Privacy policy
realworld.events ("we", "us") is a free guide to events in London. This policy explains what we collect when you use it, why, who we share it with and how to exercise your rights. It is written to meet UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
What we collect
- An anonymous visitor id. On your first visit we set a cookie (
rw_id) containing a random token. It lets us remember what you have rated and saved. It is not linked to your name unless you sign in. - Your reactions. Which events you mark as "into it" or "not for me", favourite, or open, the quick-start category and venue choices you make, and the interests you pick. This is the point of the site: it is used to personalise what you see.
- Where you arrived from. On your first visit we note the site that linked you here, or a tag in the link, so we can tell which places send people our way. Nothing else about the link is kept.
- Technical data with each reaction. The network (IP) address and browser user agent at the time. We keep these only to detect and remove automated or abusive rating.
- Location, if you choose a location filter. "Near me" sends your browser's position to our server to filter events and stores it in a cookie (
rw_near) on your device. Typed postcodes or place names are looked up through postcodes.io, which receives the text you typed. We do not keep a history of locations. - Account details, if you sign in. With Google: your Google account id, name, email address and profile picture, used to recognise you across devices and show who is signed in. We do not receive your Google password or access anything else in your Google account. With email: your email address, used to send you one-time sign-in links and to recognise you. Signing in with Google and by email with the same address reaches the same account.
- Weekly email, if you opt in. If you switch on “Weekly picks by email” on the You page, we use your account’s email address to send you a weekly selection of events picked for you, and record when you opted in or out. Switch it off there at any time.
- Usage analytics. We use Google Analytics to understand how the site is used (pages visited, device type, approximate location derived from IP). Google sets its own cookies for this; see Google's privacy policy. Analytics data is aggregated and is not joined to your ratings.
- Server logs. Requests to the site, including IP address, are logged for a short period to keep the service running and secure.
Why we use it
To run the service you asked for (personalised recommendations, saved events, sign-in), which is our legitimate interest and, where you sign in or set a location, your choice. To keep the service safe and prevent abuse. To understand and improve how the site is used. We do not sell personal data, and we do not use it for advertising.
Who we share it with
- Hosting: the site and its database run on Vultr servers in London, United Kingdom.
- Google: for sign-in (if you use it) and analytics.
- Mailjet: sends sign-in emails (if you sign in by email), so it receives your email address and the message.
- OpenRouter and Google: receive the text of searches you type, to turn it into a search vector. It is not linked to you.
- postcodes.io: receives location text you type into the location filter.
- Event and image sources: event images are fetched by our servers from the venues' own sites, not by your browser, so those sites do not see your address. Links to tickets take you to third-party sites with their own policies.
We do not share your data with anyone else, except if required by law.
How long we keep it
Your ratings and saved events are kept while your visitor id or account exists, so they continue to personalise the site. Addresses stored with reactions are kept for up to 12 months. Server logs are kept for up to 30 days. Backups of the database are kept for up to 14 days, with an off-site copy kept for up to 30 days.
Cookies
We set rw_id (your visitor or sign-in session, one year), rw_near (your chosen location filter), rw_pod (which server handles your requests, one day), and short-lived rw_auth / rw_link cookies during sign-in. Google Analytics sets _ga and related cookies. Clearing cookies starts you afresh as a new anonymous visitor.
Children
The service is not aimed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect their data.
Changes
If this policy changes materially we will update the date above and, for signed-in users, say so on the site.