Privacy policy: what ferrywhere processes, why and for how long
Who is responsible
The controller of the personal data processed on this site is the publisher of ferrywhere, an independent ferry information project developed and maintained by a private individual. Full identification details are available to anyone with a legitimate interest and to the competent authorities, on request at the contact address below.
Website: ferrywhere.com
Contact: info@ferrywhere.com.
What we process, and why
Server logs. Like any website, our web server records each request: IP address, date and time, the address requested (including what you type in the search box), the browser's user agent and the page you came from. We use these logs to run the site, fix errors and protect it from abuse, on the basis of our legitimate interest in operating a secure service (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). Retention: 14 days (the web server starts a new log file every day and keeps the last 14).
Protection against abuse. The search, the live data and the requests to refresh a ship's position count requests per IP address over one minute (refresh requests also over one hour). The counters expire at the end of that period and are not stored anywhere else.
Maps. When a page shows a map, your browser downloads the map tiles, the fonts of the map labels and the map icons directly from tiles.openfreemap.org (OpenFreeMap); the map style itself comes from our server. That service receives your IP address, the name of our site (as the referrer) and the area of the map you look at; we share nothing else with it.
Saved items and preferences. The routes, ports and ships you save, the last results you opened from the search box and a few display preferences are stored only in your browser (localStorage): see the cookie policy. When you open the Saved page, your browser puts your list in the page address so that our server can show the next departures; like any address, it is recorded in the server logs.
Statistics (Google Analytics). To count visits and see which pages are useful, the site uses Google Analytics 4, a Google service. Google receives the address of the page you open (including what you type in the search box and the list on the Saved page), the page you came from, your browser, device, screen size and language, and your IP address: for visitors from the EU, the UK and Switzerland, Google Analytics uses it only to estimate the country and city, then discards it without logging it. Google Analytics is loaded only if you click “Accept” in the banner shown at the bottom of the page on your first visit: until you choose, or if you refuse, nothing is sent to Google. With your consent it uses the cookies listed in the cookie policy. You can change or withdraw your choice at any time from “Cookie settings” at the bottom of every page. Google Signals and ad personalisation are switched off, and the site shows no advertising. Detailed data is kept in Google Analytics for 14 months. Google may process it outside the European Economic Area, including in the United States, where Google LLC is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
What we don't do
No accounts, no sign-up or contact forms, no advertising and no tracking pixels. The only third-party script is Google Analytics, and only with your consent; the site's fonts are served from our own server. We don't sell personal data, and we share it only with the services described on this page. Cookies: see the cookie policy.
Your rights
Under the GDPR you can ask to access, rectify or erase your data, restrict or object to its processing, and lodge a complaint with your data protection authority. To exercise these rights, write to info@ferrywhere.com.
Changes
If the site ever shows advertising, this page will be updated before it is switched on, and you will be asked for consent wherever the law requires it.