Privacy Policy

1. Overview

Aurora Watch ("we," "our," or "us") operates the website at aurora-alert.org (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and share information when you visit our Site.

Aurora Watch is a space weather monitoring service that displays real-time data sourced from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. We are not affiliated with NOAA.

2. Information We Collect

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit Aurora Watch, certain information is automatically collected by our hosting provider and third-party services:

• Log data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, time and date of visit, and time spent on pages.
• Device data: Device type, screen resolution, and browser settings.
• Location data: General geographic location inferred from IP address (country/region level). We do not collect precise GPS location.

Information We Do NOT Collect

• We do not collect your name, email address, phone number, or any contact information.
• We do not require account registration.
• We do not store payment information.
• We do not collect precise location without your explicit permission.

3. Advertising & Google AdSense

Aurora Watch uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google AdSense is operated by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

How Google AdSense Works

Google AdSense uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.

Google's Data Collection

When ads are displayed on this site, Google may collect:

• Cookie identifiers and device identifiers
• IP address and approximate location
• Browsing behavior and interest inferences
• Interactions with ads (clicks, views)

Google's Privacy Policy

Aurora Watch has no control over the data Google collects through AdSense. For full details on how Google uses data from sites that use Google services, please see: How Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps.

Google's full Privacy Policy is available at: policies.google.com/privacy

Opting Out of Ad Personalization

• Google Ads Settings
• Digital Advertising Alliance Opt-Out
• Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out
• Your Online Choices (EU)

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. Aurora Watch and our advertising partners use cookies for the following purposes:

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of this and other websites. Most browsers allow you to:

• View cookies stored on your device
• Delete cookies individually or all at once
• Block cookies from specific sites or all sites
• Block third-party cookies

For instructions, visit your browser's help documentation or allaboutcookies.org.

5. Third-Party Services

Aurora Watch uses the following third-party services that may collect data independently:

• Google AdSense / Google Ad Manager — Advertising. See Google Privacy Policy.
• NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center — Data source only. No personal data is sent to NOAA.
• Cloudflare — Hosting and CDN. May process IP addresses for security and performance. See Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
• Google Fonts — Font delivery. Google may log requests. See Google Fonts Privacy FAQ.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

6. GDPR — Rights of EU / EEA Residents

If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to access — Request a copy of personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification — Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure — Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
• Right to restrict processing — Request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability — Request your data in a portable format.
• Right to object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including for direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent — Withdraw consent for data processing at any time.

EU residents may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. A list of EU data protection authorities is available at edpb.europa.eu.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 10.

7. CCPA — Rights of California Residents

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides you with the following rights:

• Right to Know — Request disclosure of the personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell.
• Right to Delete — Request deletion of personal information we have collected from you.
• Right to Opt-Out — Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information.
• Right to Non-Discrimination — We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.

To submit a CCPA request, contact us using the details in Section 10. We will respond within 45 days.

Categories of personal information collected in the past 12 months:

• Identifiers (IP address, cookie IDs)
• Internet or other electronic network activity (browsing history, interactions with ads)
• Geolocation data (general, inferred from IP address)

Sources: Collected directly from your device and browser when you visit the Site.

Business purpose: Site operation, security, and advertising.

Disclosed to: Google LLC (advertising).

8. Children's Privacy

Aurora Watch is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

For users in the EU, we do not knowingly collect data from children under 16 without verifiable parental consent.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Continued use of Aurora Watch after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or have a privacy concern, please contact us:

We will respond to all privacy requests within 30 days.