Privacy policy

On this page

1. Information you give us
2. Analytics: Google Analytics 4
3. Your theme preference (stored on your device)
4. Hosting, delivery and fonts
5. Affiliate links (Amazon Associates)
6. Advertising
7. Why we process data (legal bases)
8. How long we keep information
9. Your rights
10. International transfers
11. Children
12. Security
13. Changes to this policy
14. Contact

This policy explains what information LongDistance.net (“we”, “us”, “the site”) collects when you visit, why, who else receives it, and what choices and rights you have. It works together with our cookie policy, terms of use and disclaimer and affiliate disclosure.

Information you give us

The site has no user accounts, comment sections, newsletter sign-up or contact forms. The only personal information we receive directly is what you choose to send by email, such as your name, email address and whatever you write. We use it to reply, to fix errors you point out, and occasionally to inform future articles. We never publish your message or story without your explicit permission, and we don't sell or share your emails with anyone.

Analytics: Google Analytics 4

We use Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID G-00CRJC422S), provided by Google, to understand how the site is used: which pages are read, roughly where visitors come from (country or city level), what device and browser types they use, and how they arrived (for example, from a search engine or a link). This helps us decide which guides to improve and spot technical problems.

• Google Analytics sets first-party cookies (named _ga and _ga_*) that assign your browser a random identifier so repeat visits can be counted. Details are in our cookie policy.
• We look at aggregated reports. We don't try to identify individual visitors, and we don't combine analytics data with anything else we hold.
• According to Google, Google Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses; it uses them briefly to estimate general location.
• Analytics data is kept for the retention period configured in our Google Analytics account, within the options Google offers.

Google processes this data under its own terms. See how Google uses information from sites that use its services and Google's privacy policy. You can opt out of Google Analytics on all websites with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, or by blocking cookies or scripts in your browser. The site works fully without them.

Your theme preference (stored on your device)

If you switch between dark and light mode, the site saves your choice in your browser's localStorage under the name theme, so the page doesn't flash the wrong colors next time. The value is simply “dark” or “light”. It is never sent to us or anyone else, it isn't used for tracking, and you can clear it at any time by clearing your browser's site data.

Hosting, delivery and fonts

The site is hosted on Cloudflare Pages. Like any web host, Cloudflare necessarily processes technical information when your browser requests a page, such as your IP address, the page requested, your browser's user agent and the time of the request, in order to deliver the site and protect it against abuse. Cloudflare handles this as described in Cloudflare's privacy policy. We don't run our own servers or keep our own access logs.

Our typefaces are loaded from Google Fonts, which means your browser requests font files from Google's servers and Google receives your IP address and browser details for that request. Google states that the Google Fonts API does not set cookies. See Google Fonts privacy FAQ.

The on-site search runs entirely in your browser using a file downloaded from our own site. What you type into the search box is not sent anywhere.

Affiliate links (Amazon Associates)

LongDistance.net participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

When you click an Amazon link on our site, you leave LongDistance.net. Amazon may set its own cookies to record that you arrived through our link, and anything you do there is governed by Amazon's privacy notice (linked at the bottom of every Amazon page). Amazon gives us reports of the products ordered through our links and the commission earned. Those reports do not tell us who bought what. More on how we pick products is in our affiliate disclosure.

We also link to other websites, such as government immigration pages, research and other retailers. Those sites have their own privacy practices, which we don't control.

Advertising

We do not currently show display advertising or use any advertising network, and no advertising or cross-site tracking cookies are set by this site. We may add advertising in the future to cover running costs. If we do, we will update this policy and our cookie policy before or at the time ads are introduced, describe the providers and cookies involved, and offer any consent choices required by law in your region.

Why we process data (legal bases)

For readers in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom: we process emails you send us to respond to you (our legitimate interest in answering readers, or steps you've asked us to take). We use analytics on the basis of our legitimate interest in understanding and improving the site, or your consent where local law requires it. Technical data processed by our host is needed to deliver and secure the site.

How long we keep information

Your rights

EEA and UK (GDPR / UK GDPR)

You have the right to access the personal data we hold about you, to have it corrected or erased, to restrict or object to processing, to data portability, and to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.

California (CCPA / CPRA) and other US states

You have the right to know what personal information we collect and how it's used, to request deletion or correction, and not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Because almost all analytics data is held by Google in pseudonymous form, the most effective controls are the opt-out tools above. For anything else, including emails you've sent us, write to [email protected]. We respond within one month.

International transfers

Google and Cloudflare operate globally, so data processed by them may be transferred to and processed in the United States and other countries. Both companies describe the safeguards they use, such as standard contractual clauses and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, in their own privacy documentation.

Children

This site is written for adults and is not directed at children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA). We don't knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has emailed us personal information, contact us and we'll delete it.

Security

The site is served over HTTPS and is a static site with no database of user information. Email you send us is kept in a password-protected mailbox. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but there is very little here to breach.

Changes to this policy

We'll update this page when our practices or the services we use change, including before or when any advertising is added, and change the “last updated” date above. If a change is significant, we'll make it clear at the top of this page.

Contact

Questions or requests about privacy: [email protected]. For anything else, see our contact page.