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Halflocal
Privacy

What we keep, and why.

As little as we can, for as short a time as we can, and none of it sold or shared. This page says exactly what that means.

Last updated 10 September 2026

Who's keeping it

Halflocal is run by Zelper, Lda, a company registered in Portugal. We decide what's collected and why, which makes us the controller of your data under the GDPR.

Write to [email protected] about anything on this page. There's no data protection officer, because nothing we do calls for one, so that address reaches the people who run Halflocal.

What we keep

Each thing you can do here, what it leaves with us, and when it goes.

Asking to hear when a region opens

What we keep
Your email, the region you picked or typed, and which page you asked from.
Why
To send the one email we promised, when that region opens.
On what basis
Your consent. Take it back whenever you like.
For how long
3 months after that email goes out. If the region you asked for never opens, until you ask us to delete it.

Saying yes to other emails

What we keep
A note on the same signup that you ticked the box, when, and which wording you saw.
Why
To write about other destinations and news. Leave the box empty and you get the one email and nothing else.
On what basis
Your consent. Every one of those emails has an unsubscribe link.
For how long
Until you unsubscribe. After that your signup goes 3 months after its launch email, like everyone else's.

Saving a passport

What we keep
Your email, whether you were at the destination when you saved it, how many times you'd been, the stamps you ticked and how often, and the claim link we send you.
Why
To send you that link, and to hold the passport until you use it.
On what basis
You asked us to. It's the step before an account.
For how long
The link lasts 14 days. If you never claim the passport, it goes 3 months after the link lapses. Save it again and the clock starts again.

Claiming it

What we keep
Your name, your email, your password, hashed so we can't read it, and your passport: every stamp, and later the dates, notes and photos you add.
Why
To keep your passport for you.
On what basis
Our terms, which are a contract between you and us.
For how long
Until you ask us to delete it.

Visiting the site

What we keep
Your IP address, your browser, and the pages you asked for, in the server's logs.
Why
To keep the site running and to spot abuse.
On what basis
Our legitimate interest in keeping Halflocal secure.
For how long
14 days.

Sending a form

What we keep
Your IP address, briefly, so one address can't send the same form over and over.
Why
To stop the forms being flooded.
On what basis
Our legitimate interest in keeping Halflocal secure.
For how long
One minute.

When something breaks

What we keep
What went wrong, on which page, and in which browser. Not your IP address.
Why
To fix it.
On what basis
Our legitimate interest in a site that works.
For how long
90 days

Backups

What we keep
A copy of the database, taken once a month.
Why
So a failed server doesn't lose anybody's passport.
On what basis
Our legitimate interest in not losing your data.
For how long
6 months each. If you've had your data deleted and we ever restore a backup, we delete it again before the site goes back up.

What we don't do

We don't sell your data, share it, or use it for advertising. We don't follow you around other sites, build a profile of you, or make any automated decision about you. Apart from asking whether you're at the destination when you build a passport, we don't ask where you are, and we never work it out.

We use a few service providers, for hosting, error reports, and sending and receiving email. Each works under a contract that lets it use your data for that job and nothing else. The one that sends our email is in the United States.

Cookies, and what stays in your browser

Two cookies, both needed for the site to work:

  • halflocal-session remembers a form between one page and the next. It expires after two hours without use.
  • XSRF-TOKEN stops another site from sending our forms in your name.

While you build a passport, the stamps you've ticked are kept in your browser's session storage, so a reload doesn't lose them. That stays on your device and is gone when you close the tab.

None of this needs your permission, which is why there's no cookie banner. If that ever changes, this page changes first.

What you can ask for

A copy of everything we hold about you, in a file you can take elsewhere. You can ask us to correct it, to delete it, or to stop using it while something's being sorted out, and you can object to how we use it. Where we rely on your consent, you can take it back at any time, and that's as easy as giving it.

Write to [email protected] from the address you signed up with. If you write from another one, we'll reply to that address to check it's you. We answer within a month, and it costs nothing.

If you think we've got it wrong, you can complain to the Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados (CNPD), Portugal's data protection authority, or to the authority where you live.

16 and over

Halflocal is for people 16 and over. If you're younger, please don't sign up. If we find we're holding a younger person's data, we delete it.

When this page changes

The date at the top changes with it. If a change affects what we do with something you've already given us, we'll email you before it applies.