Privacy Policy

Overview

AreaIQ ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

TL;DR: We collect minimal data. We don't sell your data. If you create a personalised report, we process the answers you provide so the report can be generated and shown back to you.

What Data We Collect

• ✓Search queries (postcode/area names) — anonymised, used to improve search quality
• ✓Report questionnaire answers — only when you choose to create a personalised report
• ✓First name or nickname — only if you enter it in the report questionnaire
• ✓Page views and navigation data — via privacy-respecting analytics (no personal identifiers)
• ✓Approximate location (country/region) — from IP address, not stored
• ✓Browser type and device category — for optimising the site

We do not ask for payment details, account passwords, full addresses, or precise live location for personalised reports.

Cookies

• ✓Essential cookies: Required for the site to function (session management)
• ✓Analytics cookies: Optional. We use privacy-first analytics that don't fingerprint users
• ✓No third-party advertising or tracking cookies

You can disable cookies in your browser settings. This won't affect core functionality.

How We Use Data

• ✓Improving search accuracy and relevance
• ✓Generating and displaying your personalised area report
• ✓Understanding which areas are most searched to prioritise data updates
• ✓Monitoring site performance and error rates
• ✓Detecting and preventing abuse

Third Parties

• ✓Cloudflare: Hosts this website and processes traffic through its CDN
• ✓Oracle Cloud: Hosts the report API, scraper outputs and generated report files
• ✓xAI: Generates personalised report text when the Grok report backend is enabled
• ✓OpenStreetMap: Map tiles (no personal data shared)
• ✓We do not share data with advertisers or data brokers

Personalised Reports

• ✓Report answers are sent to our report API only after you submit the questionnaire
• ✓Generated reports are stored under a unique report ID so the report link can load again
• ✓Report links are unlisted, but anyone with the exact link may be able to view that report
• ✓Do not include sensitive personal, financial, medical, legal, or family information in free-text answers

You can request report deletion by emailing privacy@areaiq.co.uk with the report ID.

Your Rights

• ✓Right to know what data we hold about you
• ✓Right to deletion — include your report ID if your request concerns a generated report
• ✓Right to opt out of analytics

For ordinary browsing we hold minimal data. Personalised reports may contain the answers you entered.

Contact

For any privacy questions, contact us at privacy@areaiq.co.uk