Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 31, 2025

Welcome to the 3I/ATLAS Solar System Tracker ("we," "our," or "the Service"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle your data. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your personal data.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

We do not require you to create an account or provide personal information to use our Service. The Service is freely accessible without registration.

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you use our Service, we may automatically collect certain technical information through Google Analytics (only with your consent):

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used (e.g., celestial body clicks, focus mode, time speed adjustments)
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type (mobile/desktop)
• Location Data: Approximate geographic location (country/region level, anonymized IP)
• Interaction Data: Click patterns, session duration, engagement metrics

2. How We Use Your Information

What we DO use your data for:

• 📊 Make the tracker better: See which features people love (or don't use)
• ⚡ Fix bugs faster: Identify technical issues and improve performance
• 🌟 Prioritize new features: Build what users actually want
• 🌍 Understand our reach: Know which countries are interested in space

What we absolutely do NOT do:

• ❌ Sell your data (seriously, never)
• ❌ Show you ads based on your behavior
• ❌ Share with advertisers or data brokers
• ❌ Track you across other websites
• ❌ Build a profile to target you with anything
• ❌ Require your email or personal information

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

3.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites remember information about your visit. Think of them like digital sticky notes.

3.2 Cookies We Use

We use only two types of cookies - and you control one of them:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the site to function (e.g., storing your consent preference, panel collapse states)
• Analytics Cookies (Google Analytics): Only used if you accept cookies. These track:
  • Page views and session data
  • Feature usage (celestial body clicks, focus mode toggles, etc.)
  • Device and browser information

3.3 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through:

• Our cookie consent banner (Accept/Decline)
• Your browser settings (you can block all cookies, though this may affect functionality)
• Clearing your browser's cookies and cache

Your consent preference is stored in your browser's localStorage and will be remembered for future visits.

4. Third-Party Services

4.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics (only with your consent) to understand how users interact with our Service. Google Analytics collects information anonymously and reports website trends without identifying individual visitors.

Data Protections:

• IP anonymization is enabled (your full IP address is not stored)
• Data is aggregated and anonymized
• No personally identifiable information is collected

Learn more about how Google uses data: Google Privacy & Terms

4.2 NASA JPL Horizons API

We fetch real-time comet orbital data from NASA's JPL Horizons API. This connection does not transmit any personal information about you. NASA may log the API request's IP address according to their own policies.

4.3 Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)

We use Cloudflare CDN to deliver JavaScript libraries (Three.js, QRCode.js) for better performance. These CDNs may log requests according to their privacy policies.

5. Data Retention

We retain data as follows:

• Google Analytics Data: Automatically deleted after 14 months (Google's default setting)
• Consent Preferences: Stored indefinitely in your browser's localStorage until you clear it
• Server Logs: We do not operate servers that store user data (static site hosted on Netlify)

6. Your Privacy Rights

Your Legal Rights:

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

6.1 GDPR Rights (European Union)

• Right to Access: Request what data we have about you
• Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your data
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate data
• Right to Object: Object to data processing
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a portable format
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw cookie consent at any time

6.2 CCPA Rights (California)

• Right to Know: What personal information is collected
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your information
• Right to Opt-Out: Decline analytics tracking

7. Data Security

We implement the following security measures:

• HTTPS Encryption: All traffic is encrypted using TLS/SSL
• HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security): Forces secure connections
• Content Security Policy (CSP): Protects against XSS attacks
• Cross-Origin Policies: Prevents unauthorized cross-origin access
• No Database: We don't store user data in any databases

8. Children's Privacy

Our Service is suitable for all ages and does not knowingly collect personal information from children. Since we don't collect personally identifiable information, children can safely use the tracker. However, we encourage parents to supervise their children's internet usage.

9. International Data Transfers

Our Service is hosted on Netlify (which may use servers worldwide), and Google Analytics data is processed by Google LLC in the United States. By using our Service, you consent to the transfer of your data to countries outside your residence.

Google is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework for GDPR compliance.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Displaying a notice on our homepage (for material changes)

Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Do Not Track (DNT) Signals

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) setting. Our Service respects your browser's DNT preference. If DNT is enabled, we will not load Google Analytics, similar to declining our cookie consent banner.

12. Donations and Cryptocurrency

If you choose to donate via cryptocurrency using the wallet addresses displayed on our site:

• We do not collect any personal information about donors
• Cryptocurrency transactions are pseudonymous and recorded on public blockchains
• We cannot identify individual donors unless they choose to contact us separately
• Transaction data is subject to the blockchain's public ledger policies

13. Contact Us

14. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Under GDPR, we process your data based on:

• Consent: You explicitly consent via our cookie banner
• Legitimate Interest: Improving our Service and understanding usage patterns

You have the right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal.

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Thank you for trusting the 3I/ATLAS Solar System Tracker. We are committed to protecting your privacy while providing an amazing astronomical experience.