dataretold ("the site") is operated as a personal project by Mark Hibbins. This page explains what information the site collects when you visit, how it is used, and which third parties receive any of it. The site is designed to collect as little personal information as possible.
Information collected automatically
Server logs
Like virtually every website, dataretold is served via a hosting and CDN provider that automatically logs basic request metadata — including IP address, user agent, request URL, and timestamp — for security, abuse prevention, and infrastructure operation. These logs are retained by that provider under their own retention policy and are not exported to or stored by dataretold itself.
Local browser storage
Some pages store small amounts of preference data in your browser using
localStorage or sessionStorage. This data stays on your device and
is not transmitted to dataretold. Examples:
- Theme preference (light or dark) on the Go Outside Guide.
- Whether the site logo intro animation has already played in this session.
- The most recently used location on tools that ask for one.
You can clear this data at any time via your browser's settings.
Information you provide
Location
The asteroid tracker and the Go Outside Guide can show results tailored to your location. Location is only used when you explicitly enter a place name or grant browser geolocation permission. When you do:
- If you grant the browser geolocation prompt, your latitude and longitude are read from your device.
- If you type a place name, it is sent to OpenStreetMap's Nominatim service to convert it to coordinates.
- Coordinates are then sent to the relevant data provider (Open-Meteo for weather and air quality) to fetch a forecast for that location.
- The site does not store your location server-side. It may be cached briefly in your browser so the page remembers it on the next visit.
You can revoke browser geolocation permission at any time, or simply not grant it; the tools still work with a manually entered place name or a default city.
Third parties
The tools rely on a small number of third-party services to function. Visiting a page that uses a service may cause your browser or our server to send data to that service:
- Hosting and CDN provider — receives all HTTP requests in order to serve the site.
- NASA NeoWs / JPL Horizons — receives no personal data; queried server-side for asteroid orbital data.
- Open-Meteo — receives latitude/longitude (rounded) when you use the Go Outside Guide, in order to return a forecast.
- OpenStreetMap Nominatim — receives the place name you type when geocoding is needed.
- Google AdSense — when advertising is enabled on a page, Google and its advertising partners may set cookies and collect usage data to serve and measure ads. See how Google uses information from sites that use its services.
Cookies
dataretold does not set its own tracking cookies. Cookies that may be set by third-party services (currently limited to potential future Google advertising cookies once advertising is enabled) are governed by those providers' own privacy policies. Where required by law in your region, you will be asked for consent before non-essential cookies are set.
Analytics
At present, dataretold does not run a dedicated analytics tool such as Google Analytics. If that changes, this page will be updated to reflect what is collected and how it is used.
Children
dataretold is not directed at children under 13. The site does not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information to the site, please get in touch and it will be removed.
Your rights
Because dataretold itself does not store personal information server-side, there is little data to exercise rights over directly with the site. Where data is held by third parties (for example the hosting provider's request logs), those parties' own privacy notices and procedures apply.
If you are in the UK or EU, you have rights under UK GDPR and EU GDPR including access, rectification, erasure, and objection. To exercise any of these against data processed on behalf of dataretold, contact details are on the contact page.
Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated as the tools change — for example, if a new feature requires a new data provider, or if advertising is added or removed. Material changes will be reflected in the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
Contact
Questions about privacy at dataretold can be sent via the contact page.