Information about Cookies

In short

We don't use cookies for tracking, statistics or advertising. We only store what is needed for things to work. The Gathery camera for guests, the contact form and the web app load services from Google only after you agree.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device. Your browser's local storage and its database (IndexedDB) work in a similar way. This page covers all three.

Website

Applies to the home page, legal notice, privacy policy, terms of use, account deletion, contact and this page.

• siteCookieNotice (local storage)
  • Purpose: remembers that you closed the cookie notice
  • Storage period: until you clear the site data in your browser

The website sets no cookies and embeds no third-party services. Only the contact form loads services from Google after your consent (see below).

Contact form

Applies to the contact form under Contact. It loads services from Google only once you have ticked the box for your consent and send the message.

It then stores the same data as the camera after consent (see below): Firebase Authentication for the anonymous sign-in we use to count how many messages come from one browser, Firebase App Check, firebase-heartbeat-database and the cookies of Google reCAPTCHA v3. It does not store your message itself in the browser.

You withdraw your consent by deleting the site data of gathery.de and the cookies of google.com in your browser. The form only loads Google again once you consent again.

Gathery camera

Applies to the camera that guests open via the invite link or QR code.

Before you agree

• cameraConsent (local storage)
  • Purpose: remembers that you agreed and accepted the Terms of Use, so the notice doesn't appear on every visit
  • Storage period: until you clear the site data in your browser
• cameraConsentRevoked (local storage)
  • Purpose: remembers after a withdrawal that the camera should delete its data the next time it opens
  • Storage period: until the next time you open it

After you agree

• Firebase Authentication (IndexedDB)
  • Provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland
  • Purpose: signs you in anonymously so your photos are assigned to the event and only the host sees them. You don't need a name, email address or account.
  • Stored: a random user ID and sign-in tokens
  • Storage period: in your browser until you clear the site data; in Firebase we delete the anonymous account 30 days after it was created
• gathery-camera (IndexedDB)
  • Purpose: keeps photos that are not uploaded yet, so none gets lost on a bad connection or when the page reloads
  • Stored: the photos themselves and the upload slot the server granted for them
  • Retention: until the photo is uploaded
• Firebase App Check (IndexedDB)
  • Provider: Google Ireland Limited
  • Purpose: confirms that uploads come from the real camera page and not from automated programs
  • Stored: a short-lived security token
  • Storage period: short, the token is renewed regularly
• firebase-heartbeat-database (IndexedDB)
  • Provider: Google Ireland Limited
  • Purpose: the Firebase SDK remembers on which days it told Google which SDK versions the page uses
  • Stored: dates and version details, nothing about you as a person
  • Storage period: until you clear the site data in your browser
• Google reCAPTCHA v3 (cookies from google.com, e.g. _GRECAPTCHA)
  • Provider: Google Ireland Limited
  • Purpose: protection against abuse and spam. To do this, reCAPTCHA evaluates, among other things, your IP address, browser and device information and your behaviour on the page, and sends them to Google.
  • Storage period: up to six months according to Google
  • Google's privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy

Gathery web app

Applies to the web app at web.gathery.de.

Before you agree

• gathery-consent (Local Storage)
  • Purpose: remembers that you agreed, so the notice doesn't appear on every visit
  • Storage period: until you clear the site data in your browser
• gathery-consent-revoked (Local Storage)
  • Purpose: remembers after a withdrawal that the web app should delete its data the next time it opens
  • Storage period: until the next time you open it

After you agree

• Firebase Authentication (IndexedDB)
  • Provider: Google Ireland Limited
  • Purpose: keeps you signed in to your Gathery account
  • Stored: your user ID, email address and sign-in tokens, with Google sign-in also your name and a link to your profile picture
  • Storage period: until you sign out or clear the site data in your browser
• Firebase App Check, firebase-heartbeat-database and Google reCAPTCHA v3: as for the camera above, here for web.gathery.de

The web app keeps the data of your events only in memory; it is gone as soon as you close the page.

Withdrawing consent and deleting data

You can withdraw your consent at any time: in the camera with “Withdraw consent” at the bottom of the page, in the web app in the settings. The camera or the web app then deletes its data in your browser; the camera also deletes photos that have not been uploaded yet. Only your browser can delete the cookies from google.com; you do that in its settings. Alternatively, simply clear the site data for gathery.de or web.gathery.de and the cookies from google.com. We will then ask again the next time you open the camera or the web app. Without consent, the camera cannot upload photos and the web app cannot start.

More information

Details on how we handle your data and on your rights are in our privacy policy.