Privacy Policy
BeforeNow is built to tell you about places — not to profile you. This policy explains, in plain language, what we collect and why. Last updated 4 August 2026.
BeforeNow ("we", "us") is operated by Mercatura Holdings LLC. We designed the service to work with as little personal data as possible. We do not sell your data, and we do not build advertising profiles from your movements.
Your location
To tell you the history of where you are, the app needs your approximate location. Your device asks your permission first. We use those coordinates only to look up nearby historical information for that request. We do not keep a continuous log of your movements, and location is never shared with third parties for advertising.
What we store
- On your device: the places you've discovered (your "passport"), your language choice, and a random identifier — all kept in your browser's local storage and never tied to your name.
- On our servers: anonymous, aggregated usage events (for example, that a discovery occurred, roughly where, and whether it came from the cache) so we can keep the service reliable and understand what's useful. These are linked to a random identifier, not to you personally.
- If you buy a subscription or unlock: our payment processor handles your payment details directly; we receive only a confirmation of your purchase and its status. We never see your full card number.
Third-party sources
Historical content is drawn from open archives — Wikipedia, Wikidata, OpenStreetMap, and Wikimedia Commons — and maps and imagery are served from their providers. When your device requests that content, those services receive standard technical information (such as an IP address) as part of the request, governed by their own privacy policies.
Advertising
Free use of BeforeNow may be supported by advertising, including optional rewarded videos you choose to watch for extra searches. Where ads are shown, they may use standard mobile advertising identifiers; you can reset or limit these in your device settings. Subscribers and one-time purchasers see no ads.
Cookies
The website uses only what's necessary to function. We do not use third-party tracking cookies on this site.
Children
BeforeNow is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Your choices
You can revoke location permission at any time in your device settings, clear your on-device history from within the app, and reset your advertising identifier through your operating system. To ask what we hold or to request deletion of any account data, contact us below.
Contact
Questions about this policy? Write to [email protected].