Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information depending on how you interact with our service:

a) Account Information

• When you create an account, we collect your full name, email address, and a bcrypt-hashed password. Your plain-text password is never stored.
• Registered users may also optionally save preferred carrier settings and a display name.

b) Container Search Data

• Container numbers you enter into our tracking tool are logged to improve our carrier prefix database and service quality.
• Logged-in users’ search history (container number + timestamp) is stored in their account for personal reference and can be deleted at any time from your dashboard.
• Anonymous searches may be temporarily logged for abuse prevention and service improvement. No personally identifying information is attached to anonymous searches.

c) Email Subscription

• If you subscribe to our newsletter or updates via the subscription form, we collect your email address.
• Subscription is entirely voluntary. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send.

d) Usage & Analytics Data

• We automatically collect technical data including your IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, pages visited, referral source, and session duration.
• This data is collected via Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and is used solely to understand how users interact with our site and improve its performance.

e) Advertising Data (Google AdSense)

• We display advertisements served by Google AdSense. Google and its advertising partners may use cookies, web beacons, and device identifiers to serve personalised ads based on your browsing activity and interests.
• We do not control the data collected by Google for advertising purposes. Please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy and Advertising Policies for full details.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To operate and deliver our container tracking and carrier identification service.
• To authenticate your account and maintain session security.
• To save and display your personalised search history when you are logged in.
• To send you service-related emails (account confirmation, password reset) and, if subscribed, newsletters about logistics and shipping industry updates.
• To improve our carrier prefix database using aggregated, anonymised search patterns.
• To analyse website traffic, diagnose technical issues, and improve site performance.
• To display relevant advertisements via Google AdSense to keep TraceContainer free for all users.
• To comply with applicable legal obligations and prevent fraud or misuse.

3. Google AdSense & Advertising

TraceContainer uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google AdSense uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our website or other websites. This helps keep our service free.

• Google may use the DoubleClick cookie to serve interest-based advertising. You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or www.aboutads.info.
• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your previous visits to our and other websites.
• You can opt out of third-party vendor cookie use for personalised advertising by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.
• We do not control which specific ads are displayed on our site. Ad content is determined by Google’s algorithms and advertiser bids.
• We comply with Google AdSense programme policies, including maintaining a clear and accessible Privacy Policy that discloses use of cookies and data for advertising.

4. Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors use our website. GA4 collects anonymised usage data including page views, session duration, traffic sources, and device information.

• IP addresses are anonymised before being processed by Google Analytics.
• You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
• For more information on how Google processes analytics data, see Google’s Privacy Policy.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

• Essential Cookies: Required for user authentication, session management, and core site functionality.
• Analytics Cookies: Used by Google Analytics to measure traffic and improve our service.
• Advertising Cookies: Used by Google AdSense to personalise and serve advertisements.
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences across visits.

You can manage or disable cookies in your browser settings at any time. Disabling advertising or analytics cookies will not affect core tracking functionality but will limit personalisation and analytics features. Note that disabling essential cookies may prevent login functionality from working.

6. Email Communications

• Transactional Emails: Account-related emails (registration confirmation, password reset) are sent as part of the service and cannot be opted out of while your account is active.
• Newsletter / Marketing: If you subscribe voluntarily, we may send updates about logistics news, new features, and industry insights. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. You may also request removal by emailing [email protected].
• We do not sell, rent, or share your email address with third parties for their marketing purposes.

7. Data Retention

• Account data is retained as long as your account is active. You may delete your account at any time from your dashboard settings, which permanently removes your name, email, and search history from our systems.
• Search history for logged-in users is retained until deleted by you or until account deletion. A maximum of 200 recent searches are retained per account.
• Email subscriptions are retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Anonymous usage logs are retained for up to 12 months for security and analytics purposes, after which they are deleted or fully anonymised.

8. Data Security

• Passwords are stored using bcrypt hashing — we never store or transmit plain-text passwords.
• All data is transmitted over HTTPS (TLS encryption).
• User sessions use secure, HTTP-only cookies to prevent client-side script access.
• We regularly review our security practices. However, no system is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal data, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

9. Sharing of Information

• We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data with any third party.
• We share anonymised, aggregated search data with no third parties; it is used only internally to improve our carrier database.
• We share data with Google solely for analytics (GA4) and advertising (AdSense) purposes, as described above.
• We may disclose personal data to comply with a legal obligation, court order, or government request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public.
• If TraceContainer is acquired or merged, your data would be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to the same privacy protections.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information via your account settings or by contacting us.
• Deletion: Delete your account and all associated data via the dashboard, or request deletion by email.
• Portability: Request a machine-readable export of your personal data.
• Opt-out of personalised ads: Manage your ad preferences via Google Ads Settings.
• Unsubscribe: Opt out of marketing emails at any time via the unsubscribe link or by contacting us.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at: [email protected]

11. Third-Party Links & Carrier Websites

TraceContainer links and redirects to official carrier tracking portals (Maersk, CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, etc.) and affiliated tools (TraceAWB.com, HSCODE.IN). Once you leave our site, their own privacy policies apply and we have no control over how they handle your data. We encourage you to review each site’s privacy policy before submitting personal or shipment information.

12. Children’s Privacy

TraceContainer is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information without parental consent, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

13. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of India. By using our service, you consent to data processing in India and, where applicable, in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA).

14. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or applicable law. When we do, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of TraceContainer after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us at:

📧 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.tracecontainer.com/contact