Privacy, in plain language
Your history and photos
Mapback reads the JSON and images in your browser. It does not send them to the server or a map provider. The route, crops and final files are created on this device.
What is kept
Your language preference, manual country and territory list, and the homes, trips and dates you add to your manual story are saved in this browser’s local storage. We also keep the home or trip draft as you fill it in, including country searches and unconfirmed dates, so you can resume later. Cancelling the form discards that draft. You can delete each list or story in its editor; clearing site data also removes it. It is not synced across devices. Editing settings and imported history stay in memory during the session and are lost when you reload or close the tab. Saved downloads remain wherever you choose. For beta invitees, this tab remembers whether the guide is open or closed; that value contains no invitation link, identity or measurement permission.
When you visit
The hosting provider, Vercel, receives requests needed to serve this website and its assets. Those requests may include your IP address, browser and technical logs. Local history processing does not mean anonymous browsing. Optional measurement and its preferences are explained below.
Measuring reliability
Our own measurement is configured. When Google Analytics is available, this also requires your acceptance in Cookies. We count actions and failures by day, Mapback release, browser family and a recognized campaign from the entry link. Only registered campaigns are accepted: arbitrary UTM text is discarded and the URL is not stored. The campaign stays in memory while this page is open, without tracking you across visits. We distinguish examples, your own files and manual creations and group time to the first preview into ranges. This aggregate measurement does not store individual events or visitor identifiers, routes, photos, titles, file names or error text. Counters are stored in Neon (Postgres) for 90 days and deleted by the next daily cleanup. We respect your browser’s Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control signals. This measurement uses no cookies or local storage.
Protecting the form
To limit repeated submissions, the server creates a protected hash of the IP address, different each day and for each purpose. Neon stores only this hash and a counter: limits last ten minutes and expired records are removed by the next daily cleanup. The original IP is not sent to this database, and the hash is not linked to comments or statistics.
Before sharing
Videos may reveal locations, routes, dates and your chosen photo. Atlas stories can show countries, distances and dates if enabled. Review the result before downloading or sharing it.
Private areas
Automatic detection looks for up to two recurring places across the full file and needs visits on at least eight different days. You can also add manual areas, including for short trips. Points within 1.5 km are hidden and the line is broken; anonymity is not guaranteed. Video private areas and exclusions do not apply to the Atlas.
Beta feedback
The form does not ask for email or attach files automatically. When connected, your text and chosen device type are sent to our GitHub repository. A temporary hash of the IP address limits repeated submissions and is not included in the feedback. If the inbox is not connected, the form says so and lets you save the text to your device.
You choose the destination
Share opens your device’s sharing menu when supported. You choose the app and recipient. Files leave Mapback only when you share them yourself. Do not send your JSON or screenshots with private places when asking for help.
Cookies and Google Analytics
Only if you accept, we load Google Analytics to measure visit sources and creation, preview and export steps. Google receives events, cookie identifiers, browser and connection data, including the IP in the request. We do not send your history, routes, photos, countries, travel dates, file names, titles or feedback text. Only registered page paths and campaign labels are sent; other URL parameters are discarded. Advertising features and Google Signals are disabled. Detailed user and event data is kept for two months in Analytics without resetting that period on new activity; this does not limit aggregate reports. The _ga and _ga_* cookies last up to 180 days; your choice is kept for up to 180 days in local storage, including rejection. Change it from Cookies; withdrawing stops future sends and removes Analytics cookies without deleting your trips. It does not automatically delete data already sent. We respect Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control. Google may process data outside the European Economic Area under its terms. See https://policies.google.com/privacy. For data enquiries: hello@mapback.world.
Invited beta tests
When you open a beta link, we ask permission before measuring your test. If you agree, Neon stores the invitee code, a session identifier, control and form actions (without their values), navigation, scroll-depth bands, playback, sharing outcomes, relative timings, browser family and classified errors. These exclude countries, travel dates, files, photos, email and typed text. The organizer keeps the code-to-invitee mapping separately. A forwarded link does not prove who used it. Measurement lasts up to two hours in the open page; reloading or closing stops it. You can stop and delete the session using the visible control. Data expires after 30 days and is deleted by the next daily cleanup. We respect Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control.
Email updates
Subscriptions, when available, are optional and separate from your travels and measurement. Neon stores your email, language and confirmation record. The mail service receives what it needs to send confirmation and updates. Subscription starts only after email confirmation; pending requests expire in 24 hours. Each email must include unsubscribe. Unsubscribing deletes the record; without renewal it expires after one year and is deleted by the next daily cleanup. For questions or deletion, contact hello@mapback.world.