Privacy

MapGridder is a browser-based map tool. We try to collect as little about you as possible. Here is the short version of what we collect, why, and what you control.

MapGridder is responsible for the personal data described here. Questions or requests: help@mapgridder.com. Our Terms explain how you may use the Service.

1. What we collect

• Site analytics. We use Google Analytics to count visits: pages viewed, country (from your IP), device type and a pseudonymous cookie ID. It uses cookies and runs only as your cookie choice allows. See How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services.
• Usage analytics. We partner with Microsoft Clarity to understand how you use and interact with MapGridder through behavioral metrics, heatmaps and session replay, so we can improve the product. This uses first and third-party cookies and only runs once analytics cookies are allowed. For more about how Microsoft collects and uses your data, see the Microsoft Privacy Statement.
• Product analytics. We partner with PostHog to understand how MapGridder is used through product analytics, session recordings of how the site is used, and error reports, so we can fix problems and improve the product. If you are signed in, this is tied to your account id together with your email and name. It uses cookies, only runs once analytics cookies are allowed, and never runs on shared-map links. PostHog stores this data in the United States under a data processing agreement. See the PostHog Privacy Policy.
• Site performance. Our hosting provider counts visits and measures page speed without cookies. Share-link tokens are removed from what it records.
• Approximate location. When you load a page, our hosting provider tells us your approximate location from your IP address. We use it for two things only: to pick the cookie rules for your region, and to open the map near you on your first visit. Both are kept in cookies in your browser (the map one ends with the session); we don't store your location on our servers.
• Your map content (grid settings, measurements, waypoints, drawings, routes) stays in your browser's local storage and does not reach our servers on its own. Images you place as overlays stay on your device. A map is stored on our servers only when you save it to your account or share it by link; delete it any time from File, My maps. We may view saved and shared maps to fix problems, answer support requests and improve the product.
• Account info, only if you choose to sign in. Signing in is optional and goes through a sign-in provider such as Google. We keep your name, email, profile picture, the date you joined and your plan. Don't sign in and we never collect any of it.
• Payments. Pro is sold by our reseller Paddle.com, the Merchant of Record for our orders. Paddle collects your payment details, name, email and billing country under its own privacy policy. We never see or store your card number. From Paddle we receive and keep your customer and subscription ids, your plan, its status and dates, and the notices Paddle sends us about your subscription, which can include your email, country and the amounts paid.
• Emails. We email you about your account and your plan (Paddle sends the receipts). We may also send product news and ask for feedback, personally or automatically, through an email provider. Every such email lets you unsubscribe, and you can also reply "stop".

2. Advertising

We don't show ads and don't use advertising cookies. If we add advertising in the future, we'll update this policy before it starts, and ask for your consent where the law requires it.

3. How long we keep it

• Saved maps: until you delete them or your account.
• Account info: until you delete your account (Terms section 8: we do it within 30 days of your request).
• Plan and billing records: as long as tax and accounting rules require, even after an account is deleted.
• Analytics: for the retention period each analytics provider is set to.

4. Your choices

In the EU, UK and Switzerland, analytics cookies stay off until you accept them in the banner. Elsewhere, analytics is on by default and you can turn it off whenever you like. Either way, you can change your choice any time with Cookie settings in the footer.

5. Your rights

Depending on where you live (GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA and similar laws) you may have the right to access, correct, delete or export your data, and to object to how we use it. If you've signed in, you can ask us to delete your account and the details tied to it. Otherwise the only data we hold about you is the pseudonymous analytics described above.

Paddle handles your payment details; for those, contact Paddle directly.

To exercise any right, email help@mapgridder.com. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.

6. Who we share data with

We don't sell your personal data. We rely on a few providers, each under its own privacy policy: Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity and PostHog for analytics, a map-tile, place-search and weather provider, the open map-data project our maps are built on, a public wildfire-data source, a sign-in provider (used only if you sign in), an email provider, Paddle for payments, and our hosting and database providers.

Some of them process data in the United States; we rely on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable.

We may disclose data to comply with the law, a court order or a valid request from the authorities, to enforce our Terms, or to protect someone's safety. If the Service moves to a company that takes it over, for example one we set up to run it, your data moves with it.

7. Age and changes

The Service is intended for users 16 and older.

We may update this policy; the date at the top always shows the latest version. For a material change, we'll show a notice in the app before it applies.