Privacy Policy

Your Privacy Matters

At "How's the World Feeling?", we believe in complete transparency about how we handle your data. This privacy policy explains our commitment to protecting your privacy while providing you with a meaningful way to share and explore global emotions.

What We Collect

Emotion Data

When you share an emotion, we collect:

• Your selected emotion (happy, sad, excited, etc.)
• The timestamp of your submission
• Your approximate geographic location (city level only)

Technical Information

To ensure the service works properly, we automatically collect:

• IP address (for rate limiting and geographic approximation)
• Browser type and version
• Device type (mobile/desktop)
• Connection status for real-time updates

How We Use Your Data

The data we collect is used exclusively to:

• Display real-time global emotion statistics
• Show emotion trends and patterns
• Create anonymous, aggregated visualizations
• Prevent abuse through rate limiting
• Improve the service's performance and reliability

Data Storage & Security

Your emotion submissions are stored temporarily in our secure database. We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• Encrypted connections (HTTPS)
• Secure WebSocket protocols for real-time data
• Regular security audits
• Automatic data cleanup (emotions older than 48 hours are deleted)

We do not sell, trade, or transfer your data to third parties. All emotion data is aggregated and anonymized before being displayed publicly.

Cookies & Local Storage

We use minimal browser storage to enhance your experience:

• Session data to track rate limits (prevents spam)
• Your last emotion submission time (stored locally)
• Theme preferences (if applicable)

No third-party cookies or tracking scripts are used on this site.

Your Rights

Since we don't collect personal information, there's no personal data to request or delete. However, you always have the right to:

• Choose not to share your emotions
• Use the site without submitting any data
• Clear your browser's local storage at any time
• Contact us with privacy concerns

Children's Privacy

"How's the World Feeling?" is designed for all ages. We do not knowingly collect any personal information from anyone, including children under 13. The anonymous nature of emotion sharing makes this service safe for users of all ages.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.