Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 25, 2026

The short version

FaultLineMap.com has no accounts, no logins, and no sign-up forms. We set no cookies of our own and we do not store the addresses you look up. The site does use Google Analytics, does show advertising, and does load a few things from other companies' servers — and each of those means someone other than us sees your visit. The rest of this page says exactly who and what.

Addresses you look up

There are two separate paths, and they behave differently:

• While you type, address suggestions come from Esri's ArcGIS geocoding service, requested by your browser directly. That means Esri receives your IP address and whatever you have typed so far. This happens before you submit anything.
• When you submit a lookup, the address is sent to our server, which geocodes it through ArcGIS and queries USGS seismic data. On this path Esri sees the address but not your IP, because the request comes from our server rather than your browser.

We do not save your lookups, associate them with you, or build any profile from them. Esri's handling of what it receives is governed by Esri's privacy policy.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 to see which pages get visited and how people move through the site. It uses cookies and reports to us only in aggregate — we cannot see individual visitors. You can opt out with the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Advertising

Advertising on this site is managed by Mediavine Journey. Journey and its advertising partners may use cookies, device identifiers and similar technologies to select and measure ads, including ads based on your activity on other sites. What they typically receive includes your IP address, browser and device type, the pages you viewed and the time of your visit.

You can limit or opt out of personalised advertising here:

• Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out (US)
• Your Online Choices (EU/UK)
• Network Advertising Initiative opt-out
• Google Ads Settings

Mediavine's own disclosures are at mediavine.com/privacy-policy. If you are in a region with consent requirements, a consent prompt is presented before personalised ads are served, and you can change your choice at any time through that prompt.

Other companies whose servers your browser contacts

Loading this site fetches a few things from elsewhere. Each of those companies sees your IP address simply because your browser asked them for a file:

• CARTO — the base map tiles on our maps.
• unpkg — the Leaflet mapping library.
• Google — analytics, as above.
• Esri — address suggestions, as above.
• Mediavine Journey and its advertising partners — ads, as above.

Server logs

Our web server records ordinary access information — IP address, browser type, pages requested, timestamps — for security and debugging. These are not sold or shared.

What we do not do

We do not require or accept accounts. We set no cookies of our own. We have no contact forms, mailing list, or newsletter, and we do not collect email addresses. We do not sell personal information.

Your rights

If you are a California resident, the CCPA/CPRA gives you the right to know what personal information is collected about you and to opt out of its sale or sharing. We do not sell personal information ourselves; to opt out of personalised advertising specifically, use the links above.

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with comparable law, you have rights of access, correction, deletion and restriction under the GDPR or its local equivalent. Because we hold no accounts and store no lookups, we usually have nothing on file to return or delete — but for any request or question, write to p@pwhite.org.

Children

This site is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.

Data sources

Earthquake and fault data come from the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, the USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database, USGS seismic design data, and state geological surveys. These are public-record datasets; nothing here derives from private or personal information.

Security and changes

The site is served over HTTPS. No website can promise absolute security, but we take reasonable measures. If this policy changes materially, the “last updated” date above will change and a notice will appear on the site.

Contact

Privacy questions: p@pwhite.org