Privacy Policy
We respect your privacy. This page explains exactly what data we collect when you visit Snapplanets.app, why we collect it, and what rights you have over it.
Your Privacy Matters to Us
Snapplanets.app is a free educational website about the Snapchat Planets feature. We do not sell your data, we do not build advertising profiles on individual visitors, and we do not require you to create an account or hand over any personal information just to read our content.
That said, like every website on the internet, we do collect some technical information automatically when you visit, and some third-party services we rely on may collect data of their own. This Privacy Policy explains all of that clearly so you know exactly what is happening when you browse our site.
This policy applies to all pages and content accessible through the snapplanets.app domain. It does not apply to external websites we link to, even if those links appear on our pages. Those sites operate under their own privacy policies.
We collect standard web server logs and use analytics to improve the site. We use cookies, including those from third-party ad and analytics providers. We never sell your personal information. You have rights over your data and can contact us to exercise them. Read on for the full details.
Who We Are
Snapplanets.app is an independent website dedicated to explaining the Snapchat Planets feature and Snapchat Best Friends list. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by, or connected to Snap Inc. in any way. Any reference to Snapchat or related brand names on this site is purely for descriptive and educational purposes.
The data controller responsible for this website and the personal data collected through it is the Snapplanets.app team. If you have any questions about how your data is handled, you can reach us at the contact details provided at the bottom of this policy.
For purposes of privacy law, the operator of this site is the entity that determines why and how personal data is processed. That is us. If you are a resident of the European Union, the United Kingdom, California, or another jurisdiction with specific privacy rights, your rights are set out in Section 8 of this policy.
Information We Collect
We collect two broad categories of information: information you provide to us voluntarily, and information that is collected automatically when you visit the site. Here is a breakdown of each.
Information You Provide
The only situation in which you might provide us with personal information directly is if you choose to contact us. When you send us an email or submit a message through the contact form on our Contact Us page, we receive the information you include in that message, which typically means your email address and the content of your message. We do not require you to provide any personal information simply to read content on the site.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit any page on Snapplanets.app, our web servers and third-party services automatically collect certain technical information. This is standard practice for virtually every website on the internet and is necessary for the site to function and improve over time.
| Data Type | What It Includes | Why It Is Collected |
|---|---|---|
| Log data | IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, timestamps | Security, spam prevention, and diagnosing technical issues |
| Analytics data | Aggregated page views, session duration, traffic sources, device and screen type | Understanding how the site is used so we can improve it |
| Cookie data | Small text files stored in your browser by us or third-party services | Site functionality, analytics, and advertising |
| Contact enquiries | Email address and message content when you write to us | Responding to your enquiry |
Your IP address is collected as part of standard server logging. It may reveal your approximate geographic location (typically at city or region level) but does not identify you personally. We use IP data to detect abuse, prevent spam, and generate aggregated geographic statistics about where our readers are based. We do not use IP addresses to track individuals across sessions.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for a limited set of purposes, all of which are aimed at operating the site properly and improving the experience for readers. We do not use your data for purposes you would not reasonably expect from visiting an informational website.
Operating the Site
We use technical data to keep the site running, diagnose errors, prevent abuse, and ensure pages load correctly for visitors around the world.
Improving Content
Analytics data tells us which topics readers find most useful, how long they spend on each guide, and where they drop off. This helps us write better content.
Responding to You
When you contact us, we use your email address and message content solely to reply to your enquiry. We do not add you to any mailing list without explicit consent.
Security and Abuse Prevention
Log data helps us identify and block malicious traffic, spam submissions through our contact form, and automated scraping that violates our terms.
Serving Advertisements
If the site displays ads, third-party advertising networks may use cookie data to show relevant advertisements. See Section 5 for which networks we use.
Legal Compliance
We may retain or disclose data when required to comply with a legal obligation, such as a valid court order, or to protect our legal rights in the event of a dispute.
What we do not do. We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data to build individual advertising profiles. We do not send unsolicited marketing emails. We do not use your data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Cookies are small text files that are stored in your browser when you visit a website. They serve a range of purposes, from keeping a site functional to helping the site owner understand traffic patterns. Here is a breakdown of the types of cookies that may be active when you visit Snapplanets.app.
| Cookie Type | Who Sets It | Purpose | Can You Opt Out? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Us | Core site functionality. Without these the site may not work correctly. | No, these are essential |
| Analytics | Third parties (e.g. Google Analytics) | Aggregated traffic data: page views, sessions, traffic sources. IP addresses are anonymised. | Yes, via browser settings or consent tools |
| Advertising | Third-party ad networks | Serving and measuring ads shown on the site. May link browsing to a wider network. | Yes, via browser settings or opt-out links |
| Preference | Us or third parties | Remembering choices you have made, such as dismissing a notice. | Yes, by clearing cookies |
Managing Your Cookie Preferences
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most modern browsers let you block all cookies, accept only first-party cookies, or clear existing cookies at any time. Blocking cookies may affect how some features of the site work, but it will not prevent you from reading our content.
You can also opt out of Google Analytics tracking specifically by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. For advertising cookies, the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) and the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) offer opt-out tools for their respective member networks.
Some browsers send a Do Not Track (DNT) signal to websites. At present there is no industry-wide standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals, so we do not currently alter the site's behavior based on a DNT request. We will revisit this position if a clear standard emerges.
Third-Party Services
To operate the site effectively, we rely on a number of third-party services. Each of these services may collect data about your visit according to their own privacy policies. We have listed the major ones below so you know exactly which external parties may receive information about your visit.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with the site. It collects anonymised session data including page views, referrers, and device types. Google's privacy policy applies to this data. You can opt out using Google's browser add-on.
Advertising Networks
If advertisements appear on the site, they are served by third-party ad networks that may use cookies and tracking pixels to serve relevant ads and measure performance. These networks operate under their own privacy policies and opt-out mechanisms.
Web3Forms (Contact Form)
Our contact form is powered by Web3Forms. When you submit a message, your email address and message content are processed by Web3Forms in order to deliver your message to us. Please review the Web3Forms privacy policy at web3forms.com for details on how they handle this data.
Google Fonts
We load web fonts from Google Fonts. When your browser requests a font file, Google receives your IP address and browser information. Google states that font requests are not associated with any Google account and are not used to build advertising profiles.
Content Delivery Network
Our site may be served through a content delivery network (CDN) to improve load times. CDN providers receive your IP address as part of serving page content but are contractually restricted from using this data for their own purposes.
External Links and Embeds
Pages may link to or embed content from external sites such as YouTube or social media platforms. Interacting with embedded content may cause those platforms to collect data about you under their own privacy policies.
We choose our third-party providers carefully, but once data leaves our site and enters a third party's systems, it is governed by that party's privacy practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party service you interact with.
Data Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for their own marketing or commercial purposes. Full stop. Any data that flows to third parties as described in Section 5 does so because those services are necessary to operate the site, and they are contractually restricted in how they can use it.
There are a small number of circumstances in which we may share data with outside parties:
Legal Requirements
We may disclose data when required to do so by law, such as in response to a valid subpoena, court order, or government request. We will push back against overly broad requests where the law permits.
Protection of Rights
If we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Snapplanets.app, our users, or the public, we may share relevant information with appropriate parties.
Business Transfers
In the unlikely event that the site is acquired, merged, or its assets transferred, user data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We would notify users of any material change in data ownership.
Data Retention
We do not hold data for longer than necessary. Different types of data have different natural retention periods based on what they are used for.
| Data Type | Retention Period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Server log files | Up to 90 days | Security monitoring and incident investigation. Older logs are deleted or anonymised. |
| Analytics data | Up to 26 months (Google Analytics default) | Long-term trend analysis. Individual sessions are anonymised; no personal identifiers are retained. |
| Contact enquiries | Up to 2 years after last correspondence | Maintaining a record of our communications and any commitments made. You can request deletion earlier. |
| Cookies (browser-side) | Varies by cookie (session to 2 years) | Duration is set by the cookie's purpose. Session cookies expire when you close your browser; persistent cookies have a defined expiry date. |
If you would like us to delete your personal data sooner than the periods above, please contact us at contact@snapplanets.app and we will action your request as quickly as possible, subject to any legal obligations that require us to retain certain records.
Your Rights
Depending on where you are located, you may have specific legal rights regarding your personal data. We honour these rights regardless of where you are based, because we believe good privacy practices should not be geography-dependent. Here is a plain-language summary of the rights that may apply to you.
Right to Access
You can ask us what personal data we hold about you and receive a copy of it.
Right to Rectification
If any data we hold about you is inaccurate, you can ask us to correct it.
Right to Erasure
Also known as the right to be forgotten. You can ask us to delete your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
Right to Restrict Processing
You can ask us to pause processing your data while a dispute is resolved, rather than deleting it.
Right to Data Portability
Where technically feasible, you can ask us to provide your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to Object
You can object to our processing of your data for certain purposes, including direct marketing.
Automated Decisions
We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you.
Right to Complain
You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you are unsatisfied with how we handle your data.
Residents of California (CCPA/CPRA)
California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act, including the right to know what categories of personal information are sold or disclosed, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights. We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA. To exercise any California-specific right, contact us at the address below.
Residents of the European Union and United Kingdom (GDPR / UK GDPR)
If you are located in the EU or UK, your data rights are protected under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the UK equivalent. Our lawful bases for processing your data are: legitimate interests (for analytics and security logging), consent (for non-essential cookies where a consent mechanism is in place), and contract performance (for responding to your enquiries). You have the right to withdraw consent at any time where consent is the legal basis. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your national supervisory authority.
To make a request related to any of the rights above, email us at contact@snapplanets.app with the subject line "Privacy Rights Request" and describe what you are asking for. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling the request. We will not charge a fee unless a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
Children's Privacy
Snapplanets.app is a general-interest informational website. Our content is about a social media feature and is accessible to users of all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent.
Because our site does not require any registration or account creation, and because visitors can read all of our content without providing any personal information, the risk of inadvertently collecting data from young children is low. The only scenario in which a child's data might come to us is through the contact form, and we encourage parents and guardians to supervise their children's use of the site.
If you believe that a child under 13 has submitted personal information to us without parental consent, please contact us at contact@snapplanets.app and we will delete that information as quickly as possible.
For parents. If your child uses this site, all they are doing is reading informational guides. No account is required, no personal information is solicited, and no purchases are possible. The content is educational and age-appropriate. If you have any concerns about your child's use of the site, please feel free to contact us.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in how we operate the site, changes in the third-party services we use, or changes in applicable privacy law. When we make updates, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
For significant changes that materially affect how we use your data, we may provide a more prominent notice, such as a banner on the home page. For minor clarifications or corrections, we will simply update the page and adjust the date.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the site after any changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If the changes are not acceptable to you, please stop using the site and, if applicable, exercise your right to have your data deleted as described in Section 8.
Privacy FAQ
No. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party. If advertisements appear on the site, they are served by third-party ad networks that may use their own cookies, but we do not hand over data about individual visitors to anyone for commercial purposes. Our relationship with third-party services is operational, not commercial, and those services are contractually restricted in what they can do with any data they receive.
Like every website, we collect some technical information automatically, including your IP address and the pages you visit. Analytics tools may also record your session in aggregated form to help us understand how the site is used. What we do not do is build a persistent individual profile of you across visits or link your site usage to your identity. If you want to minimise tracking, you can use a browser extension that blocks analytics scripts, clear your cookies regularly, or use a browser with enhanced privacy settings.
Your email address is used solely to reply to your message. We do not add you to any mailing list, share your email with third parties for marketing purposes, or use it for anything beyond the conversation you initiated. The message is delivered to us via Web3Forms, which processes the submission and then forwards it to our inbox. After the enquiry is resolved, we retain the email thread for up to two years in case we need to refer back to a previous conversation, after which it is deleted. You can request earlier deletion at any time.
Send us an email at contact@snapplanets.app with the subject line "Privacy Rights Request" and let us know you would like to know what data we hold about you. We will respond within 30 days. Because we do not operate user accounts and most of the data we collect is anonymised or aggregated, there may not be much personally identifying data to disclose, but we will be transparent about whatever we do hold.
Yes. Because we collect data from visitors in the EU, the GDPR applies to how we process that data, regardless of where we are based. We have described our lawful bases for processing in Section 8 of this policy. If you have a complaint about how we handle your data and we are unable to resolve it to your satisfaction, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint with your national data protection authority, such as the ICO in the UK or your local DPA in the EU.
Yes. You can block non-essential cookies through your browser settings and still read all of the content on the site. Strictly necessary cookies may still be set in order to serve the pages correctly, but these do not track you for marketing purposes. Blocking analytics and advertising cookies will mean we collect less data about your visit, which is entirely your right. Instructions for managing cookies vary by browser but can typically be found in the browser's Settings or Privacy and Security menu.
Contact Us About Privacy
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise one of your data rights, or have a concern about how we have handled your information, please get in touch. We take privacy questions seriously and aim to respond to all enquiries within 30 days, and to data rights requests within the legally required timeframe.
For general site questions that are not specifically about privacy, please use our Contact Us page instead. For copyright or DMCA matters, please refer to our DMCA Notice page.
Privacy Contact
Email: contact@snapplanets.app
Subject for data access requests: Privacy Rights Request
Subject for data deletion requests: Data Deletion Request
Subject for general privacy questions: Privacy Enquiry
We aim to acknowledge privacy-related emails within two business days and to provide a full response within 30 days. For complex requests, we may request additional time and will inform you if that is the case.
Identity verification. To protect your data, we may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a data access or deletion request. This is to prevent unauthorised parties from accessing or deleting data that does not belong to them. We will let you know what verification is needed when you make your request, and we will keep the process as straightforward as possible.
Privacy Questions Welcome
If something in this policy is unclear, or you want to know more about how we handle your data, we are happy to explain. You can also head back to our Snapchat Planets guides any time.