Effective date: October 7, 2026
LiveLocation is a world map of public live cameras, run by Staricon as part of the Staricon network. We built it to collect as little about you as we can. This policy explains what information is involved when you use LiveLocation, why, how long we keep it, and what you can ask of us.
The short version
- No accounts, no sign-ups, no passwords for viewers.
- We use Google Analytics to understand which pages are useful.
- When a camera loads or fails in your browser, we get a tiny signal with only the camera number and “worked” or “failed”.
- The camera radar and “Near me” work in your browser: your location is never sent to us.
- Videos and images come straight from their owners. When they load, those owners may collect information under their own policies.
- We do not sell your personal information.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics (through the MonsterInsights plugin) to see which pages and features people use. It uses cookies to collect information such as the pages you view, how you arrived, your general location (from your IP address), and your device and browser type. We look at it only in aggregate. You can block it with your browser settings, a content blocker, or Google’s opt-out add-on. Google’s use of this data is described in How Google uses information from sites that use its services.
Security and delivery
Our site is delivered and protected by Cloudflare and hosted by Bluehost in the United States. Our servers and Cloudflare receive your IP address, browser type, the page you request and the time, and keep these in server logs for a limited time to run the site and block abuse. Cloudflare may set a strictly necessary cookie to tell real visitors from bots.
To stop floods of automated requests, we count requests per visitor for a few minutes using a scrambled code made from your IP address (a keyed one-way hash), not the address itself.
Camera status signals
To show honestly whether a camera is working, your browser sends us a small signal when a camera loads for you, and when it fails. The signal contains only the camera number and “worked” or the kind of error (for example “video” or “stream”). It contains no information about you. To count how many different viewers had a problem with a camera, we keep the scrambled code described above for about one hour, then it is deleted. We never store your IP address with these signals.
Camera radar, near me and place search
The camera radar (including “Near me”) asks your browser for your location only after you press “Use my location”, and your browser asks your permission first. Your browser then works out which cameras are nearby from our public camera list, which it has already downloaded, so your location is never sent to our server and we never store it. The radar keeps its center in the part of the page address after the “#”, which browsers do not send to us; if you share a radar link, it contains the center rounded to about 1 km. The location button on the map shows your position on the map in your browser only.
When you search for a place, the words you type are matched against our own place list. If we find too few results, the search text may also be sent to MapTiler, our map provider, to look up the place.
Settings saved in your browser
A few preferences, such as your video wall layout, are saved in your browser’s local storage. They never leave your device.
Content from other providers
We never record or re-host video. Every camera plays straight from its owner, and the map itself is drawn from map providers. That means your browser connects directly to these services:
- YouTube. YouTube streams load only when you press Play, in YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode (youtube-nocookie.com). Once a video plays, YouTube (Google) may collect information and use cookies or similar storage under Google’s privacy policy.
- Other camera networks and agencies, such as Windy, Angelcam, IPCamLive, Ivideon, road and weather agencies and camera owners’ own websites. When their player or images load, they receive your IP address and browser details and may set their own cookies under their own policies.
- Map, satellite and radar providers: OpenFreeMap, MapTiler, NASA GIBS and the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Your browser requests map images from them, so they receive your IP address and the area of the map you are viewing.
We do not control these services; their own privacy policies apply.
Reports about a camera
When you use “Report this camera” or our report form, we collect the camera, the reason, any note you write, and your email if you choose to give it (we need it for copyright and “my camera” requests so we can reply). We also store the scrambled code made from your IP address, so we can count reports fairly and stop abuse. We use this only to review the camera and, if you gave an email, to reply to you. We keep reports for 12 months as our moderation record; the scrambled code is erased after 12 months.
Adding your camera
When you add a camera through Add your camera, we collect your name, organization (optional), email, website, the camera’s name, type, stream address, description and location, your answers to the owner confirmations and when you gave them, and the scrambled IP code. We use it to verify the camera is yours (our system visits the stream page or your website to look for your code), to review and list it, to contact you about it, and as a record of your permission. Your name and email are never shown on the site.
Submissions that are never verified, or that we decline, are deleted after 12 months. For approved cameras, we keep the details while the camera is listed and afterward as a record of your permission, unless you ask us to delete them. You can withdraw your camera at any time from your private status link.
Why we use information (legal bases)
For visitors in the EU, UK and similar places: we rely on our legitimate interests (running, securing and improving the site, and keeping the map accurate and respectful), on your request (acting on your report or submission), and on consent where the law requires it.
Sharing
We share information only with the providers who help us run LiveLocation (hosting, Cloudflare, Google Analytics, maps), for that purpose. We may pass a privacy concern to a camera’s owner, without your contact details unless you agree, and we may disclose information when the law requires it or to protect people from harm. We do not sell or rent your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
Children
LiveLocation is a general-audience site, not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. Only adults may add a camera. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Your choices and rights
Depending on where you live, including under the GDPR, the UK GDPR and California law, you may have the right to ask what personal information we hold about you, to get a copy, to correct it, to delete it, to object to or restrict how we use it, and to withdraw consent. We will not treat you differently for using these rights. To make a request, write to us through the Staricon contact page and mention LiveLocation. It helps to tell us which report or submission your request is about. We answer within the time the law allows, usually 30 days. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
If a camera on LiveLocation shows you or your home, please use the report form and choose “Privacy concern”: the camera is hidden at once. See Remove a camera.
Security
We keep little, store IP addresses in our own records only as scrambled codes, use HTTPS everywhere, and limit who can see reports and submissions. LiveLocation is hosted in the United States; our providers may process information elsewhere under their standard safeguards.
Changes to this policy
Before we add new features such as advertising, partner listings or business contact forms, we will update this policy and the effective date above, and say so clearly on the site if the change is significant.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your information: write to us through the Staricon contact page, and mention LiveLocation.