Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 6, 2026

1. Introduction

locale.center ("we," "our," or "the Service") is a community discovery platform that helps users find and connect with local communities around the world. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our website.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

  • Community selection and language preferences
  • Search queries entered into the community search
  • Messages sent to the AI-powered community assistant

Information Collected Automatically

  • Browser type and version
  • Device type and operating system
  • Pages visited and time spent on each page
  • Referring URL and exit pages
  • IP address (used for approximate geolocation only)

3. How We Use Your Information

  • To provide and personalize the community discovery experience
  • To remember your community selection and language preferences
  • To power the AI assistant with relevant context for your queries
  • To improve the quality and relevance of search results
  • To analyze usage patterns and improve the Service
  • To detect and prevent abuse or unauthorized access

4. Data Storage & Retention

Your community selection and language preferences are stored locally in your browser using localStorage and cookies. This data remains on your device and is not transmitted to our servers unless you interact with the AI assistant feature. Conversation data sent to the AI assistant is processed by Anthropic's Claude API and is subject to Anthropic's Privacy Policy. We do not permanently store conversation logs on our own servers.

5. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with the following third-party providers, each governed by their own privacy policies:

  • Anthropic Claude API — Processes AI assistant conversations
  • Mapbox — Provides map rendering and geocoding services
  • Open-Meteo Geocoding API — Powers community search and location lookup
  • Vercel — Hosts the application and may collect access logs

6. Cookies & Local Storage

We use a single functional cookie (locale_selection) to persist your community and language preferences across sessions. This cookie is strictly necessary for the Service to function and does not track you across other websites. We do not use advertising or analytics cookies.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Clear your locally stored preferences at any time by clearing your browser data
  • Request information about what data we hold about you
  • Request deletion of any personal data we may have collected
  • Opt out of non-essential data collection

8. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please reach out through the community assistant or contact us at privacy@locale.center.