SwearGuard DNS: privacy policy
Last updated: 6 October 2026
SwearGuard DNS is a family DNS service on our own servers. It works on its own, with no app on the PC. This page covers only SwearGuard DNS; the SwearGuard Windows app has its own privacy policy.
In short
Families may choose a separate DNS service, including for devices without the SwearGuard Windows app. Paid filtering uses servers in the United States (New York), US West (Los Angeles), South Africa, Belgium, Singapore, Australia, Brazil (São Paulo), Middle East (Doha, Qatar) and Canada (Montreal). Free filtering uses New York and Los Angeles with one shared monthly allowance. Account-linked lookup counters are stored on both Free filtering servers and synchronised with the main server over encrypted connections; these counters contain totals, not website names. Optional activity history is available on every plan and is stored separately when enabled. Accounts and query history are stored on the main server in the United States; each server keeps a copy of the profile rules, linked home network addresses and device address hashes so it can filter. Query history recorded by the other servers is sent to the main server over an encrypted connection, then deleted from those servers. Signing up stores the parent's email address, a salted password hash, a login session, profile rules, and any linked home network address or router name (DDNS hostname). The DDNS hostname is rechecked periodically so a home whose address changes stays linked. DNS questions sent to our servers are checked against public blocklists and the profile's custom allow/block rules. Allowed questions are resolved by our local recursive resolver. Query history is off by default. If a customer turns it on, the main server stores each queried domain, time, DNS type, result and home network address for up to seven days or 100,000 total records, whichever limit comes first. Customers can clear their own history or turn it off, which deletes their records. The DNS portal also displays this notice at dns.swearguard.com/privacy. Ordinary DNS between the device and our servers is unencrypted. The hosting providers (including Google Cloud for the servers in South Africa, Belgium and Singapore) can process connection information. The public blocklists are downloaded from StevenBlack/hosts and HaGeZi's DNS blocklists; the DNS service does not send queries to Cloudflare. Email support@swearguard.com to request removal of a DNS account and its linked information.
The details
SwearGuard DNS stores your account email, salted password hash, login session, filter settings, your home network's address, and an optional router name (DDNS). Your DNS requests are checked against public blocklists and resolved by our service.
Free accounts share a monthly allowance across New York and Los Angeles. The allowance counters store totals without website names. Optional activity history works on every plan and is off by default. We use normalized email identities and hashed email/network records to prevent duplicate Free accounts, while retaining your actual email address for delivery. Signup-rate records count only the previous 24 hours and are removed during routine cleanup. Cloudflare Turnstile checks signups; its validation token and your connection address are sent to Cloudflare for verification.
Paid filtering uses servers in the United States (New York and Los Angeles), South Africa, Belgium, Singapore, Australia, Brazil (São Paulo), Qatar (Doha) and Canada (Montreal). Free filtering uses New York and Los Angeles with the same monthly allowance. Your account and query history are stored on the main server in the United States. Each server keeps a copy of your rules, your home network's address and device address hashes so it can filter. If query history is on, requests answered by the other servers are sent to the main server over an encrypted connection within seconds, then removed from those servers.
Query history is off by default. If you turn it on in your profile, we store each queried domain, time, DNS type, result, matching rule and home network address so you can review them. Records are removed after seven days or when the service reaches 100,000 records, whichever comes first. You can clear your history or turn it off at any time; turning it off deletes your records. We do not use query history for advertising.
Plain DNS between your network and our service is unencrypted. Your internet and hosting providers may see connection information. A home router shares one internet address across its devices. Optional device profiles store a device name, independent rules and a hash of a private DNS-over-HTTPS address. Requests using that address are attributed to that device; sharing an address shares its identity. DNS-over-HTTPS encrypts the connection to our service. Removing a device deletes its query history.
You can choose a device icon or upload an optional photo. Your browser crops the photo to a 128 × 128 pixel PNG before uploading it; the original image and its metadata are not uploaded. The small image is stored with that device's metadata and is accessible only through your signed-in account. Choosing a predefined icon removes the saved photo. Removing the device or deleting your account deletes its photo too.
Payments for purchases through our checkout are processed by Freemius, Inc., the reseller and Merchant of Record, under its own privacy policy; we never see your card details. We keep your plan, its status, the amounts paid and Freemius’s subscription and customer references.
Android app and managed phones
Parent sign-in in the Android app uses a secure account session, which can be ended by signing out or changing the account password. QR sign-in codes are private, single-use and expire quickly. Camera images used to read QR codes are processed on the phone and are not uploaded or saved. If a parent enables managed-phone controls, the phone sends the names and package identifiers of controllable installed apps, its management and permission status, and whether applying controls failed. These account-linked records support the parent’s app rules and are deleted when the device is deleted. Daily app-use timing is calculated on the phone and is not sent to our servers. Managed setup requires Android device-owner enrollment; normal phone setup does not grant these controls.
To request account deletion or ask about privacy, email support@swearguard.com.
Free-plan allowance and signup checks
We keep monthly lookup totals linked to your account. The main server coordinates a shared Free allowance for New York and Los Angeles; the filtering servers keep local counters and exchange allowance updates over encrypted connections. These totals contain counts, not the websites visited. Optional activity history is separate and is off by default. Account and payment records still exist when activity history is off.
To limit duplicate Free accounts, we keep hashed versions of a normalised email address and home-network information. These are linked to your account and are not anonymous. Signup network checks use a 24-hour window. Admins can approve exceptions for legitimate shared households or carrier networks.
Cloudflare Turnstile checks Free signups to help reject automated registrations. Your browser contacts Cloudflare, and our server sends the signup-check token and your connection address to Cloudflare for verification. We do not send your DNS activity or payment details to Turnstile.