Cookie Policy & Data Protocols

1. Introduction

This Cookie Policy explains how PHYS.RUN ("we", "us", and "our") uses cookies, pixels, local storage, and similar technologies (collectively, "Cookies") to recognize you when you visit our platform. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them.

As a UK-based company serving a global audience, we adhere to the UK GDPR, EU GDPR, and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) standards.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used by website owners to make their websites work, or to work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information.

3. How We Use Cookies (The "Why")

We use cookies for the following specific purposes:

• Authentication: To identify you when you sign in to PHYS.RUN.
• Security: To protect your user account and the integrity of our platform (e.g., preventing CSRF attacks).
• Performance & Analytics: To measure traffic patterns and determine which areas of our platform have been visited. We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with IP Anonymization enabled by default.
• Functionality: To remember your simulation settings, rendering preferences (e.g., WebGPU vs. WebGL), and UI themes.

4. Categories of Cookies We Use

We classify cookies into the following categories consistent with our Consent Management Platform (CMP):

4.1 Strictly Necessary (Essential)

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features, such as access to secure areas.

• Examples: Firebase Auth tokens, Load balancing session stickiness.
• Consent: Because these are strictly necessary, you cannot refuse them without impacting how our website functions.

4.2 Performance & Analytics (Statistics)

These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are.

• Service: Google Analytics 4 (via Firebase).
• Privacy Protocol: We adhere to Google Consent Mode v2. Unless you explicitly grant "Analytics Storage" permission, Google tags will operate in a restricted mode without storing cookies.

4.3 Functional (Preferences)

These cookies allow our sites to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features.

• Examples: Saving your last-used physics solver configuration.

5. AI Agents & Automated Data Access

Transparency on AI Interaction:

We implement specific protocols (llms.txt, robots.txt) to manage how Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents interact with our platform.

• Public Documentation: We allow recognized AI agents (e.g., for coding assistance) to access our public documentation to help developers use our API.
• Private User Data: We strictly BLOCK AI crawlers from accessing private simulation data, user dashboards, or non-public content. Your intellectual property created on PHYS.RUN is protected from unauthorized AI training scraping.

6. International Data Transfers

PHYS.RUN operates globally. Your information, including personal data that we collect from you, may be transferred to, stored at and processed by us and our third-party service providers (Google Cloud/Firebase) outside the country in which you reside, including in the United States.

We rely on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and/or Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) to ensure your data remains protected.

7. Managing Your Preferences

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies.

• Consent Banner: You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" or "Privacy" link in our website footer.
• Browser Controls: You can set or amend your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies.
• Global Privacy Control (GPC): We honor GPC signals from supported browsers/extensions.

8. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to the cookies we use or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. Please therefore re-visit this Cookie Policy regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other technologies, please contact us: