The short version
- You can read everything on What Helps without an account.
- Answers you give in our questionnaires stay in your browser. They are not sent to us or stored.
- We do not use advertising trackers and we do not sell personal data.
- We process a small amount of technical data to deliver the site and keep it secure.
- You can contact us at any time to exercise your rights.
Who we are
This policy applies to this website and the content published on it under the name What Helps (“we”, “us”). We decide how and why personal data is processed when you use the site. For any question about this policy or your data, write to ask@whathelps.health.
What we collect
Technical data when you visit
Like almost every website, loading a page involves processing your IP address, the date and time of the request, the pages requested, the referring page, and the type of browser and device used. This data is needed to deliver the site, diagnose problems and protect it against abuse.
Messages you send us
If you write to us, we process your email address, the content of your message and any information you choose to include, so that we can reply.
Usage measurement
Where we measure how the site is used, we do so in aggregate, for example how many times a guide was read, without building a profile of individual visitors and without following you across other websites.
What we do not collect
We do not ask for your name, address, payment details or medical records in order to use the site, and we do not buy personal data from third parties.
Health information
Our guides and questionnaires deal with health topics, but they are built so that you do not have to give us health information. Questionnaire answers are processed on your device to decide what to show you; they are not transmitted to us, saved in an account or linked to your identity, and they disappear when you leave or reload the page.
Please do not send medical details by email. We cannot give individual medical advice, and anything you choose to send is processed only to answer your message.
Why we use it
We process personal data only for the following purposes, and on these legal grounds:
- Delivering and securing the site: our legitimate interest in operating a working, safe website.
- Answering your messages: our legitimate interest in responding to people who contact us, or steps taken at your request.
- Understanding aggregate use: our legitimate interest in improving the content, using methods that do not identify you; where the law requires it, your consent.
- Meeting legal obligations: where we are required to keep or disclose information.
We do not make decisions about you by automated means that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
Cookies and similar technologies
We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. The site may store small pieces of information on your device where they are strictly necessary for it to work or to remember a choice you made.
If we ever introduce optional cookies or similar technologies that require consent, we will ask for it first and update this page. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time.
Who receives data
We share personal data only where necessary, with:
- Service providers that host and deliver the site, protect it, measure aggregate use and handle email, acting on our instructions and under confidentiality obligations.
- Authorities or advisers where the law requires it or where it is necessary to protect rights, safety or property.
- A successor, if the site is transferred to another operator, under the same protections.
We do not sell personal data. Some pages may link to retailers or other websites, and a link may be an affiliate link, which is always disclosed next to it. When you follow a link, the other site's own privacy policy applies; we do not pass your personal data to it.
International transfers
Our service providers may process data in countries other than the one you live in. Where data is transferred outside your country or region, we rely on appropriate safeguards recognised by applicable data protection law, such as adequacy decisions or standard contractual clauses.
How long we keep it
- Technical logs are kept for a short period needed for security and troubleshooting, then deleted or aggregated.
- Messages are kept for as long as needed to handle your request and for a reasonable period afterwards.
- Aggregate statistics do not identify you and may be kept for longer.
- Questionnaire answers are never stored by us.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- ask whether we hold personal data about you and receive a copy of it;
- have inaccurate data corrected;
- have your data deleted, or its use restricted;
- object to processing based on our legitimate interests;
- receive data you provided in a portable format;
- withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent;
- lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
To exercise any of these rights, write to ask@whathelps.health. We will reply within the time limits set by applicable law and may ask for information needed to confirm your identity.
Children
What Helps is written for adults and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.
Security
We use technical and organisational measures appropriate to the limited data we handle, including encrypted connections. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affecting your rights occurs, we will inform you and the competent authority where the law requires it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when the site or the law changes. The date at the top of the page shows the latest version, and significant changes will be highlighted on the site.
Contact
Questions, requests and complaints about privacy: ask@whathelps.health. See also our terms of use and medical disclaimer.