MapsGeek Privacy Policy

General Scope

This policy covers personally identifiable information collected or stored by MapsGeek on its servers. MapsGeek collects and retains the least amount of personally identifiable information needed to fulfill the website's operational needs. The public and collaborative nature of the website.

Maps on MapsGeek are developed by its users using the MapsGeek software. Anyone with Internet access (and not otherwise restricted from doing so) and valid login information may edit the publicly editable maps of MapsGeek. By doing this, editors create a record of every word added, subtracted, or changed. Some of this record is a public act, and editors are identified publicly as the author of such changes. All contributions made to a map, and all publicly available information about those contributions, are irrevocably licensed by MapsGeek.

Activities on MapsGeek

In general, this Policy only applies to private information stored or held by MapsGeek which is not publicly available.

Interactions with the website not covered by this Policy include, but are not limited to, aspects of browsing and editing maps, commenting a published map. These interactions may reveal a contributor's IP address, and possibly other personal information, indiscriminately to the general public, or to specific groups of volunteers acting independently of MapsGeek.

Users may also interact with one another outside of MapsGeek sites, via email, IRC or other chat, or independent websites, and should assess the risks involved, and their personal need for privacy, before using these methods of communication.

User accounts and authorship

MapsGeek does not require viewers to register to view published maps. Users that do register are identified by their chosen username. Users select a password, which is confidential and used to verify the integrity of their account. Except insofar as it may be required by law, no person should disclose, or knowingly expose, either user passwords and/or cookies generated to identify a user. Once created, user accounts will not be removed. It may be possible for a username to be changed upon request. MapsGeek does not guarantee that a username will be changed on request.

Purpose of the collection of private information

MapsGeek limits the collection of personally identifiable user data to purposes which serve the well-being of the website, including but not limited to the following:

To enhance the public accountability of the projects. MapsGeek recognizes that any system that is open enough to allow the participation of the general public will also be vulnerable to certain kinds of abuse and counterproductive behavior. MapsGeek have established a number of mechanisms to prevent or remedy abusive activities. For example, when investigating abuse on a page, including the suspected use of malicious “sockpuppets” (duplicate accounts), vandalism, harassment of other users, or disruptive behavior, the IP addresses of users (derived either from those logs or from records in the database) may be used to identify the source(s) of the abusive behavior. This information may be shared by users with administrative authority who are charged by their communities with protecting the maps.

To provide site statistics. MapsGeek statistically samples raw log data from users' visits. These logs are used to produce the site statistics pages; the raw log data is not made public.

To solve technical problems. Log data may be examined by developers in the course of solving technical problems and in tracking down badly-behaved web spiders that overwhelm the site.

Details of data retention

When a visitor requests or reads a page, or sends email to a MapsGeek server, no more information is collected than is typically collected by web sites. MapsGeek may keep raw logs of such transactions, but these will not be published or used to track legitimate users. MapsGeek uses Google Analytics as a statistical visits summary.

When a map is edited by a logged-in editor, the server confidentially stores related IP information for a limited period of time. This information is automatically deleted after a set period.

Cookies

The sites set a temporary session cookie on a visitor's computer whenever a page is visted. Readers who do not intend to log in or edit may deny this cookie; it will be deleted at the end of the browser's session. More cookies may be set when one logs in to maintain logged-in status. If one saves a user name or password in one's browser, that information will be saved for up to 30 days, and this information will be resent to the server on every visit MapsGeek. Contributors using a public machine who do not wish to show their username to future users of the machine should clear these cookies after use.

MapsGeek uses the DoubleClick DART cookie technology to display advertisement. Google uses the DART cookie to adapt its advertisement on MapsGeek with the websites you have previously visited. You can opt-out of the cookie DART by going on Google Privacy Center.

Release of personally identifiable information

It is the policy of MapsGeek that personally identifiable data collected in the server logs, or through records in the database , or through other non-publicly-available methods, may be released by MapsGeek volunteers or staff, in any of the following situations:

1. In response to a valid subpoena or other compulsory request from law enforcement,

2. With permission of the affected user,

3. When necessary for investigation of abuse complaints,

4. Where the information pertains to page views generated by a spider or bot and its dissemination is necessary to illustrate or resolve technical issues,

5. Where the user has been vandalizing maps or persistently behaving in a disruptive way, data may be released to a service provider, carrier, or other third-party entity to assist in the targeting of IP blocks, or to assist in the formulation of a complaint to relevant Internet Service Providers,

6. Where it is reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of MapsGeek, its users or the public.

Except as described above, MapsGeek policy does not permit distribution of personally identifiable information under any circumstances.

Third-party access and notifying registered users when receiving legal process:

As a general principle, the access to, and retention of, personally identifiable data in all pages should be minimal and should be used only internally to serve the well-being of the projects. Occasionally, however, MapsGeek may receive a subpoena or other compulsory request from a law-enforcement agency or a court or equivalent government body that requests the disclosure of information about a registered user, and may be compelled by law to comply with the request. In the event of such a legally compulsory request, MapsGeek will attempt to notify the affected user within three business days after the arrival of such subpoena by sending a notice by email to the email address (if any) that the affected user has listed in his or her user preferences.

MapsGeek cannot advise a user receiving such a notification regarding the law or an appropriate response to a subpoena. MapsGeek does note, however, that such users may have the legal right to resist or limit that information in court by filing a motion to quash the subpoena. Users who wish to oppose a subpoena or other compulsory request should seek legal advice concerning applicable rights and procedures that may be available.

If MapsGeek receives a court-filed motion to quash or otherwise limit the subpoena as a result of action by a user or their lawyer, MapsGeek will not disclose the requested information until MapsGeek receives an order from the court to do so.

Registered users are required to provide an email address.

Disclaimer

MapsGeek believes that maintaining and preserving the privacy of user data is an important value. This Privacy Policy, together with other policies, resolutions, and actions by MapsGeek, represents a committed effort to safeguard the security of the limited user information that is collected and retained on our servers. Nevertheless, MapsGeek cannot guarantee that user information will remain private. We acknowledge that, in spite of our committed effort to protect private user information, determined individuals may still develop data-mining and other methods to uncover such information and disclose it. For this reason, MapsGeek can make no guarantee against unauthorized access to information provided in the course of participating in MapsGeek.

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	Maps on MapsGeek are licensed under a CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 USA License.