Plain language summary: MilesAway Exploration does not collect or store personal data through general chat conversations — these are processed by Anthropic's AI and not stored by us. If you use the "Plan My Tromsø Trip" form to request a free itinerary suggestion, we collect your email address and the trip details you provide solely to reply with a suggestion, and we delete the submission afterward. We use your browser's local storage only to cache weather and aurora data for performance. We do not use tracking cookies or advertising.
1. Data Controller
The data controller for this service is Knut / MilesAway Exploration, based in Tromsø, Norway. For privacy-related enquiries, contact us through our Facebook page or Instagram.
2. What Data We Collect
MilesAway Exploration itself does not collect, store or process personal data from visitors. Specifically:
- No accounts or registration — we do not ask you to create an account or provide personal details
- No chat history stored by us — conversations are processed in real time and are not saved by MilesAway after your session ends
- No tracking cookies — we do not use advertising cookies, analytics tracking pixels or behavioural tracking tools
- Itinerary request form — if you voluntarily use the "Plan My Tromsø Trip" form, we collect your email address and the trip details you provide (such as dates, group size and interests) solely to send you a free example itinerary suggestion in reply. We do not use this for marketing and do not add you to any mailing list.
3. Local Browser Storage
This service stores two small items in your browser's local storage to improve performance:
- milesaway_weather — cached weather data for Tromsø, refreshed every 30 minutes. Contains temperature and weather conditions only. No personal data.
- milesaway_aurora — cached aurora Kp index data, refreshed every 30 minutes. No personal data.
- milesaway_notice_dismissed — records that you have dismissed the storage notice. No personal data.
This storage is strictly functional — it reduces unnecessary API requests and makes the page load faster. It is not used for tracking or advertising. You can clear this data at any time through your browser settings.
4. Third-Party Data Processing
To provide this service, we use the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy and data processing terms:
- Anthropic — Your chat messages are sent to Anthropic's servers to generate AI responses. Anthropic may process and retain these messages in accordance with their own privacy policy. We recommend reviewing Anthropic's Privacy Policy. We do not share identifying information with Anthropic beyond the message content.
- Netlify — Our hosting provider. Netlify automatically collects server logs including IP addresses, browser type and pages visited. These are standard server logs used for security and performance. See Netlify's Privacy Policy.
- Netlify Forms — If you submit the "Plan My Tromsø Trip" form, your email address and trip details are stored in our Netlify Forms dashboard so we can reply to you. See Netlify's Privacy Policy.
- MET Norway / Yr.no — We request weather data for Tromsø from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute API. Your IP address is sent as part of this request. See MET Norway's Privacy Policy.
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center — We request aurora/Kp index data from NOAA's public API. This is a US government public data service.
5. Affiliate Links
MilesAway Exploration may include affiliate links to third-party booking services, such as Viator. When you click an affiliate link and make a booking, the third-party provider will process your personal data in accordance with their own privacy policy. MilesAway receives a commission but does not receive your personal booking data.
Affiliate links are clearly disclosed in our Terms of Service. We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any third-party service before making a booking.
6. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
Where any data processing occurs in connection with this service, the legal bases are:
- Legitimate interests — server logs by Netlify for security and performance purposes
- Contractual necessity — processing chat messages through Anthropic to provide the AI response service you have requested
- Consent — local browser storage (functional, non-tracking)
- Consent — the email address and trip details you voluntarily submit through the "Plan My Tromsø Trip" form, used solely to respond to your request
7. Your Rights Under GDPR
As a resident of the EU/EEA, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
Given that we do not store personal data, most of these rights are exercised directly with our third-party service providers. Contact us to discuss any privacy concerns.
8. Data Retention
MilesAway Exploration does not retain personal data from chat conversations. If you submit the "Plan My Tromsø Trip" form, we use your email address only to reply with an itinerary suggestion, and delete the form submission from Netlify once we have replied. If we have not yet replied, we delete submissions within 14 days. Local browser storage data persists on your own device until you clear it through your browser settings.
9. International Transfers
Chat messages are processed by Anthropic, a US-based company. This constitutes a transfer of data outside the EEA. Anthropic processes data under applicable data protection agreements. Please review Anthropic's privacy policy for details of their data transfer safeguards.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The date of the last update is shown at the top of this page. Continued use of the service after changes are published constitutes acknowledgement of the updated policy.
11. Contact
For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights, contact MilesAway Exploration through our Facebook page or Instagram.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) at datatilsynet.no.