PRIVACY NOTICE

Climate CountUp is the public-facing name of an independent website operated by a United States–based sole proprietor. Privacy and data requests may be sent to michael@plenode.com.

• Participation records: random participant, session, chain, and invitation identifiers; minute-start, completion, and pass timestamps; and chain generation.
• Approximate location: an optional country and continent. If “auto-detect” is selected, Cloudflare supplies a country code inferred from the network connection. Climate CountUp does not store the underlying IP address.
• Device storage: random participant identifiers, country preference, and an optional public sender label are stored in your browser so a chain can recognize the same device.
• Shared-link information: if you enter a public label, it can appear in the URL and message you choose to share. The application database does not store that label.
• Infrastructure data: Cloudflare and the hosting platform may process ordinary request information, such as IP address, device/browser details, and security logs, to deliver and protect the site.
• Payment information: when tips become available, Stripe will process checkout, payment, and receipt information under Stripe’s own privacy terms. Climate CountUp does not receive or store full card numbers.

The site does not create user accounts and does not use advertising or analytics cookies.

Participation data is used to time the climate minute, prevent duplicate completions, maintain chain branches and country totals, generate aggregate statistics, operate sharing features, protect the service from misuse, and diagnose failures. Where applicable, processing is based on providing the feature you request, the operator’s legitimate interests in running and securing the service, and your choice to include or withhold country information.

Aggregate minute, pass, branch, region, and country counts are public. A chain’s country journey may show that a participant in a particular country completed a generation. It does not display a name, precise location, or IP address. Choosing “keep private” records no country or continent for that completion.

Incomplete session records are routinely eligible for deletion after 30 days. Pseudonymous completion, pass, invitation, and country records are retained while the Pass the Minute network remains operational because they form the chain history and aggregate totals. Records may be removed sooner upon a verified request or when no longer needed. Stripe and infrastructure providers apply their own retention periods.

Climate CountUp does not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. Data is processed by service providers needed to run the site, principally Cloudflare/its hosting platform and, for voluntary tips, Stripe. Information may also be disclosed when reasonably necessary to comply with law, protect rights or security, investigate abuse, or complete a business transfer. Providers may process data in the United States and other countries where they operate.

You may keep your country private, avoid entering a sender label, clear this site’s browser storage, or request access, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, or objection where applicable. Because the service uses pseudonymous identifiers, Climate CountUp may need information from the browser that created the record to locate it. You may also contact your local data-protection authority where that right applies.

Climate CountUp is a general-audience information service and is not directed to children under 13. It does not knowingly collect names, contact details, or other information from children. A parent or guardian who believes a child submitted personal information should contact the operator for deletion.

Reasonable technical and organizational safeguards are used, but no internet service can guarantee absolute security. Material changes to this notice will be posted here with a revised date. Questions or complaints may be sent to michael@plenode.com.

For scientific provenance rather than personal-data practices, see Methods + Sources.