Privacy Policy
Your data, your rights
Last updated: November 2025
TL;DR
We collect anonymous soup preferences. No names, emails, or identifying info. Your responses are anonymous. Aggregate results are public; individual responses are private and cannot be linked back to you.
What We Collect
Survey Data
When you participate in The Boulder Soup Census, we collect:
- Soup preferences: Your soup attitude (1-5 scale), last time you ate soup, favorite soups, purchasing habits, and preferred formats
- Optional demographics: Household size and age band (you can skip these)
- Context data: Survey date, time of day, and general location (e.g., "Pearl Street Mall" not exact GPS)
What We DON'T Collect
- Names or contact information
- Email addresses or phone numbers
- Precise location data (GPS coordinates)
- Photos or biometric data
- IP addresses (this website uses privacy-respecting analytics)
- Cookies or tracking identifiers
How We Use Your Data
Anonymization
All survey responses are fully anonymous and cannot be traced back to individual respondents. We keep no personally identifiable information.
What Data is Published
We collect 14 data fields on paper surveys, and 12 fields are published on this website. The following fields are excluded for privacy:
- Respondent ID - Internal tracking number, never published
- Interviewer Notes - Internal observations, not public
Published fields include: Date/time, general location (e.g., "Whole Foods - 28th St"), attitude rating (1-5), when last ate soup, favorite soups, purchase habits, format preferences, household size, and age bracket.
Aggregation & Analysis
We use the collected data to:
- Generate aggregate statistics (e.g., "Top 10 soups in Boulder")
- Analyze trends and patterns (e.g., "Soup consumption by age group")
- Create visualizations and reports published on this website
- Share insights with the Boulder community
Data Storage & Security
Storage
- Paper surveys: Stored securely and destroyed after data entry
- Digital data: Stored in password-protected files with no personal identifiers
- Backups: Encrypted and stored on secure cloud services
Access
Only authorized project team members have access to the raw survey data. Published results contain only aggregated, anonymous statistics.
Website Analytics
Privacy-Respecting Analytics
This website uses Plausible Analytics, a privacy-first alternative to Google Analytics. Plausible:
- Does not use cookies
- Does not collect personal data
- Does not track you across websites
- Is GDPR, CCPA, and PECR compliant
- Stores data in the EU
We collect only aggregate traffic stats (page views, referrers, device types) to understand website usage. No individual browsing behavior is tracked.
Your Rights
Participation is Voluntary
Participating in the survey is completely voluntary. You can decline to answer any question or stop the survey at any time.
Data Deletion
Because responses are fully anonymized, we cannot identify and delete individual survey responses after submission. However, you can request that we:
- Provide information about our data practices
- Explain how aggregate results are calculated
- Answer questions about data security
Questions or Concerns
If you have questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, contact us at bouldersoupcensus@gmail.com.
Third-Party Services
Hosting
This website is hosted on Netlify or Vercel (static hosting platforms). These services may collect standard server logs (IP addresses, timestamps) for security and performance purposes. See their privacy policies for details:
Fonts
This website uses Google Fonts served from Google's CDN. Google may collect usage data. Google Fonts Privacy FAQ
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy as the project evolves. The "Last updated" date at the top will reflect any changes. Continued participation in the survey after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about privacy or data practices? Email us at bouldersoupcensus@gmail.com.