Privacy Policy & Cookie Disclosures
Effective Date: August 22, 2026 • Last Reviewed & Updated: September 2026
1. Introduction & Privacy-First Philosophy
At OnlineReadingSpeedTest.com ("we", "us", or "our"), accessible via the OnlineReadingSpeedTest.com Homepage, user privacy and data sovereignty are fundamental architectural principles. This website was created and is operated by Gourav Das as an independent open educational tool designed to help readers across the world measure and enhance their reading fluency.
Unlike corporate learning management platforms that require invasive user profiling, mandatory account registration, and persistent cloud tracking, OnlineReadingSpeedTest.com operates on a local-first, privacy-respecting client architecture. You can take reading speed assessments, calculate WPM, evaluate comprehension, and track personal bests without creating an account, disclosing your name, or providing an email address.
This Privacy Policy explains what technical data is processed, how client-side storage is utilized, our compliance with advertising standards (including Google AdSense), and your rights under global privacy frameworks such as the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
2. Information We Do NOT Collect
To maintain transparency, we explicitly state the categories of personal data that we do not collect, request, or store on our servers:
- No Personal Identifiers: We do not ask for or store your legal name, physical address, postal code, or telephone number.
- No Account Credentials: There is no user registration system, login screen, or password database on this platform.
- No Financial or Payment Data: All core tools, timers, calculators, and widgets are 100% free. We never request credit card numbers, billing addresses, or banking details.
- No Biometric or Ocular Data: While our platform discusses cognitive eye-tracking research (such as Keith Rayner's saccadic fixation studies), we do not access webcams, track eye movements, or record ocular biometric data.
3. Client-Side Web Storage (localStorage Architecture)
To provide interactive features like historical progress charts, personal best scores, and customized display settings without sending your data to external databases, OnlineReadingSpeedTest.com utilizes your browser's native Web Storage API (localStorage).
The specific data keys saved strictly inside your local browser sandbox include:
| Storage Key | Functional Purpose | Data Scope & Persistence |
|---|---|---|
| orst_test_history | Stores an array of your recent test scores (Gross WPM, EWPM, Accuracy %, Category, Date) for progress graphs. | Local device only. Never transmitted to our servers. |
| orst_user_streak | Tracks consecutive active reading days to encourage daily reading habits. | Local device only. Never transmitted to our servers. |
| orst_reader_theme | Preserves your preferred reader palette (Light, Warm Cream, Sepia, Dark, or High-Contrast OLED). | Local device only. Never transmitted to our servers. |
| orst_font_preferences | Saves your chosen typography, font size (16px–24px), line height, and reading ruler toggle state. | Local device only. Never transmitted to our servers. |
User Data Control & Deletion: Because all test history and configuration data resides solely on your client hardware, you retain absolute ownership. You can clear this data at any moment by clicking "Clear Test History" within the app settings modal or by clearing your browser's site cookies and local storage.
4. Edge Server Logs & Technical Diagnostics
Like virtually all websites delivered via modern global content delivery networks (CDNs), OnlineReadingSpeedTest.com is served through enterprise edge infrastructure (such as Cloudflare). Edge servers automatically record technical network diagnostic log files when your browser requests web assets.
These technical log records may include:
- Internet Protocol (IP) address (used to route web packets and detect malicious DDoS traffic);
- Browser user-agent string and operating system version (used to deliver responsive CSS and compatible JavaScript);
- Date, timestamp, and HTTP response codes (e.g., 200 OK, 404 Not Found);
- Referring URLs and requested URI endpoints;
- TLS/SSL handshake telemetry and edge cache hit/miss statuses.
These diagnostic records are used exclusively for network security, automated DDoS mitigation, technical debugging, and bandwidth management. They are aggregated, rotated automatically, and are never combined with personal identities.
5. Google AdSense, Advertising Cookies & Third-Party Networks
To maintain OnlineReadingSpeedTest.com as a 100% free educational service without subscription fees, we partner with reputable third-party advertising providers, including Google AdSense.
Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies and web beacons to serve advertisements based on a user's prior visits to this website or other websites on the internet. Google's use of advertising cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) enables it and its certified ad partners to serve relevant advertisements to our visitors based on their browsing history.
- Google Personalized Ads Opt-Out: You can manage or disable personalized advertising served by Google by visiting Google Ads Settings.
- Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA): You can opt out of collection for interest-based advertising across multiple corporate ad networks through the DAA WebChoices Consumer Tool.
- Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): Additional opt-out controls are available via the NAI Consumer Opt-Out Page.
- European Visitors (EDAA): Readers in the European Union, UK, or Switzerland can manage behavioral advertising consents via the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance.
- Google Partner Policy: To learn more about how Google processes information collected across partner sites and apps, review Google's Advertising Privacy & Terms.
Strict Viewport Integrity Guarantee: We enforce an unyielding design principle: No advertising banners, video popups, or interstitial units are ever permitted inside the active reading test container or during comprehension questions. Advertising units are restricted to designated margin areas with zero Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) to prevent disruption of your reading focus.
6. California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA Disclosures)
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (CPRA), California residents enjoy specific statutory privacy rights regarding their personal information:
- Right to Know & Access: You have the right to request disclosure of what personal data categories a business collects, uses, discloses, or sells.
- Right to Deletion: You have the right to request that a business delete any personal data collected from you.
- Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: You have the right to direct businesses that sell or share personal information to cease doing so. We do not sell personal data.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not deny services, charge different prices, or provide a different quality of service because you exercise your statutory privacy rights.
California consumers wishing to submit a formal CCPA inquiry may contact us at gouravdasriju5@gmail.com. We will respond to verified consumer requests within 45 calendar days.
7. European Economic Area & UK Privacy Rights (GDPR Compliance)
If you reside in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you possess statutory rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018:
- Legal Basis for Processing: We process technical edge server telemetry based on legitimate interests (maintaining website security, uptime, and load balancing). Advertising cookies are deployed based on user consent captured via compliant Consent Management Platforms (CMPs).
- Right of Access & Rectification: You may request confirmation of whether personal data is processed and request corrections of inaccurate records.
- Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You may request the deletion of your personal data where statutory grounds exist.
- Right to Restrict & Object to Processing: You have the right to object to data processing for direct marketing or based on legitimate interests.
- Right to Data Portability: You may request your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
- Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a formal complaint with your national Data Protection Authority (DPA) or the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
8. Children's Privacy (COPPA & FERPA Considerations)
Safeguarding young learners is paramount. OnlineReadingSpeedTest.com is an educational self-assessment platform intended for general audiences, secondary students, and adult readers.
We do not knowingly collect, solicit, or store personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in certain European jurisdictions), in strict accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Because our website requires no user accounts, no login credentials, and no form submissions, children can safely practice reading fluency without exposing personal data.
If a parent, legal guardian, or school administrator believes that a child has inadvertently submitted personal information to our systems, please contact us immediately at gouravdasriju5@gmail.com, and we will promptly investigate and expunge any corresponding records.
9. Do Not Track (DNT) & Global Privacy Control (GPC)
Some modern browsers broadcast a "Do Not Track" (DNT) or "Global Privacy Control" (GPC) header signal to websites you visit. Because uniform industry standards for responding to DNT signals remain under development, our edge servers recognize standard GPC signals to limit commercial behavioral tracking where technically supported by participating third-party advertising networks.
10. Policy Updates & Amendments
We reserve the right to revise or amend this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect technological advancements, updates to our assessment features, or changes in legal regulations. Any modifications will be posted directly to this URL with an updated "Effective Date" at the top of the page. We encourage visitors to review this policy periodically.
11. Official Contact Information & Data Inquiries
OnlineReadingSpeedTest.com was created and is actively operated by Gourav Das. For questions, data requests, or compliance inquiries concerning this Privacy Policy, please reach out via our dedicated channels: