Privacy notice

How we measure the site

To improve the site we count anonymous, combined interactions, such as how many people read to the end of an article, which buttons are clicked and how fast pages load. We do not use cookies for this, we do not store IP addresses and nothing is linked to you as an individual unless you have a 311 account (see Your 311 account below). If your browser sends a Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signal, we do not count your visit at all.

To understand how the site and the Starburst are used, we also record how people move through the pages: what they hover over, click and open, what they search for (including how they rephrase a search), how they zoom and move around the Starburst, the path of the pointer, which parts of a page were on screen, how fast the page loaded on their device, and whether a visit led to a booking enquiry, a report request or a download. In the Starburst we also record what you type, including your searches and anything you enter into a form there, such as your name or E-Mail address, even if you do not send it. We use this only to understand how the Starburst is used and to improve it and our services. It is kept securely on our own systems, it is never sold, and it is kept only for as long as we need it for that purpose. On the rest of the site we do not record what you type into contact or enquiry forms, only whether a form was started or sent. A temporary identifier links the pages you view in one browser tab and is deleted when you close the tab. We only recognise a returning visitor, or the organisation behind a network, if you have agreed to that through our cookie choices. You can switch this measurement off for your browser at any time: stop measurement.

Organisations, returning visitors and our other websites

The 311 Institute group runs a small number of websites: 311institute.com, fanaticalfuturist.com, matthew-griffin.com and thefuturesauthority.com. To understand which organisations are interested in our work, and which pages and sources lead to enquiries, each of these sites sends a short record of every visit to our own systems on 311institute.com: the pages viewed, the buttons clicked, whether a form was started or sent, downloads, links to other sites, and how the visit began, such as a search, a link, a campaign or an E-Mail from us. We do not record what you type into forms on these pages. This section is the privacy notice for matthew-griffin.com and fanaticalfuturist.com too: their privacy links point here.

Organisation lookup. We look up the network your connection comes from in the public registries that record who holds each block of internet addresses, and its public network name. This often names a company, university or public body. Home broadband and mobile networks are recorded only as an internet provider and are not used. We keep the organisation name and a scrambled (salted and hashed) form of your address, used only to screen out automated traffic and avoid counting a visit twice. We never store your IP address or the details of your browser, and we never try to work out who you are from your connection. Network lookups are kept for 30 days.

Returning visitors. Only if you allow it in our cookie choices (“Improve the site” on 311institute.com, “Accept” on our other sites) do we set a cookie called wme_vid. It is a first-party cookie on the site you are visiting, holds only a random visitor ID, lasts up to 13 months and lets us recognise your browser when you come back. Without it, a visit is counted only while it lasts, and only at organisation level.

Cookies and your choices on matthew-griffin.com and fanaticalfuturist.com. On your first visit a small bar offers “Essential only” or “Accept”. Your choice is kept in your browser as wme_consent (browser storage, not a cookie) for up to 13 months, so we do not ask again. The wme_vid cookie is set only after you click Accept. Where one of these sites uses Google Analytics or Microsoft Clarity, they set analytics cookies only after you click Accept. If you choose Essential only, the visit record described above is still sent to the 311 Institute without a visitor ID and is used only for counts and organisation-level insight. The site also keeps the first page you landed on, and how you arrived, in your browser so that an enquiry can tell us how you found us. To change your mind at any time, use “Cookie choices” at the bottom of every page.

When you tell us who you are. If you send us an enquiry, ask for a download, sign in, or click a link in an E-Mail we sent you, we link your earlier and later visits in that browser, on any of our sites where you have allowed the cookie, to your details. Enquiry and download forms also send where your visit began (the first page you saw, the site or search that sent you, and any campaign tags) with your details. We use this to reply in a way that fits your interests, to see which pages and sources are useful and to decide how to follow up. We do not use it to make automated decisions about you.

Our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in understanding and growing our business, and your consent for the wme_vid cookie. Visit records are kept for 13 months. You can withdraw consent at any time in “Cookie settings” (311institute.com) or “Cookie choices” (our other sites) at the bottom of every page, and if your browser sends a Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signal none of this happens. To see what we hold about you, or to ask us to delete it, E-Mail enquiries@311institute.com.

Your 311 account

When you have a 311 account, including the free membership you join when you ask for a report or sign up, we link your use of the site to your account. We do this to run your account, tailor what you see and offer you services that fit your interests. It covers your sign-ins (when, on which device and from which country), the pages and topics you read, how long you spend, what you search for, what you download and click, and the interests you choose. If you visited earlier from the same browser and agreed to returning-visitor measurement, those earlier visits are linked too. We keep this securely on our own systems and never sell it. Our lawful basis is the contract for your account and our legitimate interest in improving our services. To see what we hold, or to object, E-Mail enquiries@311institute.com.

You can add a recovery E-Mail address in Sign-in and security. We use it only to help you get back into your account, unless you tick the box asking for 311 updates there too. You can change or remove it at any time.