Privacy Policy
Last updated: 7 February 2026
LiveLocal is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights under GDPR and other applicable regulations.
Who We Are
LiveLocal is operated by Cork Safety Alerts, a community information service based in Cork, Ireland. Our website address is https://livelocal.ie.
For any privacy-related enquiries, please contact us via the Cork Safety Alerts contact page.
Information We Collect
LiveLocal is designed with privacy in mind. We do not require you to create an account or provide any personal information to use our service.
We do not collect:
- Names, email addresses, or contact details
- Personal identifiers
- User accounts or login information
Automatically collected information:
Like most websites, our servers automatically log basic technical information when you visit, including your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. This data is used solely for security monitoring and debugging purposes, and is not used to identify individual users.
Location Data (Optional Feature)
LiveLocal includes an optional feature that allows you to view weather for your current location instead of the default Cork City weather, and to see your approximate distance from sponsored businesses listed on the dashboard. This feature is entirely opt-in and works as follows:
How Location Works
- You must opt in – Location is never accessed unless you tap the "Use My Location" button
- Browser permission required – Your browser will ask for permission before sharing location
- Stored locally only – Your coordinates are saved in your browser's localStorage on your device, not on our servers
- You control it – You can switch back to Cork City weather at any time, or clear your browser data to remove stored location
- Distance calculation – If a sponsored listing is displayed, your location is used locally in your browser to calculate the approximate distance to that business. This calculation happens entirely on your device
- No server storage – Your location is never sent to or stored on Cork Safety Alerts servers
When you enable the location feature, your coordinates are sent directly from your browser to two external services:
- Open-Meteo (open-meteo.com) – To fetch weather data for your location. Open-Meteo is a free, open-source weather API. See their terms and privacy policy.
- OpenStreetMap Nominatim (nominatim.openstreetmap.org) – To convert your coordinates into a readable place name. See the OpenStreetMap Foundation privacy policy.
These requests are made directly from your browser to these services. Cork Safety Alerts does not see, log, or store your location data.
Local Storage
LiveLocal uses your browser's localStorage to remember your preferences. This data is stored on your device only and is never sent to our servers. We store:
- Location preference – Whether you've chosen to use your location for weather
- Coordinates and place name – Your latitude, longitude, and location name (only if you've enabled the location feature)
- News ticker position – Which news headline you last saw
- Banner dismissals – Whether you've dismissed the "Add to Home Screen" or in-app browser prompts
You can clear this data at any time by clearing your browser's site data for livelocal.ie, or by using your browser's "Clear browsing data" function.
Cookies and Tracking
LiveLocal uses cookies to enable essential site functionality and to serve advertisements through our advertising partners. When you first visit our site, you will be presented with a consent banner allowing you to accept or decline non-essential cookies.
Essential cookies: Required for the website to function properly, including remembering your cookie preferences.
Advertising cookies: Used by our advertising partners to serve relevant advertisements and measure ad performance.
Advertising
LiveLocal displays advertisements to help fund our operations. We use the following advertising services:
Ezoic
Ezoic is our primary advertising platform, which works with various advertising partners to serve ads on our site. They may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your browsing activity. You can manage your preferences using our cookie consent tool. See Ezoic's privacy policy and the Ezoic privacy disclosure for LiveLocal.
Google AdSense
Google AdSense may also serve advertisements on LiveLocal. Google uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. See Google's privacy policy.
Third-Party Data Sources
LiveLocal aggregates data from various third-party services to provide real-time information. These services include:
- Met Éireann – Weather warnings
- Open-Meteo – Weather conditions and forecasts
- Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) – Tunnel status and road conditions
- ESB Networks – Power outage data
- Cork Airport – Flight information
- Office of Public Works (OPW) – River level data
- inCobh – Ferry status
We do not share any user data with these services. Data flows one way: from these services to our dashboard for display purposes only.
Sponsored Listings
LiveLocal may display sponsored business listings on the dashboard. These are local businesses who pay to be featured on our platform. Sponsored listings are clearly identified with a "Sponsored" label.
If you have enabled the location feature, your browser will calculate the approximate distance between your location and the sponsored business. This calculation is performed entirely within your browser using coordinates stored on your device and the business's publicly listed coordinates. No location data is sent to Cork Safety Alerts or any third party as part of this feature.
If you have not enabled the location feature, the sponsored listing will display the business's general area instead of a distance.
Your Rights Under GDPR
As we do not collect personal data beyond server logs, most GDPR rights (access, rectification, deletion) do not apply in a practical sense. However, you have the right to:
- Withdraw consent for non-essential cookies at any time using our cookie consent tool
- Control your location data by disabling the location feature or clearing your browser's localStorage
- Object to processing by contacting us
- Lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission if you believe your rights have been violated
Data Retention
Server logs are retained for a maximum of 30 days for security and debugging purposes, after which they are automatically deleted.
Data stored in your browser's localStorage remains until you clear it manually or clear your browser data.
Children's Privacy
LiveLocal is a general-audience service providing public information. We do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under 16.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us via the Cork Safety Alerts contact page.