Privacy Policy

• Client information: Name, organization, job title, business email, business phone number, mailing address, and details you provide about an engagement such as the position, agency context, record requested, and timeline.
• Subject information: Personal and identifying information about individuals who are the subject of a background investigation or records request, which may include name, date of birth, address history, employment history, education, and other data relevant to the engagement. We collect this information from our clients and from public records, government agencies, prior employers, educational institutions, and other lawful sources.
• Communications information: Phone numbers, email addresses, message content, and metadata (such as date and time) associated with calls, emails, and SMS/text messages exchanged with us, including messages sent for appointment scheduling, status updates, and service-related notices.
• Website information: Basic technical data such as IP address, browser type, pages visited, and referring URLs collected through standard server logs.

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, conduct, and deliver background investigation and FOIA services;
• Communicate with you about your engagement, including via SMS/text message, email, and phone for scheduling, status updates, and service-related notices;
• Respond to inquiries, provide quotes, and otherwise carry out the services you request;
• Maintain records as required by law, regulation, or our clients;
• Comply with our legal, contractual, and regulatory obligations, including those applicable to government contracting;
• Protect our rights, detect and prevent fraud, and maintain the security and integrity of our services.

With your consent, Sterling may send SMS/text messages to the phone number(s) you provide. These messages are service-related and may include appointment reminders, scheduling confirmations, status updates regarding an engagement, and similar notices.

• Consent: By providing your phone number and engaging with us, you consent to receive these service-related messages. Message frequency varies based on your engagement.
• Opt-out: You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any message. After opting out, you may receive one final confirmation message. Standard message and data rates from your carrier may apply.
• Support: For help, reply HELP to any message or contact us using the information in Section 9 below.

We do not sell or share your phone number or message data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

We may disclose information to: (a) our clients and their authorized recipients who are entitled to receive the results of an engagement; (b) government agencies, courts, and other parties as required by law, subpoena, court order, or valid legal process; (c) service providers and vendors who assist us in operating our business (such as records retrieval or messaging platforms), under contractual obligations of confidentiality; and (d) parties in connection with a merger, acquisition, or asset sale. We do not sell personal information to third parties.

We retain information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, to comply with legal and regulatory requirements applicable to our services and to government contracting, and to resolve disputes. Background investigation and records-retrieval files are retained in accordance with applicable law and client instructions.

We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the information we handle. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Depending on applicable law, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of certain personal information we hold about you, and to opt out of certain processing. You may also opt out of SMS communications as described in Section 3. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information in Section 9.

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16 through our website or messaging channels.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our information practices, please contact us:

You may also reach us through our contact page.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes will be posted here. Your continued use of our services or communications with us after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.