Privacy policy

Last updated: 19 November 2025

Introduction

Our web analytics service is built from the ground up as a privacy-first, cookie-free solution. We collect only anonymized metrics about page views and basic click events on your site. No personal data or identifiers are tracked, and we do not use cookies or persistent storage. IP addresses and User-Agent strings are used only momentarily (to infer approximate location or a unique-session hash) and are immediately discarded. This means we cannot identify or profile individual visitors over time. In practice, we only process data like (but not limited to) page URLs, referrers, browser/OS, device type and geographic region. This approach is similar to other privacy-focused analytics platforms: data is collected without infringing on user privacy. We fully comply with GDPR, CCPA, and related laws by design – your visitors’ privacy is protected, and the data we process belongs to you, not us.

Controller vs. Processor

We are the Data Controller for any account and billing information you provide directly to us (e.g. your email, name, payment details) and the Data Processor for the analytics data collected on your behalf about your site’s visitors. In the latter case, you (the site owner) are the Data Controller for the visitor data, and we handle it only under your instructions and our agreement. This separation of roles is consistent with data protection best practices.

Data We Collect

Analytics Data (Website Visitors)

Our tracking script (placed in the <head> of your pages) collects only minimal, non-identifying data for each pageview. Specifically, we record things like:

  • Page URL: The path of the page visited (query parameters are omitted except standard campaign tags).

  • Referrer URL: The URL of the page that sent the visitor to yours.

  • Browser & OS: The visitor’s browser name (major version) and operating system (major version) extracted from the User-Agent.

  • Device Type: A simple category (Desktop, Mobile, or Tablet) based on the browser information.

  • Location: Approximate city/region/country, inferred from IP. We use the IP only for a quick geolocation lookup, and we do not store the IP address.

  • Timestamp: Date and time of the pageview (for chronological metrics).

  • Click Events: Anonymous logs of page interactions (e.g. which buttons or links were clicked). These are collected to produce aggregate reports of user behavior. No text inputs or sensitive content are captured – only generic click counts.

All of this data is immediately anonymized and aggregated. We do not collect names, emails, login status, or any other personal identifiers. Nor do we use cookies, local storage, or browser fingerprinting to track visitors. Each pageview is treated independently. We use a privacy-friendly method to count unique visits: we generate a one-way hash (using a daily-rotated salt plus the IP and browser info) to create a “visitor ID” for that day. Because the salt changes every 24 hours, the ID is different each day, and raw IPs/User-Agents are never saved. This means it’s mathematically impossible to link visits across days or identify anyone (GDPR-compliant anonymization). In short, our data collection is strictly limited to what is needed for site metrics; nothing more.


Customer Account Data

If you register for an account, we collect only the information necessary to provide our service. This typically includes your name (optional), email address, organization, and any additional contact info you provide. For paid plans, billing and payment details (handled through a secure third-party processor) are also processed to complete transactions. We do not store full credit card numbers on our servers – payments are handled by the PCI-compliant payment provider, and we retain only the data required for invoices (e.g. company name, address) as allowed by law. All account and payment data is used strictly for account management: creating your login, authenticating access, processing payments, and sending you essential communications (invoices, service notices). We may also keep minimal records of your support requests to help us assist you. We never use your personal account data for marketing without your consent. You are free to delete your account at any time; upon account deletion we remove all of your account data and any associated analytics data from our systems. (We may keep anonymized or aggregated logs for troubleshooting or legal compliance, but nothing identifiable.)

If you contact us through a form on our website (e.g., to ask a question or request information), we collect the personal details you choose to provide — your name and email address. We use this information solely to respond to your inquiry and maintain a record of our correspondence.

How We Use the Data

  • We process your analytics data solely to produce aggregate traffic reports and dashboards for you. This includes calculating metrics (page views, top pages, click heatmaps, etc.) and powering the visualizations you see. We do not provide session replay or user-recording features, and we do not allow viewing any individual visitor’s actions. All charts and reports are pre-built and hosted in integrated visualization tools maintained by our team. You can request custom charts or changes, but no built-in charting or automated analytics summaries are created by the software itself. Importantly, we do not share or sell your analytics data, and we do not use it for any other purpose (no targeting, advertising, or profiling).

  • We may analyze aggregated, anonymized usage data to monitor and improve our platform’s performance (for example, server load or feature usage). This analysis is strictly about the platform as a whole and does not involve any customer-identifiable data. Our goal is to improve reliability and features, not to profile your users.

  • We use your account and contact information to respond to your inquiries and provide support. If you email us or chat for help, we retain the content of that communication to resolve the issue and for future reference.

  • Payment information is forwarded to and processed by our payment provider. We share only the minimum details necessary for the transaction. Invoices and transaction records are maintained for financial and tax compliance (typically 5–7 years as required by law). We rely on these records for contractual performance and legal obligations.

  • We send essential service messages (account confirmations, billing notices, important updates) to customers. These are mandatory for providing the service. We will not send you marketing emails or analytics reports unless you explicitly opt in.

In summary, we never share or monetize any personal data or analytics data. The analytics data remains yours; we simply process it as instructed to deliver the agreed service.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We do not use cookies, local storage, or any form of persistent device identifiers for analytics. Our script does not rely on any browser storage – every pageview is treated as a new event. Because of this cookie-free design, your site will not require a cookie consent banner for our analytics. (Our own website may use essential cookies for login purposes, but those are strictly for account access and are separate from customer data.)

Data Sharing and Third-Party Services

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal or visitor data with advertisers or other third parties. Your data is used only to provide our analytics service. We do use trusted third-party service providers under strict contractual agreements (Data Processing Agreements). For example:

  • We host our service (including the storage of your analytics data) on a secure cloud platform (DigitalOcean). That provider acts as our processor and only stores data on our behalf. We ensure any such provider is GDPR-compliant.

  • For paid plans, we use a reputable payment gateway (Stripe). When you pay, your payment info is sent directly to them. We never see full card numbers. They handle the transaction and may store your payment details with your permission (e.g. for subscription billing).

  • We use an email service to send transactional emails (password resets, account notices). We share only the email content and addresses needed to send the message. These providers do not use your information for any other purpose.

All subprocessors we engage are vetted for strong privacy practices. We remain fully responsible for your data and have agreements ensuring they protect it at the same level we do. If we are legally compelled (by court order or law enforcement) to provide data, we will only disclose the minimum required and, if permitted, notify you.

Data Security and Transfers

We employ industry-standard security measures to protect your data. All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and at rest. Access to production systems is limited to authorized personnel with strong authentication. We routinely update and monitor our systems for vulnerabilities. In the unlikely event of a data breach, we will notify affected customers and authorities as required by law. Our servers are primarily located in the United States. However, we provide equivalent protections for all data (including using Standard Contractual Clauses for EU/UK transfers). In the future, we may offer hosting in other regions (such as the EU) to meet specific compliance needs. Regardless of location, the strict privacy standards described here apply worldwide.

Data Retention

We retain analytics data only for as long as needed to provide the service under your subscription plan. The specific retention period may vary by plan (and is documented in your account). If you cancel your account or request deletion, we will promptly delete all associated analytics data from our systems. Billing and transaction records are kept only as long as required by law (e.g. 5–7 years), after which they are securely destroyed. For European customers, we also honor requests to export or erase data under GDPR/CCPA. Since we do not store personal visitor data (only anonymized stats), any deletion request is handled at the aggregate level. If you, as a visitor, want your data deleted, please contact the website owner; we will delete any related logs upon their instruction.

Your Rights and Choices

Under laws like GDPR and CCPA, you have rights regarding your personal data. If you are our customer, you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal account data (we will respond within legal timeframes). You may also object to certain processing (e.g. marketing emails) or request data portability. If you are not our customer but a visitor on a site using our analytics, we do not have your personal data – only anonymous visit counts. In that case, please contact the website owner with any privacy concerns. They can instruct us to delete aggregated data associated with their site, and we will comply without delay. To exercise any of your rights or ask questions, you can contact us as below.

Contact Information

If you have questions about this policy or our data practices, please contact us at: Poterna Ltd
Email: alisher@poterna.com
Address: 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX


We take your privacy seriously and are happy to address any concerns.