Privacy policy

OutbreakThreat ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website outbreakthreat.com. This privacy policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your choices regarding your data.

Information we collect

Account information

When you create an account or subscribe to email alerts, we collect your email address and the watch locations you provide (city, region, or coordinates). We store subscription identifiers from our payment processor (Stripe) to manage billing. We do not store full payment card numbers.

Usage data

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site (pages viewed, session duration, referral sources). This data is aggregated and does not identify individual users by name.

Location data

The map page may request approximate browser location to center the view. This data stays on your device unless you explicitly submit it through subscription forms or the geocoding search. We do not track your real-time location.

How we use your information

• To deliver email alerts matching your saved watch areas and disease preferences.
• To process subscription payments through Stripe.
• To improve the site, fix bugs, and understand which content is most useful.
• To respond to support requests and corrections you submit.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not share your email address with advertisers or marketing partners.

Advertising and cookies

OutbreakThreat may display Google ads when a publisher ID and approved ad unit IDs are configured for this deployment. ads.txt currently lists Google publisher pub-9572509189594279. That file is an authorization record; it does not mean ads are approved, filling, or rendered on every page.

When ad units are actually enabled, Google may use cookies or similar technologies to deliver and measure ads under Google’s advertising technologies policy. You can review or opt out of personalized ads at Google Ads Settings and industry opt-out pages such as aboutads.info.

Optional shopping-partner images and impression pixels stay off until you choose Accept optional. Reject optional and Cookie and ad preferences in the footer keep or return them to a text-link fallback. Withdrawal stops future optional advertising requests. Requests already sent to advertising partners cannot be undone. This first-party preference is not a certified consent-management platform, IAB TCF/GPP signal, or Google Consent Mode implementation.

Google AdSense remains disabled unless a separate publisher approval, ad-unit configuration, and any applicable consent requirements are satisfied. This optional-advertising control does not enable AdSense and does not mean ads.txt authorization is live ad delivery.

A previous generic cookie “OK” notice is not treated as advertising permission. Site analytics can still load after the page becomes interactive and are independent of the optional-advertising choice. Essential functions — official notices, alerts, the map, and the contact form — work without advertising consent. We do not treat sponsored or affiliate links as official public-health guidance.

Data retention

Account data is retained as long as your account is active. Alert delivery logs are kept for reliability and debugging purposes and are purged after 90 days. If you delete your account, we remove your email, watch locations, and alert preferences from our active database. Aggregated, de-identified analytics data may be retained.

Data security

We use encryption in transit (HTTPS) and restrict database access to authorized systems. No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data through the contact form. We will respond within 30 days. You may unsubscribe from email alerts at any time using the link in any alert email or through your account settings.

Children

OutbreakThreat is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "last updated" date. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.