Privacy policy

Effective 2026-10-09. Plain summary first, details below.

The short version

The index itself (region pages, scores, the JSON API) contains no personal data of any kind, only public economic statistics. This site uses Google Analytics to understand aggregate traffic (see "Analytics" below) and sets no other cookies or trackers. We collect personal information only from people who directly give it to us: requesting an API key, signing up for the update email, or a partner organization sharing contact details for an agreement. We never sell personal information, and we never share it with a third party except to run the service itself (for example, our email provider, to send the update email you asked for, or Google Analytics, to understand site traffic).

What we collect, and why

• API keys. If you request a key, we keep the name and email you give us, tied to that key, so we can identify who is using it and reach you about it. We never store the key itself in a form we can read back, only a one-way hash of it.
• The monthly update email. If you subscribe, we keep your email address, the regions you asked to follow, and where you signed up. You can unsubscribe at any time; doing so is recorded and honored.
• Partner organizations. If a chamber, bank, council, or similar organization signs a data-sharing agreement with us, we keep a contact name and email for that agreement. This is business contact information for the organization, not data about its members or the public.
• Survey responses (not yet in public use). This project has a business confidence survey capability built but not launched. When it is live, a response is tied only to a salted, one-way hash of whatever you used to prevent double-submission (such as an email address), never the original value itself. We store your business size band and industry code, never your name.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand aggregate traffic: which pages are read, how many visitors, and in general terms. Google Analytics sets cookies and assigns your browser a client identifier to do this. We do not send it your name, email, or any other information that directly identifies you, and we do not use it to track you across other sites. It is operated by Google under its own privacy policy; you can opt out using Google's browser opt-out tool or by blocking google-analytics.com/googletagmanager.com with a browser extension. We have not yet built a cookie-consent banner on this site -- a known gap, not an oversight -- so Analytics loads on every page visit regardless of region.

What else we do not collect

No browser fingerprinting. No advertising scripts or trackers of any kind, from us or from anyone else, beyond the Analytics cookie described above. The site's pages are otherwise plain HTML; nothing else on them phones home.

Data we publish

Every number on this site is a public economic statistic, sourced from government and public data (see the data and licenses page), scored and aggregated at the level of a region, never an individual, a household, or a specific business. Nothing we publish can be traced back to a person.

How long we keep it, and how to remove it

We keep API key and subscriber information for as long as the key or subscription is active, plus a reasonable period afterward for support and abuse prevention. We do not yet have automated deletion on a fixed schedule; if you want your information removed sooner, email us and we will do it by hand.

Your choices

Unsubscribe from the update email at any time using the link in the email, or by asking us directly. Ask us to revoke an API key at any time. Ask what information we hold about you, or ask us to correct or delete it, by emailing hello@localeconomy.com.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes in a way that matters, we will update the effective date above and, for anyone with an active subscription or API key, tell them directly.

Contact

Questions about this policy, or a request about your own information: hello@localeconomy.com.