Privacy & Cookies

1. Scope

This policy explains how Jewish World Records (“JWR”) handles personal data through this website, including record applications, challenges and corrections, media and rights information, and general correspondence. It also explains the site's current use of cookies, browser storage and third-party services.

JWR is being established as a not-for-profit institution. Until its formal status is confirmed, privacy enquiries are handled through the contact details in section 14 below, using the approved public address jewishworldrecords@gmail.com.

2. What JWR may collect

Information you provide voluntarily may include your name, email address, telephone number where provided, affiliation or organisation, country, record or challenge details, correction requests, correspondence, documents, links, photographs, audio or video, and information about media rights or permission.

Record and evidence material may include details of an achievement and record holder, dates, locations, measurements, source material and other information needed to assess or document a claim.

When a page is requested, the website and its hosting and security infrastructure process technical request information such as the IP address, requested page, browser headers, and security or diagnostic information. Browser headers may describe the browser, device or operating system, and may include a referring page where the browser sends one. JWR does not currently use this information for behavioural profiling or audience analytics.

3. Why JWR uses information

JWR uses information to assess and research record applications; verify and document records; respond to correspondence; review corrections and challenges; record media rights and permissions; protect the website and prevent fraud, abuse or malicious activity; diagnose problems and improve the website; support historical and archival research; and comply with legal obligations.

Verification may require JWR to compare sources, identify competing candidates, preserve the history of a record and contact relevant institutions, archives, experts, witnesses or rights holders.

We rely on your consent where you submit information voluntarily, and on our legitimate interest in operating an accurate, auditable records registry.

4. Public record information

Information necessary to describe and support an approved record may become public. This may include the record, the holder as identified in the record, public source evidence, approved attribution and media cleared for publication.

Private contact details do not become public merely because they were submitted. Applicant contact details, private or internal verification material, correspondence, staff notes and internal review discussion are never published as part of a public record.

5. Children

JWR seeks to avoid collecting personal information from children unless it is relevant and reasonably necessary for a record application, verification or correspondence. Where a record concerns a person under 18, JWR applies additional care, appropriate safeguards and limits on what is published.

6. Sharing

JWR does not sell personal information to advertisers and does not share it for advertising.

Personal data may be handled by service providers that host and secure the website or provide its database, file storage and related cloud infrastructure on JWR's behalf. Professional advisers may receive information where reasonably necessary, and authorities may receive it where required by applicable law.

Verification and rights research may involve contacting independent bodies, archives, experts, witnesses or rights holders. JWR shares only what is reasonably necessary for the particular enquiry.

7. Retention

JWR retains personal information for as long as reasonably needed for the purpose for which it was collected, including reviewing a submission, handling correspondence, documenting rights, meeting legal obligations and preserving the integrity and auditability of registry decisions.

Published record documentation and record history may need to be retained as part of the historical archive. Correspondence unrelated to a record is retained only as long as reasonably needed to deal with it and any related obligations.

8. Your rights

Depending on the law that applies, you may have rights to access personal data, correct it, request deletion, restrict or object to processing, receive portable data, withdraw consent, and complain to an appropriate supervisory authority. To make a request, write to jewishworldrecords@gmail.com.

These rights are not absolute. Legal, evidentiary or archival obligations may limit a request, including where documented record history or the audit trail behind a verification decision must be preserved. Where JWR cannot act on a request, it will explain why where required.

9. Security

JWR uses reasonable technical and organisational safeguards. Access to internal records, applicant data and evidence is restricted to authorised staff accounts and enforced at the database level. Uploaded evidence is held in private storage that is not publicly readable, and administrative actions on records are logged.

No system can be guaranteed completely secure. JWR works to protect the information entrusted to it, limit access and respond appropriately to security concerns.

10. International processing

JWR is an international registry. Information may be processed in countries other than the country where you live, including through the providers that host and support the website. Where applicable, JWR takes reasonable steps to use appropriate safeguards for that processing.

11. Third-party services

YouTube: public record pages may embed videos using YouTube's privacy-enhanced domain. When an embedded player loads or comes into view, YouTube may receive the browser request and associated technical information before you press play. YouTube and Google handle that information under their own terms and privacy practices.

Google Fonts: the website loads its typefaces from Google Fonts. To provide the font files, Google may receive technical request information such as your IP address and browser details.

External images and media: some public record images are loaded directly from their original third-party sources, including Wikimedia Commons. Those providers receive the request needed to deliver the file and may process related technical information under their own practices.

Hosting, database and storage: JWR uses hosted cloud infrastructure to deliver the website, store submissions and evidence, protect private files and operate the registry. These providers process the information necessary to supply those services on JWR's behalf.

Staff login: authorised staff sign-in uses a session token stored in the browser so the staff member remains signed in. It is used for authentication and security, not advertising or profiling.

12. Cookies and similar technologies

Strictly necessary: the public-facing JWR application does not currently set first-party cookies or browser storage for ordinary visitors. A browser-stored session token is used when authorised staff sign in because it is necessary to maintain and secure their authenticated session.

Analytics: JWR does not currently use optional audience analytics, advertising cookies or behavioural tracking technologies on this website.

Third-party media and embedded content: YouTube embeds, Google Fonts and externally hosted images can send technical requests to their respective providers when that content loads. JWR does not describe these requests as first-party analytics, but the providers may process information under their own terms and may use cookies or similar technologies according to their own practices.

No cookie banner or consent manager is currently used because JWR has not implemented optional analytics or advertising technologies. If optional technologies are introduced later, JWR will update this notice and provide any choice or consent mechanism required by applicable law.

13. Changes

JWR may update this policy when its practices, services or legal obligations change. The version and date at the top of this page identify the text currently in force.

14. Contact

Questions or requests about your personal data may be sent to jewishworldrecords@gmail.com.