Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

PrincipleSim does not require account creation or mandatory registration to run interactive physics apparatuses. When you interact with our platform, we collect:

• Laboratory Configuration (Local Storage): Your slider calibrations, theme preference (light/dark), sound settings, and recorded experimental trial readings are stored solely within your web browser's local storage (localStorage). These records remain on your machine and are never transmitted to our servers without your explicit action.
• Communication & Feedback Submissions: If you use the contact, suggestion or newsletter forms, we receive the details you enter (name, email address, topic and message). They are sent through our own server function to Resend, our email delivery provider, and used only to reply to you or to send the updates you asked for. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time with the link in every email, and you can ask us to delete your messages by writing to us.
• Visit counts: Each page view sends the page address and the referring site to our own server, to count visits. No cookies are set and no IP address is stored. A visitor is counted once a day with a salted hash that is deleted after two days, so visits cannot be linked across days. If your browser sends "Do Not Track", nothing is counted.
• Spam and bot protection: Forms and comments are protected by Cloudflare Turnstile, which checks that a visitor is human without tracking cookies or advertising profiles. It loads only when you start filling in a form.
• Comments and discussions: When you post a comment we store the text, the display name you chose (or “Anonymous”), and the time, in a database on Cloudflare. If you sign in with Google, we also store your Google name and profile picture so they can be shown next to your comment; we do not receive your password and we do not store your email address. To limit spam we keep a salted one-way hash of your IP address, never the address itself. Comments are public. To have a comment removed, contact us.
• Standard Web Log Data: Non-identifiable diagnostic metrics (browser type, operating system version, page requests, and timestamp) collected for server performance and lag monitoring.

2. Google AdSense & Third-Party Advertising Cookies

This website displays advertisements provided by Google AdSense and third-party advertising partners to sustain free and open access to our computational physics simulations. In compliance with Google Publisher Policies:

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites across the Internet.
• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve relevant advertisements based on your visit to PrincipleSim and other websites.
• Opt-Out Information: You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out of third-party vendor cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.

3. Cookies and Web Beacons

A cookie is a small data file placed on your device. We use necessary first-party cookies and storage keys solely to preserve your laboratory user interface state (ps-theme, ps-sound, ps-season, ps-a11y for accessibility settings, and ps-recent-search for your recent searches). Third-party services, such as Google AdSense, may place and read cookies on your browser, or use web beacons to collect information as a result of ad serving on this site.

4. Data Protection Rights (GDPR & CCPA Compliance)

Depending on your geographical location, you have statutory rights concerning your personal data:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request copies of personal information you have submitted to our team.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate information.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You have the right to request deletion of your communication records. Local storage data can be cleared immediately by clearing your browser cache or clicking "Clear Table" inside any experiment.
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Children's Information (COPPA)

PrincipleSim is an educational and academic platform designed for physics students and researchers of all ages. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13. If you believe your child provided personal information on our website, please contact us immediately for prompt deletion.

6. Contacting the Laboratory Privacy Desk

If you have questions or suggestions regarding our Privacy Policy or data handling practices, please contact our laboratory engineering desk:

PrincipleSim Engineering & Legal Desk
Online Dispatch: PrincipleSim Contact Desk