Privacy Policy

Last updated: 14 September 2026

Foam Finders (foamfinders.co.uk) is operated by Iron Pig. This policy explains what information we collect, why, who we share it with, and the choices you have. It applies to the website and to any data you submit through it.

1. Who we are and how to contact us

The data controller is Iron Pig, the operator of Foam Finders. For any privacy question or request, email hello@iron-pig.com.

2. Information we collect

• Account data: email address, display name, and a user ID when you create an account with email/password or Google Sign-In. Passwords are handled by Firebase Authentication and are never visible to us.
• Content you submit: pub ratings (schtick, head, taste, price, Guinness type, an optional short note), pubs you add, and any photo you upload. Ratings are shown publicly on the relevant pub page without your name.
• Location: only if you allow the browser location prompt, and only to show pubs near you. It is not stored.
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, pages viewed, and approximate location derived from IP, collected through cookies and similar technologies described below.
• Correspondence: anything you send us by email.

3. How we use it and our lawful basis

• To run the service, show ratings and pub pages, and let you sign in (performance of a contract).
• To calculate aggregate statistics such as average prices and rankings (legitimate interests; results are anonymous).
• To keep the site secure, prevent abuse, and rate-limit requests (legitimate interests).
• To show advertising and measure it, and to run analytics (consent, see sections 4 and 5).
• To respond to you and comply with legal obligations.

4. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and local storage for four purposes. You can change your choices at any time using the consent banner (available from the "Privacy settings" link in the footer where shown) or through your browser settings.

• Strictly necessary: keeping you signed in and remembering your consent choices. These do not require consent.
• Preferences: remembering settings such as sort order. Stored in your browser only.
• Analytics: Google Analytics 4 (via Firebase) sets first-party cookies named _ga and _ga_<id> for up to two years to distinguish users and sessions. We load analytics only after you consent. Vercel Analytics is also used and does not set cookies or identify individual visitors.
• Advertising: see section 5.

5. Advertising (Google AdSense)

We use Google AdSense to show ads. Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to your website or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to your users based on their visit to your sites and/or other sites on the Internet.

Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.

If you are in the UK, the EEA, or Switzerland, we ask for your consent before personalised ads are shown, using Google's certified consent management platform, which follows the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework. If you decline, you may still see non-personalised ads. A list of the ad technology vendors Google may work with is available at Google's ad technology providers page. How Google uses information from sites that use its services is described at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

6. Maps, places, and other services we rely on

• Google Maps and Places power the map, address search, and pub photos. When a map loads, Google receives your IP address and the request, under the Google Privacy Policy.
• Firebase (Google) stores accounts, ratings, pubs, and photos.
• Vercel hosts the site and processes requests from its London region.

7. Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with the service providers above, with advertising partners as described in section 5, when the law requires it, or to protect our rights and prevent misuse. Ratings and pubs you submit are public by design, without your name attached.

8. Retention

Account data is kept while your account exists. Ratings and pubs remain after account deletion in anonymised form because they form part of the community dataset; ask us if you want them removed. Analytics data follows Google Analytics' default retention. Emails are kept for as long as needed to deal with your request.

9. Your rights

Under UK GDPR and, where it applies, EU GDPR, you can:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate data
• Ask us to delete your data or your account
• Object to, or ask us to restrict, processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent at any time (this does not affect processing before withdrawal)
• Receive your data in a portable format

Email hello@iron-pig.com to exercise any of these. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

10. Children

Foam Finders is about an alcoholic drink and is intended for adults of legal drinking age. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18.

11. Security

Data is transmitted over HTTPS and stored with Google Firebase using access rules that limit who can read and write it. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

12. Changes to this policy

We will post any changes on this page and update the date at the top. See also our Terms of Service.