Privacy Policy
Last updated: 5 August 2026
Time Zones Map is a free time zone reference site. You don't need an account to use it, and we don't ask for your name or email unless you choose to send us something. This page explains what is collected (mostly by the analytics and advertising services) and how to opt out.
Here's the short version:
- We use Google Analytics to count visits and see which pages are useful.
- Google Analytics and Google AdSense may use cookies or similar technologies, subject to the privacy choices available in your region.
- We store a few counters in your browser to decide when to show things like a feature announcement. Your preference and prompt values stay on your device. The one exception is how often you've used the business hours lookup, which is counted in our analytics so we can tell whether the feature is worth keeping.
- If you send us feedback or join a research panel, we get whatever you typed.
- Session recording only ever runs if you open the business hours lookup, or join our early access research panel, and only after you explicitly agree. If you never open it, you are never asked and never recorded.
- We do not sell personal information for money. Some privacy laws may classify the use of advertising technologies as a “sale,” “sharing,” or use for targeted advertising. Where applicable, you can opt out through our privacy controls.
What we collect on the public site
Analytics: understanding site usage and improving the service
Google uses information such as your IP address temporarily to derive approximate location information. Google Analytics 4 does not provide your IP address to us or store it in our Analytics reports. It sets cookies to recognise a repeat visit. We use this to understand which pages people find useful; we don't use it to identify individuals.
Advertising: funding the free site
Ads on this site are served by Google AdSense. Google and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to serve and measure ads, and — depending on your region and settings — to personalise them based on your prior visits to this and other sites. You can review and change how Google personalises ads for you at My Ad Center, and read how Google uses data from sites that use its services at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.
Things stored in your browser
A few values are written to your browser's local storage:
- Visit and time counters — how many times you've visited and roughly how long you've spent here, so we only show invitations to people who actually use the site. These stay on your device.
- Dismissal flags — remembering that you answered or closed a prompt so it doesn't come back. These stay on your device.
- Display preferences — such as your chosen map settings. These stay on your device.
- Business hours lookup counters — how many times you've opened that feature and when you last did, so we can tell whether people come back to it. Unlike the values above, counts derived from these are included in our analytics — for example “opened 3 times, last used 6 days ago”. They contain nothing that identifies you, and declining or stopping session recording erases them.
Clearing your browser's site data removes all of these, and the site keeps working normally without them.
We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect the information we hold. No internet service can guarantee absolute security.
Things you send us
Feedback is collected to respond and guide product decisions. Feedback forms, poll answers, and early-access sign-ups are delivered to us by email through Formspree and Tally. We receive whatever you put in the fields — which may include your name and email if you provided them. We use it to reply to you and to decide what to build. We don't add you to a marketing list you didn't ask for.
Research: session recording
We use PostHog to record sessions in two narrow places, so we can see where a design confuses people:
- The business hours lookup. If you open it, we ask whether you're willing to have that session recorded. Browsing the rest of the site never triggers this, and if you never open the lookup you are never asked.
- Research prototypes. Some unlisted pages are shared by direct link with people who have agreed to take part in user research.
Recording never starts automatically. You are asked first, and nothing is sent and no cookie is set until you agree. If you decline, you can still use the feature.
If you agree, a recording captures
- Clicks, scrolling, mouse movement, and how the page changed
- Screen size, browser, operating system, and approximate region
- For research participants, the pseudonymous panel code from your invite link — not your name or email
It does not capture
- Anything you type — text you enter is masked before the recording leaves your browser
- Your camera, microphone, or anything outside the browser tab
- Any page other than the one you agreed on — recording stops as soon as you navigate away, and PostHog does not run anywhere else on the site
You can stop a recording at any time using the control shown in the corner of the page while it's running. Recordings are kept for up to 30 days and are then deleted. If you took part and want your recording removed sooner, email us with your panel code and we'll delete it.
Who else receives data
- Google (Analytics, AdSense) — privacy policy
- PostHog (business hours lookup and prototype pages only) — privacy policy
- Formspree and Tally (form delivery)
- Vercel, which hosts the site and processes standard server request logs
These providers are based in, or store data in, the United States, so using this site involves an international transfer of the data described above.
Your choices
- Block or delete cookies in your browser settings, or browse privately. The site works either way.
- Opt out of Google Analytics across all sites with the official browser add-on.
- Control ad personalisation at My Ad Center.
- Decline session recording whenever it is offered, or stop it partway through from the badge in the corner.
- Ask us to delete something you sent us, by email.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights to access, correct, or delete personal information we hold, or to object to its processing. Email us and we'll action it.
Children
This site is a general-purpose reference tool and isn't directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, email us and we'll delete it.
Changes
If we add or remove a service that collects data, we'll update this page and the date at the top.
Contact
Questions, corrections, or deletion requests: privacy@time-zones-map.com.
