Credits, passes and usage — we record which tools cost a credit (chat, AI analysis) and which pass you bought, for a transparent usage overview.
Payment data — payments are handled by Stripe. We do not store card details; we keep only an order reference.
Caches — RDW and analysis results are stored locally and server-side for up to 24 hours (faster, cheaper reuse).
IP address — only for abuse rate-limiting, and via Firebase App Check / reCAPTCHA Enterprise to block automated abuse.

Who we share data with (sub-processors)

Google Cloud / Firebase — hosting, authentication, database (Firestore), storage and AI (Vertex AI), within the EU.
Stripe — payment processing.
RDW Open Data — source of the official vehicle data.
Autotelex — indicative market value.
Google Search — only when a question needs a live web search.
Google Analytics 4 — aggregated usage statistics, only with your consent.

Where is your data?

Processing takes place within the EU (Google Cloud, region europe-west4, Firestore multi-region eur3). AI analysis and chat run on Google's Gemini models via Vertex AI.

How long do we keep data?

Caches: at most 24 hours.
IP address for rate-limiting: briefly, in process memory.
Account, dossiers, chat history and usage overview: as long as your account exists. We delete these when your account is removed.

AI-assisted analysis — GDPR Article 22

Our AI analysis is an automated process making substantive statements about your car (estimated value, future emission-zone status, comparisons). Under Article 22 of the GDPR you have the right:

to know this is an automated process — hence the "AI · Indicative" label on every AI block.
to human review — email us via contact@autoconsul.nl.
to object — we adjust the analysis or delete your search on request.

Cookies and local storage

See /cookies. By default only strictly necessary local storage (recent searches, language choice, signed-in session) plus the Firebase App Check token. Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4) are used only with your consent.

Your rights

Access, deletion, correction, objection and data portability — email contact@autoconsul.nl. You may also lodge a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).