Privacy policy
Last updated 18 October 2026
Uncanny Map is a globe of unexplained encounters. We collect as little as we can: you can read every case and story without an account, and we never sell or share your information for advertising.
When you read
Reading needs no account and sets no tracking cookies. If analytics are switched on, we use Cloudflare Web Analytics, which counts visits without cookies and without identifying you.
When you sign in
Sharing, echoing and reporting stories need a Google sign-in, to keep out spam. We ask Google only for your email address and keep only that and Google's account ID for you. We don't receive or store your name, photo, contacts or Google password.
Signing in sets one cookie that keeps you signed in for up to 30 days. We don't record your IP address or browser with it.
When you share a story
We store what you write in the form: your story, its place, year, time, witnesses and pen name.
Your pin is rounded to an area of about 5 km before it's saved. The exact spot never leaves your device. If you use “Use my location”, your browser asks first, and the location is only used to move the pin.
Your story is shown with your pen name, or as “Anonymous”. Your email address and account are never shown with it. We keep a scrambled, one-way code made from your IP address next to the story, only to limit how many stories can be shared in a day. It can't be turned back into your address.
While you sign in, a draft of your story is kept in your own browser so it isn't lost. It's deleted when you send it, or after a day.
Echoes and reports
When you echo or report a story, we record which account did it, so each person counts once. Echo counts are public; who echoed is not. Reports are seen only by us.
Who else is involved
Google handles sign-in. Cloudflare protects the site, runs the spam check on the share form (Turnstile) and, if switched on, the visit counts. Our hosting provider stores the database. Each only gets what it needs to do that job.
How long we keep things
We keep your account until you delete it, and your stories until you delete them or we remove them. Stories that aren't published are kept so you can see their status, until you delete them.
Your choices
In My stories you can see everything you've shared, delete any story, or delete your account. Deleting your account removes your stories, your echoes, your reports and your email address straight away.
If a story names you, describes your home or is about you, and you want it taken down, email us at [email protected]. We aim to reply within 7 days.
Children
Uncanny Map is meant for adults. If you're under 18, please don't create an account or share a story.
Changes
If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top. If a change affects how we use what you've already shared, we'll say so on the site first.