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Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 2026

Data Controller

ShelterPulse is an open-source project maintained by Ricardo García Ramírez. For data-related inquiries, contact us via the project's GitHub repository: github.com/ricardogr07/shelter-pulse.

What Data We Collect

When you explicitly consent via the checkbox on the simulation page, we store:

  • Shelter parameters you entered (capacity, budget, intake rates, etc.)
  • Optimization results (allocation percentages, overflow metrics)
  • A timestamp of when the optimization was run
  • A one-way hash (SHA-256, truncated) of your IP address for audit purposes
  • Whether you marked the data as test/demo data

We do not collect or store:

  • Raw IP addresses (only a truncated, irreversible hash)
  • Cookies or tracking identifiers
  • Personal information beyond what you enter in the form
  • Browser fingerprints or analytics data

Legal Basis

Data storage is based on your explicit consentprovided via the "I consent to storing my optimization inputs" checkbox. If you do not check this box, your optimization runs normally but no data is persisted. The consent decision itself is logged for audit purposes (even when declined).

Purpose of Data Storage

  • Enabling run history so you can reference previous optimization results
  • Matching your shelter to show past runs when you return
  • Displaying anonymized community aggregate statistics (total runs, average overflow, average allocation) to all visitors
  • Improving the optimization algorithms based on aggregate patterns

Note: Community statistics are computed from aggregate data only. Individual run details (shelter name, specific configurations) are never exposed publicly. Only you can see your own past runs via the shelter matching feature.

Data Retention

Stored optimization runs are retained indefinitely for analytics and run history purposes. You may request deletion at any time (see below).

Data Storage and Security

Data is stored in a DuckDB database on AWS Elastic File System (EFS) in the us-east-1 region. Access is restricted to the application's compute layer (ECS tasks and Lambda functions). No third parties have access to the raw data.

Cookies

ShelterPulse does not set any cookies. All consent state is managed in-memory within the browser session and is not persisted client-side.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access your stored data by using the shelter matching feature
  • Delete your data by submitting a request via GitHub Issues
  • Withdraw consent at any time by unchecking the consent box (applies to future runs only)

Contact

For data deletion requests or privacy inquiries, open an issue at: github.com/ricardogr07/shelter-pulse/issues

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as the project evolves. Changes will be reflected in the "Last updated" date above and committed to the public repository.