Privacy Policy

TrashMap is a free, no-account public registry of illegal dumping on US public lands. The short version: everything you submit is meant to be public, we don't ask you to create an account, and we don't run ads or sell your data. We do use analytics to understand traffic, described below. This page explains exactly what that means for your data.

Information you submit

When you file a report, we collect and publish the following:

• The photo you upload.
• The latitude and longitude you select (your device's GPS or a pin you place).
• A severity level and free-text description.
• An optional place name and an optional reporter name.

All of these become part of the public map and gallery the moment you submit. Don't include anything — in the photo, the description, or the reporter-name field — that you wouldn't want shown publicly and reused. The optional reporter name is displayed exactly as you type it; you may leave it blank or use an alias.

Photo metadata: to protect your privacy, we re-encode every photo in your browser before it is uploaded, which strips embedded metadata such as EXIF GPS coordinates, the capture time, and device details. Only the location you set with the map pin or your device's location is published — not any GPS tag hidden inside the original image file. In the rare case that your browser can't process an image, it may be uploaded as you supplied it; if you're unsure, strip the metadata yourself first. As an extra precaution, avoid including anything in the frame — faces, license plates, house numbers, mail — that could identify a person or a private location, because the photo itself is published.

Information collected automatically

Like any website, our hosting and infrastructure providers process basic technical data needed to serve and protect the site — for example your IP address, browser type, and the pages you request. This is used for security, abuse prevention, and keeping the service running.

Analytics: we use Google Analytics to understand traffic in aggregate — for example which pages are visited and roughly where visitors come from — so we can improve the site. Google Analytics sets cookies and processes your IP address and usage data on our behalf under Google's privacy policy. We do not run advertising, sell your data, or use cross-site behavioral ad trackers.

Service providers

We rely on a small number of infrastructure providers to operate TrashMap:

• Supabase — database and photo storage for reports.
• Vercel — hosting, content delivery, and security.
• Google Analytics — aggregate traffic and usage analytics.
• OpenStreetMap — map tiles. When you view a map, your browser requests tiles directly from OpenStreetMap's servers, which receive your IP address under their own policy.

Public data & reuse license

TrashMap is an open public registry. Submitted reports are published under a Creative Commons CC0 (public domain) dedication so that researchers, journalists, and land managers can freely reuse the data. By submitting, you intend your report to be public and reusable on those terms. Because the data is open, copies may be cached, indexed by search engines, or redistributed by third parties beyond our control even after a report is removed here.

Retention & removal

Reports are kept indefinitely as part of the public record. If you submitted a report and want it removed, or you believe a report contains a person's private information, someone else's copyrighted photo, or other content that shouldn't be here, email eligorelick01@gmail.com and we'll review it — typically within a few business days. See the Terms for the takedown, copyright (DMCA), and child-safety processes. Content that is illegal — including any material that sexually exploits a minor — is removed and reported to the appropriate authorities as described there.

Children

TrashMap is not directed to children, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal information, contact us and we'll remove it.

Where we operate

TrashMap is operated from the United States and is intended for reporting on US public lands. The service is directed to users in the United States only; it is not directed to, or intended for, individuals in the European Union, the EEA, or the United Kingdom. If you access the site from elsewhere, you do so on your own initiative and understand your submission is sent to and published from the United States.

Your choices & rights

You can ask us to remove or correct a report at any time by emailing eligorelick01@gmail.com. You can opt out of Google Analytics with Google's opt-out browser add-on or by blocking cookies in your browser. We do not sell or share your personal information for advertising.

Depending on where you live (for example, California and some other US states), you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal information we hold about you. Email us to exercise them, and we will honor reasonable requests regardless of where you are. Note that most of what you submit is intentionally public and, once reused or cached by third parties under the open license, may not be fully retractable.

For the purposes of these rights, the data controller is Eli Gorelick, the independent operator of TrashMap, based in Nevada, United States, reachable at eligorelick01@gmail.com.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the project evolves. When we do, we'll revise the "last updated" date above. Material changes will be reflected on this page.

Contact

Questions about privacy or a removal request? Email eligorelick01@gmail.com.