Cookie Policy

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website places in your browser when you visit. They are used to remember information between page loads and sessions. There are two main types relevant to Societrics: cookies (stored by your browser, sent with each request to our servers) and localStorage (stored in your browser, not sent to servers, used for local data persistence).

Societrics uses both — but only for essential purposes. We do not use cookies or localStorage for advertising, behavioural tracking, or sharing your browsing behaviour with third parties.

2. Cookies We Use

All cookies set by the Societrics platform are essential — they are required for the platform to function. None are optional from our side, though you may disable them in your browser (see Section 5).

Cookie name / prefix	Set by	Purpose	Duration
firebase:authUser:*	Firebase Authentication (Google)	Stores your authentication token after you sign in. Required to keep you logged in across pages and browser sessions.	Until you sign out or token expires (typically 1 hour; refreshed automatically while you use the platform)
__session	Societrics / Firebase Hosting	Session management cookie used by Firebase Hosting to route requests correctly.	Session (deleted when you close your browser)
CONSENT (Google Sign-In only)	Google (only if you use Google Sign-In)	Records your Google sign-in consent. Set by Google's identity services when you choose Sign in with Google.	2 years

We do not set any advertising cookies, social media tracking cookies, analytics cookies (such as Google Analytics), or cross-site tracking cookies. No third-party advertising network has access to your browsing behaviour on Societrics.

3. localStorage — Offline Assessment Progress

In addition to cookies, Societrics uses your browser's localStorage — a storage mechanism built into all modern browsers. Unlike cookies, localStorage data is stored entirely on your device and is never automatically transmitted to our servers.

We use localStorage for two purposes:

3.1 Assessment Progress (ph.societrics.org)

The pH Assessment at ph.societrics.org is designed to work in areas with unreliable internet connectivity. As you complete each question, your responses are saved to localStorage immediately. If your connection drops or you close the browser accidentally, your progress is preserved and you can resume where you left off.

When connectivity is restored, the platform automatically syncs your saved responses to our servers and clears the localStorage entry. If you complete the assessment and submit successfully, the localStorage entry is also cleared.

Key point: while your responses are in localStorage (before sync), they exist only on your device. They are not accessible to us or to any third party until you submit and the sync occurs.

3.2 Offline Sync Queue

If you submit a pH assessment while offline, the submission is added to a sync queue stored in localStorage. The platform displays a notification indicating that your submission is saved locally and will be uploaded when you next have internet access. The sync queue is cleared after successful upload.

localStorage key	Platform	Content	When cleared
ph_assessment_v3	ph.societrics.org	Current in-progress assessment answers, current question index, and demographics entered so far	On successful submission, or when you manually reset/restart
ph_sync_queue_v3	ph.societrics.org	Completed assessments queued for upload while offline	After successful sync to server when connectivity is restored

4. What We Do NOT Use

• No advertising cookies — we have no advertising partners and do not allow any advertising network to place cookies on our platform
• No third-party analytics cookies — we do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any third-party analytics service that tracks users across websites
• No social media tracking cookies — we do not embed social media tracking pixels from any platform
• No fingerprinting — we do not use browser fingerprinting techniques as a substitute for cookies
• No cross-site tracking — our cookies do not track you across other websites

5. How to Control Cookies and localStorage

5.1 Cookies

You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. The links below go to instructions for the most common browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Apple Safari
• Microsoft Edge

Important: if you block or delete essential cookies, you will not be able to stay signed in to the platform. Every page load will require you to sign in again. The platform will still function, but the experience will be inconvenient for authenticated users.

5.2 localStorage

You can clear localStorage through your browser's developer tools or privacy settings. On most browsers: Settings → Privacy and Security → Clear Browsing Data → check "Site data" or "Local storage."

Note: clearing localStorage while you have an incomplete pH assessment in progress will permanently delete your saved progress for that assessment. Any submissions queued for sync will also be lost and cannot be recovered.

6. Google Sign-In and Third-Party Cookies

If you use Sign in with Google, Google may set its own cookies as part of the authentication process. These are set by Google's infrastructure, not by MindBrood Initiative, and are governed by Google's Privacy Policy. You can review and manage Google cookies through your Google Account settings.

If you prefer not to use Google Sign-In, you can register using email and password, which does not involve Google cookies beyond what your browser may set independently.

7. Changes to This Policy

If we introduce new cookies or change how we use localStorage in a material way, we will update this policy and notify registered users at least 14 days before the change takes effect. The "Effective" date at the top of this page indicates the most recent revision.

8. Contact

For questions about our cookie practices: privacy@societrics.org