Privacy Policy

Introduction

At howlongtowalk.org, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about how we handle your information. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data.

By using howlongtowalk.org, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. We are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our visitors.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

When you use our calculators, you may input information such as:

• Walking or running distances
• Pace preferences
• Age range (for age-adjusted calculations)
• Time durations for distance calculations

Important: This calculator input data is processed entirely in your browser and is not transmitted to or stored on our servers. We do not collect, store, or have access to the specific values you enter into our calculators.

Automatically Collected Information

Like most websites, we automatically collect certain information when you visit howlongtowalk.org, including:

• Log Data: Your browser type, browser version, the pages you visit, the time and date of your visit, time spent on pages, and other statistics
• Device Information: Information about your device including device type, operating system, and screen resolution
• IP Address: Your Internet Protocol address, which may be used to determine your approximate geographic location
• Referral Information: The website that referred you to our site

Location Information

Our "How Far Can I Walk" feature includes an optional map that can show walkable distances from your location. If you choose to use this feature, your browser will ask for permission to access your location. This location data is used only to center the map and is processed entirely in your browser. We do not store or transmit your location data to our servers.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to website owners.

How We Use Cookies

howlongtowalk.org uses cookies for the following purposes:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences (such as unit preferences - miles vs. kilometers)

Third-Party Cookies

We may use third-party services that place cookies on your device:

• Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. Google Analytics collects information anonymously and reports website trends without identifying individual visitors. Google's Privacy Policy
• OpenStreetMap: Our map feature uses OpenStreetMap tiles, which may set cookies to improve map performance. OpenStreetMap Privacy Policy

Managing Cookies

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. However, if you disable cookies, some features of our website may not function properly.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide and maintain our website and calculators
• To understand how visitors use our website so we can improve it
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues
• To analyze trends and gather demographic information about our user base
• To respond to your inquiries if you contact us
• To comply with legal obligations

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may share information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website (such as hosting providers and analytics services)
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities
• Protection of Rights: We may disclose information to protect the rights, property, or safety of howlongtowalk.org, our users, or others

Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the information we collect from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction. Our website uses HTTPS encryption to secure data transmission between your browser and our servers.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain automatically collected data (such as analytics data) for a period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Analytics data is typically retained for 26 months.

Children's Privacy

howlongtowalk.org is intended for general audiences and is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at info@howlongtowalk.org. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete such information from our systems.

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• Right to Access: You may request information about the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: You may request that we correct inaccurate personal data
• Right to Erasure: You may request that we delete your personal data
• Right to Restrict Processing: You may request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability: You may request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to Object: You may object to our processing of your personal data

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@howlongtowalk.org.

International Users

howlongtowalk.org is operated from the United States. If you are accessing our website from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located. By using our website, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States.

GDPR Compliance (European Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We process your data based on the following legal bases:

• Consent: Where you have given us consent to process your data (e.g., for analytics)
• Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (e.g., website security, service improvement)
• Legal Obligation: Where we are required to process data by law

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including:

• The right to know what personal information we collect
• The right to request deletion of your personal information
• The right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: