Cookie, Local Storage & Telemetry Policy
Effective Date: October 2026 • Version 2.0.0 (Global Production Release)
localStorage, ephemeral session storage, and limited analytics cookies to deliver fast, secure, zero-friction civic polling. This policy itemizes every active and potential storage technology, explains our Google Consent Mode v2 integration, and reserves our right to deploy commercial ad tracking and contextual partner beacons in future updates.1. Comprehensive Master Local Storage & Cookie Inventory
The table below provides a full audit of all persistent and session storage keys used by TownSphere™ on web and mobile client runtimes:
| Key / Cookie Name | Mechanism | Purpose & Functional Description | Classification | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| townsphere_device_id | localStorage | Anonymous installation UUID used for one-way server-side HMAC-SHA256 voter token derivation (One Device One Voice). | Strictly Essential | Persistent (until cleared) |
| townsphere_access_token | localStorage / Cookie | Signed cryptographic JWT bearer token used to authenticate API requests without transmitting passwords. | Strictly Essential | 365 Days |
| townsphere_voted_polls | localStorage | Local cache of voted poll IDs and options to instantly display sentiment donut charts without network latency. | Functional UX | Persistent |
| townsphere_cookie_consent | localStorage | Stores affirmative cookie acceptance ('accepted' or 'rejected') for GDPR/ePrivacy compliance. | Strictly Essential | Persistent |
| townsphere_analytics_session_id | sessionStorage | Ephemeral session token for grouping engagement telemetry events (dwell time, card flips) into 15-second batches. | Telemetry / Performance | Session only (clears on tab close) |
| _ga, _ga_* | HTTP Cookie | Google Analytics 4 cookies used to calculate aggregated visitor, session, and campaign data (Measurement ID: G-FCWYVB0ZHF). | Analytics (Optional / Consent) | 2 Years (Google default) |
2. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) & Google Consent Mode v2 Architecture
Our public web portal utilizes Google Analytics 4 with Google Consent Mode v2. When you first arrive at TownSphere™, both analytics_storage and ad_storage are set to “denied” by default.
- Consent-Gated Execution: GA4 tracking cookies are only placed if you affirmatively click “Accept All” on our Cookie Consent Banner.
- Complete Rejection Handling: Clicking “Reject All” leaves all analytics cookies suppressed and immediately deletes any non-essential cookies.
- IP Anonymization: IP masking is permanently active on all incoming telemetry pings before reaching Google servers.
3. Advertising Networks, Future Trackers & Web Beacons
Reservation of Future Commercial Rights: TownSphere™ reserves the right to deploy commercial advertising cookies, conversion pixels, web beacons, and Software Development Kits (SDKs) from recognized advertising networks (including Google AdSense, Google Ad Manager, and civic sponsorship networks) in future releases.
These technologies may be utilized to serve contextual or interest-based advertisements, measure ad click conversions, and prevent digital ad fraud. Any future commercial tracking will integrate directly with our Consent Management Platform, allowing you to reject targeted advertising cookies without losing access to civic debates.
4. How to Manage Cookies, Clear Local Storage & Exercise Your Rights
You have full authority to inspect, restrict, or purge storage at any time:
- In-App Demographic & Account Purge: Navigate to Settings → Clear Demographics or Delete Account to immediately wipe your on-device identifiers and invalidate your server session.
- Browser Site Settings: You can clear all cached files, cookies, and local storage keys for
townsphere.orgdirectly through your browser's Privacy & Security preferences. - Global Privacy Control (GPC): TownSphere™ recognizes and respects browser-level GPC signals to automatically treat opt-out requests for behavioral advertising.
- Third-Party Industry Opt-Outs: You can manage interest-based advertising choices through the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) or European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA).
5. Contact Our Privacy & Storage Team
For questions or technical inquiries regarding our cookie and local storage architecture, contact us at:
TownSphere™ Storage & Compliance Team
Official Email: townsphere.org@gmail.com
Official Portal: https://townsphere.org