Privacy Policy

The Bismarck Bubble (“we,” “us,” or “the site”) is a local weather website and Facebook page serving North Dakota and the surrounding region. We keep this simple: we collect as little as possible, we don’t sell your information, and this page explains what we do collect and why.

Information we collect

• Location you provide. If you tap “use my location,” your browser shares your approximate coordinates so we can show the nearest forecast. This happens in your browser and is used only to pick a location — we don’t store a history of where you’ve been.
• Preferences saved on your device. We use local browser storage and cookies to remember settings like your chosen location, text size, and radar options. These stay on your device and are not tied to an identity.
• Content you submit. If you send us a report, photo, or message, we receive what you choose to send. Don’t include anything you wouldn’t want published — submitted reports and photos may be shown on the site or our social pages.
• Anonymous visit statistics. We count visits with our own privacy-friendly analytics, run on our own server: which pages are viewed, how visitors found us (for example a search engine or Facebook), and general device type and approximate city. It uses no cookies, never stores your IP address, and can't recognize you from one day to the next. Opt out on any device by visiting any page with #bt-ignore at the end of its address.
• Basic server logs. Like most websites, our servers automatically record standard request information (such as IP address, browser type, and pages requested) for security and to keep the site running. These logs are kept only as long as needed for those purposes.

How we use information

• To show you local current conditions, forecasts, radar, and weather alerts.
• To operate, secure, and improve the site.
• To share weather information and community reports on our website and social media.

Submissions and account safety

Photo submissions and licensing

If you submit a photo to our gallery, you keep the copyright — it's still your photo. By submitting it, though, you grant The Bismarck Bubble an unlimited license to publish that photo on our website, our social media channels, or in future content, with no payment owed to you. Photos are reviewed before appearing publicly, and we may remove one at any time, including for content we consider inappropriate.

Third-party services

Some parts of the site rely on outside providers, and your browser may contact them directly:

• Maps and radar imagery and tiles (for the interactive map and radar viewer).
• Weather data sources such as the National Weather Service and related public feeds, which supply the forecasts, observations, and alerts we display.
• Facebook / Meta. We operate a Facebook page and publish weather updates and alerts there. If you visit or interact with that page, Meta’s own privacy policy applies to your activity on Facebook.

What we don’t do

Children

The site is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Deleting your account and data

You can create an optional account (including by signing in with Facebook) to submit a closure notice or a community calendar event. If you'd like your account and any information tied to it deleted, email hello@bismarckbubble.com from the address on the account (or mention the name/email you signed up with) and we'll remove it. We'll confirm by email once it's done.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we’ll revise the “Last updated” date above. Continued use of the site after a change means you accept the updated policy.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your information? Reach us at hello@bismarckbubble.com.