Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2025

TSA Tracker ("we," "our," or "us") operates the website at tsatracker.com (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use the Service, how we use it, and your rights with respect to that information. We are committed to being transparent about our data practices.

1. Information We Collect

1a. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit TSA Tracker, certain information is collected automatically by our server and analytics systems, including:

• Log data — your browser's IP address, the pages you visit, the time and date of your visit, and the referring URL (the page you came from before visiting TSA Tracker).
• Device and browser information — browser type and version, operating system, screen resolution, and device type (desktop, mobile, tablet).
• Usage data — which airports you look up, how long you spend on each page, and which features you interact with (such as the history chart or airport search).

We collect this information to understand how the Service is used and to improve it. We do not use this information to identify you personally.

1b. Information You Provide

TSA Tracker does not require you to create an account or provide any personal information to use the Service. If you contact us by email (for example, through the address listed on our Contact page), we will receive the information included in your message, such as your email address and the content of your inquiry. We use that information only to respond to you and do not share it with third parties.

1c. Cookies and Similar Technologies

TSA Tracker and its advertising partners use cookies and similar tracking technologies. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser that help websites remember preferences and track usage. Specifically:

• Analytics cookies — we use Google Analytics (via Google Tag Manager) to understand aggregate traffic patterns. Google Analytics sets cookies to distinguish unique users and sessions. The data is processed in aggregate and not used to identify you personally. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking using Google's opt-out browser add-on.
• Advertising cookies — we serve ads through Google AdSense. Google and its partners may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this site and other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google's Ad Settings or aboutads.info.

Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Disabling cookies may affect some functionality of the Service, though core wait-time features do not depend on cookies.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate and maintain the TSA Tracker service — including polling airport data feeds, serving pages, and displaying wait-time data.
• Monitor and improve the performance, reliability, and accuracy of the Service.
• Understand traffic patterns and user behavior in aggregate, so we can prioritize features and airport additions.
• Serve relevant advertising through Google AdSense, which helps fund the free operation of this service.
• Respond to your inquiries if you contact us.
• Comply with legal obligations if required.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your information to build individual profiles for marketing purposes.

3. How We Share Your Information

We share information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers — we use third-party providers such as Google Analytics (analytics), Google AdSense (advertising), and our web hosting provider (Render.com) to operate the Service. These providers may process your data on our behalf in accordance with their own privacy policies.
• Legal requirements — we may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or in response to a valid request by public authorities.
• Business transfers — if TSA Tracker is acquired, merged, or its assets transferred, your information may be part of that transfer. We would notify users of any such change.

We do not share your information with any other third parties for their own marketing purposes.

4. Third-Party Services

TSA Tracker integrates with the following third-party services, each with its own privacy practices:

• Google Analytics — Google's Privacy Policy
• Google AdSense — Google's Privacy Policy and Advertising Policy
• Google Fonts — fonts are loaded from Google's servers, which may log basic request data. See Google Fonts Privacy FAQ.

We encourage you to review those policies if you have questions about how those companies handle your data.

5. Data Retention

TSA Tracker retains airport wait-time data in its database for operational and historical analysis purposes. This is aggregate checkpoint data — it contains no personal information. Server logs containing IP addresses are typically retained for 30–90 days. Analytics data is retained per the default settings of Google Analytics (up to 14 months for user-level data).

6. Children's Privacy

TSA Tracker is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to us, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

7. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect the information we handle against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. The Service is served over HTTPS. However, no internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of any information you provide or that we collect.

8. Your Choices and Rights

Depending on where you are located, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

• Opt out of analytics — use Google's opt-out browser add-on to prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data.
• Opt out of personalized ads — visit Google's Ad Settings or the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out page.
• Cookie control — adjust your browser's cookie settings to limit or block cookies.
• CCPA (California residents) — California residents have the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.
• GDPR (EEA residents) — if you are in the European Economic Area, you may have additional rights including the right to access, correct, or erase your personal data, and the right to data portability. Contact us to exercise these rights.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "last updated" date at the top of this page. Material changes will be noted prominently. Your continued use of TSA Tracker after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: benbirkhahn10@gmail.com. We will respond within 1–2 business days.