The Fine Print: Privacy, Security, Cookies, Copyright and Disclaimers

Metrotrekker.com is a personal website which I run for enjoyment. The information on this website is free of charge and gives you suggestions on hiking/walking trails and attractions along the way. Please be aware of your safety when on these trails. I cannot take responsibility for changes in trail conditions (if you do find an error though, please feel free to contact me) and your ability to complete such trails. The maps I provide for each walk are correct at the time of writing but do not fully trust the online maps as trails can change and GPS systems can become inaccurate. I do suggest a difficulty of each trail, but that's what I think based on my abilities. What I think is "medium difficulty" would be impossible for someone like my 94-year-old grandmother. Please use some common sense, walk to the conditions, be prepared with more than enough water and tell someone where you are going.

All pages, text, images and photographs on metrotrekker.com are ©2013-2023 Marc Hampton, metrotrekker.com, All Rights Reserved.

Respecting people's privacy and ensuring internet security is important to me and metrotrekker.com. This can be a complicated subject, but I will try to keep it as succinct as possible.

Metrotrekker.com does not use cookies or third-party tracking. However, the metrotrekker.com website does use the services of Google Maps and YouTube, which do use cookies and third-party tracking.

Internet cookies (little packets of data used by your browser and an external website to help with identification and settings) make the internet go round. Without cookies, you would need to re-login every time you change pages on your internet banking website or social media account. Cookies are extremely useful, but metrotrekker.com itself doesn't need them as there is no login system, user tracking, shopping cart, or user settings.

However, metrotrekker.com does utilise the services of Google Maps and YouTube, which obviously use cookies and third-party tracking. That's how they make their money. They have your data, and they use it for target advertising. Google Maps and YouTube are definitely not perfect when it comes to privacy; however, the services they provide are hard to beat. Really, who doesn't use Google Maps and YouTube? But there is a way around it. Use Brave.

Brave is a privacy-oriented browser. Built on the same platform as Chrome and Edge, but with enhanced privacy restrictions. For example, you cannot log on to a Brave browser and hence cannot sync history or favourites/bookmarks (an obvious pitfall of enhanced privacy). If you browse metrotrekker.com with Chrome or Edge, Google Maps and YouTube will use cookies and trackers when you see a map or a video, but not with Brave. The map and the video will still function on Brave, but there will be no cookies. Brave also blocks invasive ads (not a problem with metrotrekker.com because there are no ads anyway).

Are you worried about cookies and third-party tracking? Get Brave, then.

The origin server on which metrotrekker.com runs is professionally operated by Hostpapa.com and like most servers, it logs your IP address (basically your computer/networks name). Logging IP addresses is standard practice (for security and fault-finding), lawful and there is debate as to whether an IP address is indeed "personal data". Regardless, such information is stored securely and used solely for legitimate security and fault-finding reasons. None of this information is shared with third-parties.

The metrotrekker.com website uses the standard encryption technology for keeping the internet connection between your computer and the metrotrekker server secure (you will see the lock icon near the address bar in your browser). Security is further increased with the services provided by Cloudflare.

If you send me an email, I will receive your email address and any other personal details you choose to include. Such information will not be shared and will be stored securely on the origin server (just like all my emails).

If you have any further queries please contact me via the contact page.

Best Regards,

Marc Hampton