PRIVACY POLICY

Overview

PlanetEarthquake.com ("PlanetEarthquake," "we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit our website at planetearthquake.com and use our mobile applications ("Apps") available on iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store).

Please read this policy carefully. By using our website or Apps, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our services.

Who We Are

PlanetEarthquake.com is an independent digital media and information service dedicated to real-time global seismic monitoring. We are not affiliated with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), NOAA, the National Weather Service, UNESCO, or any government agency. We display data provided by these agencies under their public access terms.

Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily

We only collect personal information that you actively and knowingly provide to us:

• Weekly Digest Subscription: If you subscribe to the PlanetEarthquake Weekly Earthquake Digest, we collect your first name, last name, and email address. We also collect optional psychographic information you choose to provide (occupation, primary interest, risk proximity, topics of interest, earthquake insurance status) to help us personalize digest content.
• Subscriber Consent Records: We record the date and time of your consent to receive emails, the specific permissions you granted (digest emails, optional sponsor communications), and your age confirmation (16+).
• Contact Communications: If you email us directly, we receive your email address and the contents of your message.
• Merchandise Orders: If you purchase from our Merch Store, payment processing and shipping information is handled entirely by our third-party fulfillment partners (Printful, Printify, or AdStuff). We receive a record of the order but not your full payment card details.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use our website or Apps, we may automatically collect limited technical information:

• Log Data: Standard web server logs may record your IP address, browser type, referring URL, pages visited, and date/time of access. This data is used for security and performance monitoring and is not linked to your identity.
• Crash Reports: Our mobile Apps may collect anonymous crash and performance diagnostics to help us fix bugs. This data contains no personally identifiable information.
• Device Information: Our Apps may collect device type and operating system version for compatibility purposes only.

3.3 Location Data (Mobile App)

Our mobile App may request access to your device's location:

• Location permission is optional and is requested only when you tap "Show My Location" on the earthquake map.
• Location data is processed entirely on your device to display your position on the map.
• Your location is never transmitted to our servers or any third party.
• You can revoke location permission at any time in your device's Settings.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

What We Do NOT Do

• ✗ We do not sell your personal data — ever, to anyone, for any price.
• ✗ We do not rent your data to marketers, data brokers, or other third parties.
• ✗ We do not share your email address with advertisers or sponsors without your explicit opt-in consent.
• ✗ We do not use behavioral advertising targeting based on your browsing habits.
• ✗ We do not build user profiles for resale or cross-site advertising.
• ✗ We do not use dark patterns to trick you into sharing more data than you intend to.
• ✗ We do not track you across other websites using cookies or tracking pixels.

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

6.1 Essential Cookies Only

PlanetEarthquake.com uses only essential, functional cookies — small files stored in your browser that are necessary for the site to function. We do not use:

• Advertising or marketing cookies
• Analytics tracking cookies (e.g. Google Analytics)
• Social media sharing trackers (e.g. Facebook Pixel)
• Third-party behavioral tracking of any kind

6.2 Local Storage (Browser & Mobile App)

Our website and App use browser localStorage and AsyncStorage (mobile) to store your preferences (minimum magnitude filter, time period, alert settings) and cache the most recent earthquake dataset on your device so the app works even when offline. This data:

• Stays entirely on your device
• Is never transmitted to our servers
• Can be cleared by clearing your browser or app cache

6.3 Third-Party Script Cookies

Our site loads the following third-party scripts, which may set their own cookies:

• Google Fonts — for typography loading. Google may log font requests; see Google Privacy Policy.
• Leaflet.js CDN (cdnjs.cloudflare.com) — for the map library. Cloudflare serves this file; see Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
• Esri Map Tiles (server.arcgisonline.com) — tile images for the world map. Esri may log tile requests; see Esri Privacy Statement.
• USGS API — earthquake data fetch requests go directly to earthquake.usgs.gov. USGS is a US government agency; see USGS Privacy Policy.

Third-Party Data Services

PlanetEarthquake displays data from these external sources. We have no control over their data practices; click each link to review their privacy policies:

Advertising

PlanetEarthquake.com displays standard IAB-compliant display advertisements on our website, including:

• 160×600 Wide Skyscraper (right sidebar, fixed position)
• 728×90 Leaderboard (bottom, above footer)

In the current version of the website, these are placeholder/house ad units. When we integrate live advertising networks (such as Google AdSense or direct sold placements), we will update this policy with specifics about:

• Which ad networks we use
• How those networks may set cookies
• How to opt out of interest-based advertising

Opt-Out of Interest-Based Advertising

You can opt out of interest-based advertising from participating companies via:

• optout.aboutads.info (Digital Advertising Alliance)
• youronlinechoices.eu (European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance)
• Your browser's built-in privacy settings

Weekly Digest & Email Communications

9.1 What You're Signing Up For

The PlanetEarthquake Weekly Earthquake Digest is a free email newsletter delivered every Monday at 8:00 AM Eastern Time. Each issue contains a summary of all M5.0+ earthquakes recorded globally during the previous Monday–Sunday, sourced from the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and ShakeNet.

9.2 How We Handle Your Email Data

• Your name and email address are stored securely and used only to send the weekly digest.
• We never share your email with third parties without your explicit additional consent.
• If you opted in to receiving occasional sponsor messages (a separate, optional checkbox), we may send up to one (1) sponsor-related message per calendar month. You can revoke this consent at any time.
• Psychographic information you provided is used only to personalize digest content and is never shared externally.

9.3 Unsubscribing

You may unsubscribe from the Weekly Digest at any time by:

• Clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in any digest email we send
• Emailing unsubscribe@planetearthquake.com
• Emailing privacy@planetearthquake.com with your request

We will process all unsubscribe requests within 10 business days. You will receive no more than two (2) additional digest emails after requesting removal (due to send-queue timing).

9.4 CAN-SPAM, GDPR & CASL Compliance

All email communications from PlanetEarthquake.com comply with:

• CAN-SPAM Act (US) — clear sender identification, honest subject lines, physical address included, unsubscribe mechanism in every email
• GDPR (EU/EEA/UK) — double opt-in for EU residents, documented consent records, right to erasure honored within 30 days
• CASL (Canada) — express consent obtained before sending, identification of sender, unsubscribe mechanism

Children's Privacy

PlanetEarthquake.com is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the European Union). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under these ages.

Our weekly digest subscription form requires confirmation that the subscriber is at least 16 years of age. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately.

If you believe we have collected information from a child in error, please contact us at privacy@planetearthquake.com.

The earthquake data, maps, and informational content on this site are suitable for all ages as educational science content.

Your Rights & Choices

Regardless of where you live, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request that we delete all personal data we hold about you. We will comply within 30 days.
• Right to Restriction: Request that we restrict how we process your data.
• Right to Data Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format (CSV).
• Right to Object: Object to our processing of your data for certain purposes.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for email communications at any time with immediate effect.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@planetearthquake.com. We will respond within 30 days (or sooner as required by applicable law).

GDPR — EU, EEA & UK Residents

If you are located in the European Union, European Economic Area, or United Kingdom, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or UK GDPR provides you with specific rights. PlanetEarthquake.com acts as the Data Controller for personal data you provide to us.

12.1 Legal Bases for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under GDPR Article 6:

• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): Weekly digest subscriptions, optional sponsor communications, psychographic profiling. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to fulfill merchandise orders.
• Legal Obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): Maintaining records of consent for compliance purposes.
• Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): Security logging, crash analytics, responding to contact inquiries. We conduct a balancing test and these interests do not override your fundamental rights.

12.2 International Data Transfers

PlanetEarthquake.com is operated from the United States. If you are located in the EU/EEA/UK, your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States. We rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent mechanisms as the legal basis for such transfers. By using our services, you acknowledge this transfer.

12.3 EU Representative

As a website without a physical EU presence, we are working to designate an EU representative as required by GDPR Article 27. In the interim, contact our privacy team directly at privacy@planetearthquake.com.

12.4 Data Protection Authority

If you believe your GDPR rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Find your authority at edpb.europa.eu.

CCPA — California Residents

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) gives you specific rights regarding your personal information.

13.1 Categories of Personal Information Collected

In the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information (as defined by CCPA):

• Identifiers: Name and email address (from voluntary digest subscriptions only)
• Internet or Network Activity: IP addresses in server logs (not linked to individuals)
• Geolocation Data: Processed on-device only; not transmitted to us
• Inferences: Psychographic preferences drawn from information you voluntarily provided

13.2 Your California Rights

• Right to Know: Request disclosure of categories and specific pieces of personal information we collected about you.
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information we collected from you.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: We do not sell or share personal information. No opt-out is needed, but you may contact us to confirm.
• Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Limit Sensitive Personal Information: We do not process sensitive personal information as defined under CPRA.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any CCPA rights.

13.3 Submitting a California Privacy Request

To submit a CCPA/CPRA request, email privacy@planetearthquake.com with the subject line "CCPA Privacy Request." We will verify your identity and respond within 45 days.

Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information:

• HTTPS/TLS Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser/app and our servers uses TLS encryption. Our website is served exclusively over HTTPS.
• Secure Data Storage: Subscriber email data is stored on secure servers with access controls, encryption at rest, and regular security audits.
• Minimal Data Collection: The best security measure is not collecting data in the first place. We collect only what is strictly necessary.
• Access Controls: Personal data is accessible only to authorized personnel with a legitimate need to process it.
• No Payment Data Stored: Payment card data for merchandise purchases is handled entirely by PCI-compliant third-party processors. We never see or store your full card number.

Data Retention

You may request early deletion of any data about you at any time by contacting privacy@planetearthquake.com. We will comply within 30 days, subject to any overriding legal obligations.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
• For material changes that affect how we handle personal data, we will notify active digest subscribers by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect.
• Continued use of our services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
• If you disagree with changes, you may delete your account data by contacting us before the effective date.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. The most current version will always be available at planetearthquake.com/privacy.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, please contact us through any of the following channels:

We aim to respond to all privacy requests within 30 days. For urgent matters or data breach reports, please use the subject line "URGENT: Privacy Request" to ensure prompt handling.