Cookie Policy

Cookies and similar storage

Cookies are small records a browser sends with relevant requests. Local storage keeps information in your browser without automatically attaching it to every request. In-memory state lasts only for the current page session. This policy covers all three where used by the Observatory.

Current storage inventory

Account session — __Host-mv_session (host-only, Secure, HttpOnly, SameSite=Lax cookie): an opaque session identifier, normally valid for up to 30 days. Cognito credentials remain encrypted on the server. Linked sessions on the public site and workspace are invalidated together when you sign out. Local HTTP development uses mv_dev_session.

Sign-in handoff — mv_handoff (HttpOnly, SameSite=Lax cookie): binds a short-lived handoff or OAuth attempt to this browser. It normally expires after 120 seconds, or 300 seconds for OAuth. Research and article retry identifiers use account-scoped session storage and do not contain authentication tokens.

Theme preference — macroverse-theme (local storage): remembers your chosen light or dark appearance. Set when you choose a theme; no application-set expiry. It remains until changed or cleared by you or your browser.

Public device research — macroverse.research (IndexedDB), with a macroverse.research.v1 local-storage compatibility copy: stores conversations and feedback only after an explicit choice to remember research. Earlier history is preserved and can be viewed, exported or imported explicitly. There is no application-set expiry; up to 12 conversations are retained. Clear saved device history removes these records and their associated saved-history references across open tabs. Temporary conversations use macroverse.research.tab.v1 in session storage; drafts and selections use macroverse.research.state.v1. Browser session restoration may retain these temporary records. Clearing device history does not remove server-side research records.

Article analytics choice — macroverse.article-analytics.v1 (local storage): stores a version, accepted or rejected choice, decision time and six-month expiry, without an account identifier. Both decisions expire after six calendar months. Missing, invalid or unreadable choices keep analytics off. This record is independent of research remembrance and email consent. No analytics cookie or account attribution record is created by our integration.

Browser privacy choice — macroverse.privacy.v1 (local storage): records the versioned choice to remember public research and random revision markers used to coordinate open tabs. It contains no account identifier. It remains until changed or cleared; missing or invalid preferences default to temporary research.

Public research service — __Host-mv_research (first-party cookie used by anonymous research): identifies a pseudonymous research browser for usage allowances, repeat-request handling and abuse prevention. It is set when the research service is accessed, including when Ask Macroverse checks your allowance. The configured lifetime is up to 400 days and is renewed on research-service use. Secure, HttpOnly and SameSite=Lax attributes limit how it is sent and accessed.

Owner administration — JSESSIONID (session cookie): supports the restricted owner sign-in and security session when the administration service is accessed. Its lifetime is governed by the server session and browser settings. It is not a public advertising identifier.

Tab filters, chart selections and scroll positions are retained in application memory while navigating between tabs. They are not advertising cookies and are not guaranteed to survive closing or reloading the page. Normal browser caching may also retain site files.

Optional article analytics

Article analytics is optional and off until you accept. When collection is enabled, Vercel Web Analytics measures views of confirmed public articles, estimated visitors and device breakdowns. Only consenting readership is represented; these figures are not a count of every reader. Drafts, previews, editing, account pages and research chats are excluded.

The article address is reduced to its public canonical path. Query strings, fragments, referrers, account identifiers, email addresses and research content are not included in analytics event payloads. Vercel necessarily receives technical request information, including network address and browser details, and derives a temporary visitor hash that is discarded after 24 hours. It can derive general location and device information from those requests. Cookieless measurement is not a claim that no information is processed.

Acceptance and refusal are both remembered for six calendar months in this browser. You can withdraw through Privacy choices at any time, stopping future measurement. Withdrawal does not remove statistics already received. The current Vercel Hobby plan provides 30 days of viewable analytics history. Provider retention also follows Vercel’s terms; the 24-hour hash lifetime is not a deletion deadline for aggregate reports or operational records. We do not copy analytics into individual account profiles.

Advertising and behavioural tracking

Macroverse does not deploy advertising pixels, targeted-advertising profiles or session recordings. Optional article measurement is separate from advertising, research saving and email subscriptions.

Advertising is a future release and will require separate choices before relevant scripts start. An analytics acceptance will never count as advertising consent. Hosting or security infrastructure may use additional necessary protection mechanisms in response to traffic or threats.

Managing storage

Use your browser’s site-data settings to inspect, block or delete cookies and local storage for macroversehub.com. Open Privacy choices to switch persistent research saving on or off, or separately clear saved device history. These actions do not sign you out, delete account documents, unsubscribe email or reset research limits. Private browsing generally removes local site data when the private session ends, subject to your browser settings.

Deleting the theme entry resets the saved appearance. Deleting research entries removes local history and drafts. Blocking the research cookie can affect service access or usage checks. Clearing cookies must not be used to bypass research limits. It does not erase server-side information; see the Privacy Policy for retention and requests.

The public site and personal workspace share a host-only session cookie on the same website. External sources have their own cookie and privacy policies.

Changes and contact

This inventory reflects the current application. We will update the policy when storage practices change. Contact the email below for questions about a particular cookie, browser record or data request.