Privacy policy

This policy explains what information Sunloop UV collects when you use sunloop.com.au and the Sunloop UV widget, why we collect it, and what you can do about it. We handle personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

The short version

You don’t need an account to use Sunloop UV, and we never ask for your name to show you the UV. We use your location only if you tap “Check UV near me”, and only to find your nearest suburb. We measure how the site is used so we can improve it, and we only use Google Analytics cookies if you agree to them. We don’t sell your information.

Who we are

Sunloop UV runs sunloop.com.au, a free website that shows UV forecasts and sun protection times for places across Australia. You can contact us about privacy at hello@sunloop.com.au.

What we collect and why

Your location, if you ask for it. When you tap “Check UV near me”, your browser asks for permission to share your location. If you allow it, we use your coordinates once to find the nearest suburb or town, then send you to that place’s page. We round the coordinates before using them and we don’t store them or link them to you.

What you search for. Place names you type into the search box are used to show you matching suburbs and beaches. Searches may appear in our server logs for a short time, as described below.

Usage information. Like most websites, our hosting provider records technical details when your device loads a page, such as your IP address, browser type, the page requested and the time. We use this to keep the site running, fix faults and protect it from misuse.

Analytics. We use Vercel Analytics and Ahrefs Web Analytics to count page views and see which pages people find useful and how they found the site. Both work without cookies and report aggregated figures that don’t identify you. If you accept analytics cookies, we also use Google Analytics 4, which uses cookies to understand how visitors move through the site. Our cookie policy explains this in detail.

Messages you send us. If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message. We use it to reply and keep it only as long as we need to deal with your enquiry.

Widget data. When a school or other site shows the Sunloop UV widget, visitors to that site load the widget from our servers. We receive the same technical details as for any page load, including the address of the page showing the widget. We use this to deliver the widget and count how widely it’s used. We don’t use the widget to track individual visitors across sites.

What we don’t do

We don’t sell, rent or trade personal information. We don’t build advertising profiles. We don’t knowingly collect personal information from children, and nothing on the site asks for it.

Who we share information with

We use a small number of service providers to run the site:

• Vercel hosts the website and provides Vercel Analytics.
• Ahrefs provides Ahrefs Web Analytics, which counts visits without cookies.
• Google provides Google Analytics 4, used only if you accept analytics cookies.
• Open-Meteo supplies UV forecasts. Our servers request forecasts for grid areas, not for you personally, so your location isn’t sent to Open-Meteo.

These providers may store or process information outside Australia, including in the United States. We choose providers that protect information to a standard consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles. We may also disclose information if the law requires it.

How long we keep information

Server logs are kept for up to 30 days unless we need them longer to investigate a security problem. Google Analytics data is kept for 14 months. Emails are kept for as long as we need them to respond and keep a record of the conversation.

Keeping information secure

The site is served only over encrypted connections (HTTPS). We limit who can access our hosting and analytics accounts and use strong authentication on them. No system is completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect the information we hold.

Your choices and rights

You can use every part of Sunloop UV without sharing your location, by searching for a place instead. You can reject analytics cookies, or change your mind later using “Cookie settings” at the bottom of every page. You can also block cookies in your browser settings.

You can ask to see the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it, by emailing hello@sunloop.com.au. We’ll respond within 30 days.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how we’ve handled your information, email hello@sunloop.com.au and we’ll look into it and reply within 30 days. If you’re not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.

Changes to this policy

We’ll update this policy if the way we handle information changes. The date at the top shows when it last changed. If a change is significant, we’ll note it on the home page for 30 days.