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Legal
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Shark Data Lab is an independent shark-attack data project. We try to do the minimum needed to run a useful website — that includes the minimum amount of data collection we can get away with. This page explains what we collect, what we don't, and how the affiliate links on the site work.
Shark Data Lab (sharkdatalab.com) is operated by Matthew Livoti as an independent editorial and data project. There is no company behind it. If you have a question or a data correction, the contact email at the bottom of this page is the right place to start.
We use first-party analytics provided by Vercel (Vercel Analytics + Speed Insights) to understand which pages people read, how fast they load, and where traffic comes from. These analytics: - do not use third-party cookies, - do not track you across other websites, - aggregate everything; we never see your individual session. We do not run Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any advertising trackers. We do not sell or share data with third parties for advertising purposes.
We set a small number of first-party cookies for site functionality: your selected language (en/fr), your selected theme (light/dark), and an installation-prompt dismissal state. None of these are used to identify you and they don't leave your browser. Vercel Analytics may set a temporary first-party identifier that expires when you close the tab.
Some links on the site — particularly on the Books, Documentaries, and Story pages — are affiliate links. When you click one and make a purchase or sign up, Shark Data Lab may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps fund the data, the research, and keeping the site ad-free. The affiliate programs we participate in include (or expect to participate in once approved): Bookshop.org, Amazon Associates (per region), AbeBooks, Apple Services Performance Partners, and the streaming-network programs used on the Documentaries page. We don't recommend books, documentaries, or services we haven't read, watched, or otherwise vetted. Affiliate revenue does not influence what makes it onto the site.
When you use Shark Data Lab, your browser may load resources from: - Mapbox (map tiles on the home and country pages), - upload.wikimedia.org (hot-linked images on stories and species pages), - publisher CDNs for og:images on news articles, - iTunes / Apple Books CDNs when affiliate links resolve, - the affiliate site (Bookshop, Amazon, etc.) when you click a buy button. Each of these has its own privacy policy. We don't share any data with them beyond what your browser sends as part of a standard web request.
Vercel Analytics aggregates are retained per Vercel's standard retention policy. We don't store individual visitor records ourselves. If you contact us by email, we keep your message until the conversation is resolved.
If you're in the EU/UK, you have rights under GDPR/UK GDPR to access, correct, or delete personal data we hold about you. Because we don't run accounts or store individual visitor data, in practice this only applies if you've emailed us. Send a request to the contact address below.
If this policy changes materially, the "last updated" date at the top will move. Cosmetic edits don't bump the date.
Questions or requests: info.monolithe@gmail.com
Shark Data Lab