Privacy Policy

The TL;DR

LookingBusy is a parody productivity site. There are no accounts, no sign-ups, no payments, no email collection (unless you voluntarily join the newsletter). We use privacy-friendly analytics to count visits in aggregate — no cookies, no IP addresses stored, no advertising profiles built. The site is supported by a small number of sponsored items and affiliate links that are always labeled; none of them track you. If you don't want even the analytics, disable JavaScript or use a content blocker; the site still works.

Who runs this site

LookingBusy is built by Bob Van Labs as an independent project. For privacy questions, including any rights under the GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, LGPD, PIPEDA, or similar laws, reach us at [email protected].

What we collect

Analytics: We use Vercel Web Analytics and Vercel Speed Insights to count page views and measure how fast pages load, plus PostHog — configured cookieless, with in-memory identifiers only, so nothing is stored on your device — to understand which features get used. Our host, Cloudflare, also provides aggregate cookieless traffic analytics. None of these store IP addresses, set tracking cookies, or build cross-site profiles. We see counts like "423 people visited /modes/breeder this week" — not who you are.

Server logs: Our hosting provider (Vercel) keeps standard server logs for security, abuse prevention, and debugging. These contain IP addresses for a short period and are deleted automatically. See Vercel's privacy policy for retention details.

Cookies: We don't set any tracking cookies. The site uses localStorage to remember your sound and Boss Mode preferences. That data stays on your device and is never sent to us.

Newsletter: If you opt into the newsletter, we collect your email address to send you the newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time using the link in every email. We don't share or sell the list.

Survival certificate: If you ask us to email your survival certificate, the form sends your email address along with the details printed on the certificate itself: the title you earned, how many seconds you survived, which mode you played, and the name and company you typed into the splash screen (if you typed any — they are optional and default to empty). That goes to our mailing-list system, Sendy, which we self-host at mail.bobvan.com. It is used to render the certificate and to send the weekly newsletter you are subscribed to at the same time. We don't sell or share it.

Email correspondence: If you contact us at the address above, we'll have your email and whatever you wrote. We use it to reply, and that's it.

What we don't do

We don't sell your data. We don't share it with advertisers. We don't fingerprint your browser. We don't use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any other ad-tech tracker. We don't buy email lists. Sponsors get aggregate click counts and nothing else — no email, no name, no browsing history, nothing that identifies you.

Sponsored content, affiliate links, and our other sites

To keep the site free, some items inside the simulator are sponsored — for example, a “your order shipped” email from a sponsor, a lunch-and-learn on the fake calendar, or a discount offered on the survival score. Every one of them is labeled “Sponsored.” Sponsors provide the wording and a link; they don't get any data about you. We report them aggregate counts — how many people saw or clicked their item — never who. Sponsored links open the sponsor's site in a new tab, and that site has its own cookies and privacy policy.

Affiliate links never appear inside the simulator. Sponsorship and affiliate marketing are different things, and we keep them in different places. Inside the simulator you may see a labeled sponsorship, which a sponsor pays a flat fee for and which earns us nothing extra whether you click it or not. Affiliate links — where we earn a commission if you sign up — live only on content pages like the mode guides and gear guides, and are labeled there.

Either way, advertising never changes how the simulator behaves. The fake work you see is not influenced by who is paying. We also link to other sites we own and operate, like BirthdayBananas and GroupDex — those are house links, not paid ads. Clicking a sponsored or affiliate link is never required to use the site.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or port any personal data we hold about you, to object to processing, or to withdraw consent. Since we don't collect personal data through the site (beyond a voluntary newsletter subscription), there's usually nothing to access or delete — but if you're on the newsletter or you've emailed us, just reply and ask. We'll handle it within 30 days.

EU/EEA visitors: you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority. UK visitors: that's the ICO. California residents: you have additional rights under CCPA/CPRA, including the right to know what we collect and the right to opt out of any sale or sharing of personal information (we don't do either).

Children

LookingBusy is satire about adult professional life. It's not aimed at children under 13 (or 16 in the EU/EEA), and we don't knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a child has used this site and you have a concern, email us.

Changes to this policy

If we change how the site collects or uses information, we'll update this page and bump the "last updated" date at the top. Material changes will also be announced on the homepage.

Legal basis (for EU/UK folks)

To the extent any processing under this policy involves personal data and the GDPR/UK GDPR applies, our legal basis is legitimate interest for operating the site, preventing abuse, and using privacy-friendly aggregate analytics, and consent for the optional newsletter. We've done the balancing test; the impact on individual rights is minimal because we don't identify individuals through the site.