Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 20 October 2026

Who we are

Past Earths is a personal hobby project operated by Richard Franklin. You can reach the operator at [email protected].

What we collect

Server logs. Cloudflare and our hosting platform keep standard request logs (IP address, user agent, timestamps, requested URL) for security, abuse prevention, and basic operations.

Map data. As you move through time and zoom in, your browser fetches elevation, ice and lake maps from our own file host (Cloudflare R2). No third-party map service is involved.

Where the globe opens. Unless a link says where to look, the globe opens over your country, which Cloudflare works out from your IP address for each request. The country is used only to choose that view; it is not stored.

Your location. If you choose “Use my location” to drop a pin, your browser asks your permission and then gives the site your approximate position. It is used only in your browser, to place the pin and move it through time; it is not sent to us or stored. Analytics record that a pin was placed and how precise the position was, never the position itself.

Globe or map. Whether you last chose the globe or the flat map is kept in your browser’s storage, so the site opens the same way next time. It is not sent to us.

Cookies and analytics

When it is enabled, we use Google Analytics 4 to understand aggregate traffic patterns: page views, approximate country, device type, and how visitors arrive. Alongside these it records how the globe runs on your device, so we can make it work better on slower ones: how long it took to appear, your connection’s speed class where your browser reports it, the drawing quality the site settled on, and the maker of your graphics chip (such as “Intel” or “Apple”), never its model. Google Analytics may set cookies in your browser for this purpose. See Google's privacy policy.

Changes

If this policy changes materially, we will update the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, post a notice on the home page.

This policy is provided for transparency about a personal hobby project; it is not legal advice.