Privacy Policy

WorldCountryData ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website worldcountrydata.com (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your choices regarding that information.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Email address if you subscribe to our newsletter. We store your email with our email service provider to send periodic updates about country data and statistics.
• Contact form submissions including your email address and message content when you reach out through our contact page.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Analytics data: We use Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymized usage data including pages visited, time on site, referral source, device type, and approximate geographic region. Google Analytics uses first-party cookies. IP addresses are anonymized before storage.
• Session recordings: We use Microsoft Clarity to understand how users interact with our pages. Clarity records mouse movements, clicks, and scrolling behavior. No personal information is captured. Clarity masks sensitive input fields by default.
• Server logs: Our hosting provider (Vercel) and CDN (Cloudflare) automatically log IP addresses, request timestamps, URLs requested, HTTP status codes, and user agent strings. These logs are retained for up to 30 days for security and debugging purposes.

2. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use the following cookies:

You can disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling analytics cookies will not affect the functionality of the Site.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To send newsletter emails (only if you opted in)
• To respond to your contact form submissions
• To analyze site usage patterns and improve content
• To detect and prevent abuse or security threats
• To comply with legal obligations

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Advertising

We display advertisements through Google AdSense. Google and its partners may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this Site or other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or aboutads.info.

5. Data Retention

• Newsletter email addresses: retained until you unsubscribe
• Contact form messages: retained for 12 months, then deleted
• Analytics data: retained per Google Analytics default (14 months)
• Server logs: retained for 30 days

6. Your Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

• Right of access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure: request deletion of your personal data
• Right to restrict processing: request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object: object to our processing of your data

To exercise any of these rights, email legal@worldcountrydata.com. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Your Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act gives you the following rights:

• Right to know: what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
• Right to delete: request deletion of your personal information
• Right to opt-out: opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination: we will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights

To exercise these rights, email legal@worldcountrydata.com.

8. Children's Privacy

This Site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at legal@worldcountrydata.com and we will delete it promptly.

9. Third-Party Links

This Site contains links to external websites (World Bank, UN, REST Countries, and others). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

10. Security

We use HTTPS encryption (TLS 1.3) for all connections to the Site. Data is hosted on Vercel infrastructure with Cloudflare CDN providing DDoS protection and WAF (Web Application Firewall). While we take reasonable measures to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your data rights, contact us at: legal@worldcountrydata.com.