Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 16, 2026

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and manage information when you use our map-based anime pilgrimage website. We respect your privacy and are committed to keeping your data secure.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

Account Information (if you sign in)

  • Google account information — we use Google Sign-In only. When you sign in, we receive your email address, display name, and profile image from Google. We never receive or store your Google password.
  • Display name and profile image — you may change these at any time in account settings.

Device Location (only when you turn it on)

  • We request your device location only after you tap the current-location button, open the travel tools, or check in. Your browser will ask for permission, and you can revoke it at any time in your browser or OS settings.
  • Shown on your device only: your position on the map, the distance to a spot, and the links to open the nearest station in an external map app. This information is not sent to us.
  • Sent to our servers: when you use the weather or sunrise/sunset features, your coordinates are sent to our server so we can look up conditions for your area. We round them to roughly an 11 km grid before querying our weather provider, and we do not store them against your account. The unrounded request may appear in our infrastructure access logs.
  • Stored by us: when you check in at a spot, we store the coordinates of that check-in as your most recent check-in position on your account record. We use it solely to verify that check-ins are physically plausible. If a check-in appears implausible, we also record the coordinates and time of that attempt for review by our moderators.
  • Your check-in history (which spots and when — not your coordinates) is public on your profile when you enable check-in visibility in account settings. It is off unless you turn it on, and turning it off removes it from the public view.

Camera (only when you open the composition view)

  • The camera composition view shows a live preview from your camera with a scene image overlaid, so you can line up your position. The camera feed and the image you overlay never leave your device. Nothing is uploaded, recorded, or sent to us, and the view has no shutter. Access ends as soon as you close it.

User-Generated Content

  • Photos, location data, and other content you submit to the Site
  • Photos submitted by users are automatically converted to WebP format and compressed during upload to optimize storage and delivery performance. The original file format is not retained after processing.

Automatically Collected Technical Data

  • Browser type and version
  • Device information
  • IP address (used for security monitoring and rate limiting; not stored directly by us, but may be retained in access logs by our infrastructure provider, Cloudflare)
  • Pages visited and activity on the Site
  • Location-related map marker information, which may include precise GPS coordinates submitted by users as part of their posts
  • Postal address information (e.g., block, house-number, or building-level detail) — collected only for Places and admin-approved location posts (status: place_post); this level of address detail is not collected for other, unmoderated user posts

2. Use of Information

Collected data is used for:

  • Account authentication and identity verification
  • Displaying your profile and user-generated content to other users
  • Providing and improving the posting and community features of the Service
  • Improving Site performance and user experience
  • Security monitoring and preventing unauthorized access
  • Verifying that check-ins are made at the spot and detecting falsified check-ins
  • Diagnosing faults and errors reported by your browser

3. Cookies and Browser Storage

The Site uses browser localStorage to keep map preferences on your device, such as saved locations, bookmarks, and your last currency selection. If you are signed in, your saved locations and bookmarks are also synchronized to your account so they are available on your other devices; the remaining preferences stay on your device only. The Site also uses cookies for sign-in sessions and for map tile access. You can manage cookie settings through your browser, but disabling them will prevent you from signing in.

4. Third-Party Services

The Site uses the following third-party services, each operating under their own privacy policies:

  • OpenFreeMap / MapLibre GL — map display
  • Google Maps — Street View, navigation, and nearest-station links (opened only when you tap them)
  • Apple Maps — nearest-station and navigation links (opened only when you tap them)
  • Google Sign-In (Google LLC) — authentication
  • Firebase / Firestore (Google LLC) — user data and content database
  • Cloudflare (Workers, R2 storage, KV, and CDN) — hosting, request processing, image storage, and content delivery (access logs may be retained by Cloudflare)
  • WeatherAPI.com — weather and sunrise/sunset times. We send only approximate coordinates (rounded to roughly an 11 km grid) from our servers; your IP address is not passed on.
  • Exchange Rate API (open.er-api.com) — currency rates. This request is made directly by your browser, so your IP address is visible to that provider. No other information is sent.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or share collected information with third parties, except when required by law or as necessary to operate the third-party services listed above.

Information that you choose to make public — your posts, your profile, and, if you enable it, your check-in history — is visible to anyone, including unregistered visitors and search engines. This is publication by you, not sharing by us.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

We retain your account information for as long as your account remains active. You may request deletion of your account and associated personal data by contacting us or using the account deletion feature in your account settings. Certain data may be retained as required by law or for legitimate operational purposes.

When you delete a post or your account, your content will be removed from the Site. However, deleted content may remain on our infrastructure (including CDN caches and backup systems) for up to 30 days before it is fully purged.

7. Data Security and Breach Notification

We take reasonable measures to protect collected data from unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure. However, no online system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach that is likely to affect your personal information, we will notify affected users within a reasonable timeframe through the contact information associated with your account or via a notice on the Site.

8. Your Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
  • Restriction: Request that we limit how we use your data
  • Portability: Request your data in a portable format
  • Objection: Object to the processing of your data

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@animepilgrimage.com. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

9. Diagnostic and Usage Data

When an error occurs on the Site, your browser may send us a diagnostic report containing the error message and stack trace, the page URL, your browser user-agent, your display language, and — if you are signed in — your user ID. We use these reports solely to find and fix faults. We also count page views for spots and posts so we can show view counts; these counts are aggregated and are not linked to your account.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Updates will be posted on this page, and continued use of the Site constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

11. Contact

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

By email: contact@animepilgrimage.com