Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to HowManyOfMe.site (“we,” “us,” “our”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about our data practices. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you visit our website at HowManyOfMe.site.

Our website provides name popularity statistics and estimates based on our proprietary aggregated database and calculations. We do not require user accounts for accessing our name search functionality.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Name Search Queries: When you use our name search tool, we process the name you enter to provide statistical estimates. For users age 13 and over: Names are processed in real-time using our aggregated database. For users under 13: Names are displayed but immediately discarded and not processed for any statistical purposes.
Contact Information: If you contact us via email, we collect your email address and any information you choose to provide in your message.

2.2 Age Verification

We implement age verification before users can access our search functionality:

Users must confirm they are 13 years or older to proceed
Users under 13 are prevented from submitting search queries to our database
No email addresses or contact information is collected from users under 13

2.3 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we and our third-party service providers may automatically collect certain information about your device and usage:

Device Information: IP address (anonymized), browser type, operating system, device type, screen resolution
Usage Information: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, referring website
Technical Information: Error logs, performance data, cookie identifiers

2.4 Information from Third Parties

Google Analytics: For understanding website traffic patterns (disabled for users under 13)
Advertising Partners: When we implement advertising (such as Google AdSense), they may collect information as described in their privacy policies (disabled for users under 13)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To Provide Services: Process name queries and display statistical estimates based on our proprietary database (for users 13+ only)
Age-Appropriate Experience: Provide different experiences based on user age verification
To Improve Our Website: Analyze usage patterns to enhance user experience and website functionality
For Analytics: Understand how visitors use our site to improve content and features
For Advertising: When implemented, to display relevant advertisements and measure their effectiveness (for users 13+ only)
For Security: Detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, or abuse
For Communication: Respond to your inquiries and provide support
For Legal Compliance: Meet legal obligations and respond to lawful requests

4. COPPA Compliance (Children’s Privacy)

4.1 Strict Age-Based Processing

Our website strictly complies with the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We implement the following measures:

Age Gate: Before any search functionality, users must indicate if they are under 13
Under-13 Experience: If a user indicates they are under 13:
- Search queries are displayed but immediately discarded
- No names are stored in our database
- No tracking cookies are placed
- No analytics data is collected
- No advertising is displayed
- No email addresses can be submitted
- No personal information is collected
- Session ends after displaying search results
Over-13 Experience: If a user confirms they are 13 or older:
- Normal search functionality is enabled
- Standard data processing applies as described in this policy

4.2 No Collection from Children Under 13

We do NOT knowingly:

Collect, use, or disclose personal information from children under 13
Allow children under 13 to submit email addresses or contact information
Store any search queries from users under 13
Use tracking technologies for users under 13
Display advertising to users under 13

4.3 Parental Controls

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided us with information:

Please contact us immediately at privacy@howmanyofme.site
We will promptly investigate and delete any such information
We will take steps to prevent future collection from that child

4.4 Age Verification Methods

We use multiple methods to verify age:

Initial age confirmation prompt
No persistent age verification that could track children
Clear distinction between under-13 and over-13 experiences

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

5.1 Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies: Required for basic site functionality
Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website (disabled for under-13)
Advertising Cookies: Used by advertising partners to deliver relevant ads (disabled for under-13)

Users Under 13: No cookies are set except essential session cookies that expire immediately
Users 13 and Over: Standard cookie implementation as described below

5.3 Google Services and Cookies

When we implement Google services (such as Google AdSense or Google Analytics), Google may use cookies to:

Serve personalized advertisements based on your browsing activity (13+ only)
Measure ad performance and effectiveness (13+ only)
Provide analytics services to understand user behavior (13+ only)

5.4 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or delete existing cookies. However, disabling essential cookies may affect your ability to use some features of our website.

6. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect information:

Google Analytics: For website analytics and performance measurement (disabled for under-13)
Cloudflare: For security, performance optimization, and DDoS protection
Google AdSense: For displaying advertisements (disabled for under-13)
Hosting Provider: For website infrastructure and data storage

These third parties have their own privacy policies governing how they use collected information.

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

With Service Providers: With companies that provide services on our behalf (hosting, analytics, advertising)
With Advertising Partners: When advertising is implemented, with advertising networks like Google AdSense (13+ only)
For Legal Reasons: If required by law, regulation, or legal process
To Protect Rights: To protect the rights, property, or safety of our website, users, or others
With Your Consent: When you give us explicit permission to share your information

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

Important: No data from users under 13 is ever shared with any third party.

8. Data Retention

We retain information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

Name Search Queries (13+): Processed in real-time; anonymized statistical data retained indefinitely
Name Search Queries (Under-13): Immediately discarded; not stored
Usage Data: Retained for up to 26 months for analytics purposes (13+ only)
Server Logs: Retained for up to 30 days for security monitoring
Contact Information: Retained until inquiry resolution, then deleted within 90 days
Cookies: As per their individual expiration settings

9. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information, including:

SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit
Regular security updates and vulnerability scanning
Limited access to data on a need-to-know basis
Secure hosting infrastructure with industry-standard protections
Age-based data segmentation to protect children’s data

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

10. International Data Transfers

Our website is hosted in the United States. If you are accessing our site from outside the U.S., your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the U.S. where our servers are located.

11. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

11.1 General Rights

Access: Request information about what data we have
Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data
Deletion: Request deletion of your data
Opt-Out: Opt out of certain data collection and processing

11.2 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

California residents have the right to:

Know what personal information is collected, used, and disclosed
Delete personal information
Opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information
Non-discrimination for exercising these rights

EU and UK residents have the right to:

Access your personal data
Rectify inaccurate data
Erase your personal data
Restrict processing of your data
Data portability
Object to processing of your data
Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 15.

When we implement Google AdSense advertising, we comply with all Google Publisher Policies, including:

COPPA Compliance: We tag our site appropriately for child-directed treatment
Age-Based Advertising: No personalized advertising shown to users under 13
EU User Consent Policy: We obtain appropriate consent from EU users (13+ only)
Personalized Advertising: We provide clear information about personalized ads (13+ only)
Privacy Disclosures: We disclose data collection and sharing practices as required by Google

For more information about Google’s advertising practices, please visit Google’s Privacy & Terms.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by:

Updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page
Posting a notice on our website if changes are significant
Providing clear notice of changes to COPPA compliance practices

Your continued use of our website after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

14. Special Notice for Parents and Guardians

If your child is under 13:

They can only view search results, not contribute to our database
Their searches are immediately discarded and not stored
No personal information is collected from them
No tracking technologies are used
No advertising is displayed to them

To request deletion of information or report concerns:

Contact us at privacy@howmanyofme.site
Include “COPPA Request” in the subject line
Provide details about your concern
We will respond within 10 business days

15. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, our COPPA compliance, or our data practices, please contact us at:

For Privacy & COPPA Concerns: privacy@howmanyofme.site
For General Inquiries: hello@howmanyofme.site

We strive to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 7 business days. COPPA-specific inquiries receive priority attention.