Privacy Policy

1. Overview

vishva.lol is a personal creative coding laboratory operated by Vishva Variya. This policy explains exactly what information we collect when you use our interactive experiments, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the rights you have over your data.

By using vishva.lol you agree to the practices described below. If you do not agree, please stop using the site.

2. Information We Collect

• Usage and device data: pages visited, referring URL, browser type and version, device type, operating system, screen size, language, approximate (IP-derived) city or region, and the time of your visit.
• Cookies, local storage, and similar identifiers: we and our advertising and analytics partners place cookies, web beacons, and read browser storage on your device to remember your preferences, measure traffic, and serve ads. Cookies set by Google may include identifiers that persist for up to 24 months.
• Precise location (only on Sky Spy): if you choose to enable location on the /sky-spy flight tracker, your browser will ask for permission to share GPS coordinates. We use those coordinates only in-memory to query nearby aircraft from third-party flight data providers (Airplanes.live and OpenSky Network). Coordinates are not written to any database, never tied to an identity, and are discarded as soon as the page is closed.
• Interactive inputs: some experiments (AI Battle, What If) store anonymous inputs such as votes or scenario prompts to power global leaderboards or shared cascades. These inputs are not linked to a personal identity.
• Server logs: our hosting provider (Netlify) and API providers automatically log standard request data (IP address, user agent, request path) for security and abuse prevention.

We do not knowingly collect any data from children under the age of 13. The site is not directed at children and is not registered under the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

3. Advertising and Third Parties

We use Google AdSense and other Google publisher products to serve ads on vishva.lol. Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies, web beacons, and IP addresses to serve ads on this site and across the web. Google and its ad-technology partners may use this information to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.

You can learn how Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google's Ads Settings, or by visiting aboutads.info and youronlinechoices.com (EU). You can also refuse third-party cookies via your browser settings.

We also use Google Analytics 4 with IP anonymisation enabled to understand aggregate site traffic. Analytics cookies are only loaded after you accept the cookie banner on your first visit.

Other third-party services used on the site include:

• Airplanes.live and OpenSky Network — flight data for Sky Spy. Receives your latitude / longitude only when you enable location on that page.
• Firebase / Firestore (Google Cloud) — anonymous storage of AI Battle votes and What If cascades.
• Netlify — hosting and CDN.
• Google Fonts — typography. May log your IP.
• Ko-Fi— optional support / tips. Subject to Ko-Fi's own privacy policy if you choose to engage.

4. EU, UK and California Users

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we rely on your consent (collected via the cookie banner shown on your first visit) before loading any non-essential cookies, including Google Analytics and personalised advertising. You can withdraw consent at any time by clearing your cookies, which will redisplay the banner.

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we hold, request its deletion, and opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising. Contact us to exercise these rights.

We comply with Google's EU user consent policy for users in the EEA and UK.

5. How We Use Your Data

• Operate, maintain and improve the experiments.
• Measure aggregate traffic and feature usage via Google Analytics.
• Serve relevant ads via Google AdSense and its certified partners.
• Look up flights overhead, in real time, only on Sky Spy and only with your permission.
• Prevent abuse, debug errors, and secure the site.

We do not sell your personal information for money. We do not merge precise location, IP, or other identifiers into a personal profile.

6. Data Retention

Precise GPS coordinates from Sky Spy are kept only for the lifetime of the browser tab and are never persisted. Google Analytics data is retained for 14 months. AI Battle and What If anonymous inputs may be retained indefinitely to power historical leaderboards and shared cascades. Server logs are kept for up to 30 days for security purposes.

7. Data Security

All requests to vishva.lol are served over HTTPS. Location data sent to third-party flight providers is transmitted over an encrypted channel. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, but we apply industry-standard safeguards.

8. Your Choices

• Decline non-essential cookies via the consent banner on your first visit.
• Block or delete cookies through your browser settings.
• Revoke the geolocation permission for vishva.lol at any time in your browser.
• Opt out of personalised ads at Google Ads Settings.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be indicated by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the site after a change constitutes acceptance.

10. Contact

Questions, deletion requests, or other privacy concerns can be sent via the contact page.