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audit report

Render

https://render.com · hosting

warn
scanned 2026-04-16 23:35:39 utc permalink · /audit/render

Render's privacy policy claims comprehensive data collection (PII, payment data, device/IP, analytics, geolocation) and third-party sharing with service providers, ad networks, and analytics partners like Google and Stripe. The observed tech stack largely aligns with these claims: Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, and Segment confirm analytics/tracking infrastructure; Sanity and Algolia support API operations; HubSpot and Salesloft support business functions. However, the policy discloses named third parties minimally (only Stripe, Google LLC, Google Analytics) while the actual stack includes many additional vendors (Segment, Ashby, GrowthBook, Inkeep, etc.) not explicitly named, creating a transparency gap. The site sets no observable cookies on the initial page load, despite claiming "essential, functional, performance/analytical, and retargeting/advertising cookies"—a discrepancy that may reflect timing (cookies set post-interaction) but remains unverified.

claim vs. reality


“Profile or Contact Data such as first and last name, email address, and password”

— Render privacy policy

observed · html

Google Tag Manager

findings


  1. warn

    Observed vendors not named in policy

    The policy names some third parties but omits these observed vendors. Undeclared: Google Tag Manager, Google AdSense, GrowthBook, LinkedIn, Segment, Segment.

    
                Google Tag Manager
    Google AdSense
    GrowthBook
              
    how we detected this →
  2. warn

    Named third parties significantly underrepresent actual vendor ecosystem

    The privacy policy names only three third parties: Stripe, Google LLC, and Google Analytics. However, the observed tech stack includes at least 22 distinct third-party domains across analytics (Segment), sales/recruitment (Ashby, Salesloft), testing/personalization (GrowthBook), support (Inkeep, HubSpot), and content management (Sanity). While some (Segment, Google) act as aggregators/pipelines to other vendors, the policy provides no visibility into this more complex data-sharing ecosystem. Users cannot assess all entities with data access.

    
                Policy named parties: Stripe, Google LLC, Google Analytics
    Observed domains: sanity.io (65 hits), googletagmanager.com, osano.com, salesloft.com, segment.com, ashbyhq.com, hsforms.com, inkeep.com, growthbook.io, and 13 others
              
    how we detected this →
  3. note

    Google Tag Manager loaded (tag_manager)

    Observed 5 time(s) on the page.

    
                inline: window.dataLayer=window.dataLayer||[];function a(){dataLayer.push(arguments)}
    inline: pt\",null,{\"dangerouslySetInnerHTML\":{\"__html\":\"window.dataLayer=window.dataLayer||[];function a(){dataLayer.push(arguments)}
    <iframe> src: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-N644GXSK
              
    how we detected this →
  4. note

    Google Analytics loaded (analytics)

    Observed 1 time(s) on the page.

    
                CSP: https://*.google-analytics.com
              
    how we detected this →
  5. note

    Google AdSense loaded (advertising)

    Observed 1 time(s) on the page.

    
                CSP: https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com
              
    how we detected this →
  6. note

    GrowthBook loaded (ab_testing)

    Observed 1 time(s) on the page.

    
                CSP: https://cdn.growthbook.io
              
    how we detected this →
  7. note

    LinkedIn loaded (social)

    Observed 1 time(s) on the page.

    
                CSP: https://*.linkedin.com
              
    how we detected this →
  8. note

    Segment loaded (analytics)

    Observed 1 time(s) on the page.

    
                CSP: https://*.segment.com
              
    how we detected this →
  9. note

    Segment loaded (analytics)

    Observed 1 time(s) on the page.

    
                CSP: https://*.segment.io
              
    how we detected this →
  10. note

    Ashby (recruitment platform) integration not disclosed

    Ashby HQ is loaded on the homepage but not mentioned in the privacy policy's third-party disclosures. This suggests HR/recruitment data collection (e.g., job application funnels, candidate tracking) that isn't explicitly acknowledged. Users visiting the careers page or interacting with job listings may have data shared with Ashby without clear notice.

    
                ashbyhq.com detected with 1 hit in tech stack
    No mention of Ashby in policy third-party section
              
    how we detected this →
  11. note

    Segment used as data aggregator but not explicitly named in policy

    Segment.com and Segment.io are detected (2 hits combined) but not named in the policy's third-party disclosures. Segment typically acts as a customer data platform routing events to multiple downstream vendors (analytics, advertising, CRM). The policy's claim to share with 'Analytics providers' and 'Advertising Partners' may flow through Segment, but this intermediary role is opaque to users.

    
                segment.com and segment.io detected in tech stack
    Policy mentions generic 'Analytics providers' and 'Advertising Partners' but not Segment by name
              
    how we detected this →
  12. note

    No observable cookies set on initial page load despite cookie policy claims

    The policy explicitly claims use of 'Essential Cookies, Functional Cookies, Performance/Analytical Cookies, Retargeting/Advertising Cookies,' but the observation shows zero cookies set. This may reflect lazy-loading or post-interaction cookie setting, but it means the cookie consent/notice flow (if any) is not evident from the initial page state, limiting user ability to make informed consent decisions upfront.

    
                cookies_set: [] in observation
    Policy claims: 'We use the following types of Cookies: Essential Cookies, Functional Cookies, Performance/Analytical Cookies, Retargeting/Advertising Cookies'
              
    how we detected this →
  13. info

    Google Analytics: disclosed in policy

    The policy names this vendor explicitly, matching what was observed.

    how we detected this →
  14. info

    Google AdSense (advertising) detected but policy frames advertising vaguely

    googlesyndication.com (Google AdSense) is loaded, confirming programmatic advertising. The policy discusses 'third-party ad networks' generically and reserves the right to serve 'interest-based advertisements' but does not name Google AdSense or explain how user behavioral data informs ad targeting on the site itself.

    
                googlesyndication.com detected (1 hit)
    Policy states: 'We may serve advertisements, and also allow third-party ad networks... to serve advertisements through the Services' without specific vendor identification
              
    how we detected this →

third parties observed


vendor domain category hits disclosure
Google AdSense googlesyndication.com advertising 1 not named
Google Analytics google-analytics.com analytics 1 named
Google Tag Manager googletagmanager.com tag_manager 5 not named
GrowthBook growthbook.io ab_testing 1 not named
LinkedIn linkedin.com social 1 not named
Segment segment.com analytics 1 not named
Segment segment.io analytics 1 not named
AWS amazonaws.com hosting 1 not named
Algolia algolia.net api 1 not named
Algolia algolianet.com api 1 not named
Ashby ashbyhq.com other 1 not named
Google google.com other 2 not named
Google APIs googleapis.com api 1 not named
Google Static gstatic.com cdn 1 not named
HubSpot hsforms.com other 1 not named
Inkeep inkeep.com chat_support 1 not named
LinkedIn CDN licdn.com cdn 1 not named
Osano osano.com other 4 not named
Report URI report-uri.com error_tracking 1 not named
Salesloft salesloft.com other 2 not named
Sanity sanity.io api 65 not named
Unify Intent unifyintent.com other 1 not named

policy claims


source · https://render.com/privacy

collects pii
yes
shares 3p
yes
sells data
yes
cookies
yes
analytics
yes
advertising
yes

named third parties (3)

Stripe, Inc., Google LLC, Google Analytics

retention

Render retains personal data as long as necessary to provide services or fulfill business purposes. Profile information and credentials are retained for the lifetime of user accounts. Device/IP data is retained as needed for system functionality. Data may be retained longer if required by law, to resolve disputes, or collect fees. Some data is retained in anonymous or aggregated form.

user rights

California residents can access, delete, and correct personal data, and opt-out of sales/shares via email (privacy@render.com) or Do Not Sell link. EU/UK residents have rights to access, rectification, erasure, withdraw consent, portability, objection, and restriction of processing. Nevada residents can opt-out of sales. All users can control cookies through browser settings.

response headers


hsts
yes
csp
yes
server
cloudflare

run this yourself


Every audit on this site is reproducible. Install stackpeek and run the same check against https://render.com from your own machine — the tool is MIT-licensed and runs locally.

pip install stackpeek
stackpeek audit https://render.com

source on GitHub · methodology · cli docs

provenance


This audit was generated by running stackpeek against https://render.com from a public IP, using only HTTP GET and standard browser headers. The findings compare the observed HTML against the extracted privacy policy using the public methodology. Re-scans append new findings at new permalinks and never overwrite the historical record.