Privacy Policy

1. Overview

StressMap is a global stress mapping project designed for scientific research. We collect completely anonymous, aggregated stress data from around the world to make it available to universities, clinics, and researchers free of charge.

Critical Point: The data we collect is fully anonymous and does not constitute personal data under GDPR Recital 26. It is impossible to identify or trace any individual from this data.

2. Website (stress-map.org)

This website does not collect any personal data from visitors. We do not use:

• Cookies for tracking
• Personalized analytics that track individuals
• Any form of user accounts or registration
• IP address logging

We use Vercel Web Analytics to measure site performance and visitor trends. This service iscookie-free, privacy-friendly, and fully GDPR compliant. It does not track users across different websites and does not store personal data.

The website is purely a visualization platform where anyone can view aggregated stress data on an interactive map.

3. Data Collection via Mobile App

Anonymous stress data is collected through the companion iOS application "Stress Monitor for Watch" for users who voluntarily opt-in to participate in the global stress mapping project.

What We Collect:

• Stress Level: A single number from 1 to 99, submitted once per day
• Country: The country selected by the user
• US State: For users in the United States, the state they select
• Date: The date of submission

What We Do NOT Collect:

• No User IDs, Device IDs, or Account IDs
• No email addresses, names, or phone numbers
• No IP addresses or GPS coordinates
• No device identifiers or fingerprints
• No information that could link data to a specific person

Complete Anonymity:

The data is completely anonymous and cannot be used to identify any individual. There are no user accounts, no registration, and no way to connect any data point to a specific person. Each submission is simply one anonymous data point among thousands of others from the same country or state.

GDPR Compliance: Under GDPR Recital 26, anonymous data is not considered personal data. Since our data collection is designed to be irreversibly anonymous from the start, GDPR requirements for personal data processing do not apply to this dataset.

4. Data Storage and Infrastructure

Anonymous stress data is stored using:

• Database: Firebase Firestore (Google Cloud)
• File Storage: Firebase Storage (Google Cloud)
• Server Location: United States (Firebase/Google Cloud infrastructure)

All data stored is aggregated and anonymous. Aggregated data is stored as JSON files and displayed on stress-map.org for visualization purposes. Access to raw data for research purposes is available upon request (see Terms of Use).

5. How the Data is Used

The anonymous stress data is used for:

• Public Visualization: Displayed on the interactive map at stress-map.org
• Scientific Research: Made available to universities, clinics, and researchers
• Open Access: Freely accessible for non-commercial research purposes
• Public Interest: Anyone can view trends and patterns on the map

Important: The data is available free of charge for research purposes only. Third parties may not use this data for commercial purposes or redistribute it on external platforms. See our Terms of Use for details on data usage restrictions.

6. User Control and Consent

Participation in the StressMap project is completely voluntary (opt-in):

• Users must explicitly enable StressMap participation in the app settings
• Users select their own country (and US state if applicable)
• Participation can be disabled at any time in the app settings
• Once disabled, no further data is sent to StressMap

Data Deletion:

Because the data is completely anonymous and not linked to any user account or identifier, previously submitted data cannot be deleted or attributed to any specific individual. Once data enters the anonymous aggregated dataset, it becomes part of the collective research data pool.

Think of it like dropping an anonymous paper ballot into a large box with thousands of others—once it's in the box, there's no way to identify which ballot was yours.

7. Your Rights

Since we do not collect any personal data (as defined by GDPR), traditional data subject rights (such as the right to access, rectify, or delete personal data) do not apply to the anonymous stress data.

However, you maintain full control over future participation:

• Right to Opt-Out: Disable StressMap participation at any time in app settings
• Right to Control: Choose whether to share data and which location to associate with it
• Right to Information: Full transparency about what data is collected and how it's used

8. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect the anonymous data stored in our systems. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest using Firebase/Google Cloud security protocols.

However, given the anonymous nature of the data, even in the unlikely event of a data breach, no individual could be identified from the exposed data.

9. International Data Transfers

Our infrastructure is hosted on Google Cloud (Firebase) servers located in the United States. By participating in StressMap, you acknowledge that your anonymous stress data may be transferred to and stored on servers in the US.

Since the data is completely anonymous and not personal data under GDPR, special safeguards for international personal data transfers do not apply.

10. Children's Privacy

The Stress Monitor for Watch application is rated 13+ on the App Store and is not intended for children under 13 years of age (or 16 in the European Union).

Because all data collected through StressMap is completely anonymous and cannot be linked to any individual, we have no way to identify whether any particular data point was submitted by a minor. For the same reason, we cannot delete specific submissions from any user, including children.

If a parent or guardian becomes aware that their child has been participating in StressMap, they can disable the feature at any time in the application's Settings to prevent any further data from being sent.

We rely on the App Store's age rating (13+) and parental controls as the primary safeguards to prevent use by children under the permitted age.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Effective Date" at the top. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Continued use of the StressMap feature after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the StressMap project, please contact us at:

Email: help@stressmonitor.app
Entity: Stress Monitor Ltd
Company No: 16790024
Jurisdiction: United Kingdom