Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2026

UBC Tracker (“we”, “us”) is a community project sponsored, built and hosted by Morrison Sites, a web design and managed hosting studio in Point Grey, Vancouver, BC. This policy explains what the site collects, why, and what you can do about it. We handle personal information in accordance with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

Who is responsible

Morrison Sites operates this site and is accountable for the personal information it collects. Our privacy contact is [email protected].

What we collect

What you submit. When you report a sighting or request a visit, we collect what you choose to give us: a point on the campus map, a time, a short description, and, if you add one, a photo. We don’t ask for your name or email address.

What is collected automatically. Our web server and security layer record limited technical information when you visit (such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you view) for security, abuse prevention and keeping the site running. We use it to stop spam and repeated abuse of the report forms.

Your location. If you allow it in your browser, the map checks whether you’re on campus (“in range”) and can show where you are. That check happens on your device: your location is not sent to us, logged or stored. It reaches us only if you press “Use my location” in a report, and then only as that report’s spot. We also remove location data (EXIF) from any photo you upload.

Cookies

We don’t use advertising or tracking cookies, and we don’t run analytics that profile you. Essential and security cookies may be set by our security provider (Cloudflare) to protect the site, or by WordPress if you log in. The campus map is provided by Google Maps, which loads from Google’s servers in your browser and is subject to the Google Privacy Policy.

How we use it

• to show approved sightings and requests on the public map;
• to email new sightings (including any photo) and requests to the volunteer behind the hero account and the site’s operator, so they can be approved;
• to moderate submissions and keep the site safe from spam and abuse; and
• to meet our legal obligations.

We do not sell personal information, share it for advertising, or use it to identify anyone, including the person in the costume.

Who can see it

Approved sightings and requests (the map point, time, description and any photo) are public. Everything else, including submissions waiting for approval and their photos, is seen only by the volunteer behind the hero account, the site’s operator and Morrison Sites administrators. We rely on a small number of service providers to run the site: our hosting infrastructure, Cloudflare (DNS and security), Google Maps (the map) and Google Workspace (notification email). We share only what each needs to do its job.

Where it is stored

The site is hosted on infrastructure managed by Morrison Sites, and we prioritise keeping data within Canada wherever practical. Some providers, including Google and Cloudflare, may process limited data outside Canada. See the Morrison Sites Hosting Policy for current hosting details.

How long we keep it

• Visit requests: deleted within 90 days of being answered or closed.
• Sightings: kept while they are useful on the map, then deleted or stripped of descriptions and photos within 12 months.
• Server and security logs: kept for the shortest period our hosting and security tools allow.

Your rights

You can ask what personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, ask us to remove a submission you made, or withdraw your consent. Email [email protected] and we’ll respond within 30 days. If you’re not satisfied with how we handled your concern, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia.

Photos of other people

If a photo on the map shows you and you’d like it removed, email [email protected] with a link to the sighting. We remove it without asking for a reason.

Children

The site is meant for the UBC community. We don’t knowingly collect personal information from children under 13; if you believe a child has submitted something, contact us and we’ll delete it.

Changes

We may update this policy as the site grows. The current version is always on this page, with the date above.