Australian Atlas Network: Privacy Policy

Effective: 18 August 2026
Version 1.0

This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with, and what you can do about it.

In this policy, "we", "us" and "Atlas" means Matthew Stirling (ABN 47 794 627 716), trading as the Australian Atlas Network.

The Sites means australianatlas.com.au and each vertical site we operate under the Australian Atlas Network name.

Personal information means information about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, as defined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

The Australian Atlas Network is a small business and is not currently required to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

We handle personal information in accordance with those Principles anyway, as a matter of policy. We treat the commitments in this document as binding on us, and you can hold us to them.

If you browse the Sites and do nothing else, we collect technical information automatically: IP address, browser type and version, device type, the pages you view, the time of your visit, and the page that referred you. This is collected by our hosting provider as part of delivering the site and generating aggregate traffic statistics.

If you create an account or claim a listing, we collect your name, email address, the business you are claiming, and any contact or business details you enter. If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and profile image from Google. We do not receive or store your Google password.

If you pay a listing fee, payment is processed by Stripe. We receive confirmation of payment, the last four digits of the card, the card type and the billing country. We do not receive, see or store your full card number, expiry date or security code.

If you email us, we collect your email address and whatever you put in the message, and we keep that correspondence.

If you subscribe to a newsletter or digest, we collect your email address, and we record whether emails were delivered, opened and clicked.

If you nominate a business, request a correction, or make a complaint, we collect what you send us, including your contact details and any evidence you provide.

We do not collect sensitive information as defined in the Privacy Act, and we ask that you do not send it to us.

Most listings on the Sites are created editorially, without the business asking us to and without payment. To build a listing we collect publicly available business information: trading name, street address, opening hours, business phone number, business email address, website, social media links and published editorial coverage.

Most of this is business information rather than personal information. Some of it can be both. A sole trader's business name is often their own name, and a business address is sometimes a home address. We treat that information as personal information and handle it accordingly.

If you operate a listed business and want your listing corrected or removed, email editor@australianatlas.com.au. Removal is free, always available, and does not require a reason. We act within 10 business days. This applies whether or not the listing has been claimed or paid for.

If a published address is your home, tell us and we will suppress it, hold the listing without a street address, or remove the listing, whichever you prefer.

We use personal information to:

(a) operate and publish the Sites and the directory;
(b) verify listing claims and confirm that a claimant is authorised to act for a business;
(c) process payments, issue tax invoices and manage renewals;
(d) provide the operator dashboard and its analytics;
(e) send service messages, including receipts, renewal notices, security notices and changes to our terms;
(f) send editorial newsletters and digests where you have consented or we are otherwise permitted to send them;
(g) respond to correspondence, corrections, removal requests and complaints;
(h) understand aggregate traffic and improve the Sites;
(i) contact businesses about their listings; and
(j) comply with our legal obligations, including tax record keeping.

We do not sell personal information. We do not sell or rent our mailing list. We do not run advertising on the Sites and we do not share personal information with advertisers or data brokers.

We use cookies and similar technologies that are necessary to make the Sites work, including keeping you signed in and remembering your session.

We collect aggregate traffic statistics to understand how the Sites are used. We do not build advertising profiles and we do not use tracking technologies that follow you across other websites.

You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. If you block essential cookies, sign in and the operator dashboard will not work.

We use third party providers to run the Sites. They receive only what they need, and they act on our instructions.

  • Supabase (database and authentication). Our project is hosted in Tokyo, Japan.
  • Vercel (hosting and content delivery). United States and global edge network.
  • Stripe (payment processing). Australia, United States and Ireland.
  • Resend (transactional and newsletter email). United States.
  • Mapbox (maps). United States.
  • Google (sign in, where you choose it). United States.

We may also disclose personal information where the law requires it, where it is necessary to investigate suspected fraud or misuse of the Sites, or to establish or defend a legal claim.

If the Australian Atlas Network is sold, personal information may transfer to the purchaser as part of the business. We would notify account holders before that happened.

Several of our providers store or process information outside Australia, in the countries listed above. By using the Sites and providing information to us, you consent to that disclosure.

We take reasonable steps to use reputable providers with published security and privacy commitments. We cannot guarantee that an overseas recipient will handle information in a way that meets Australian standards, and Australian privacy law may not apply to them.

Service messages relating to your account, including receipts, renewal notices and security notices, are sent while you hold an account and cannot be opted out of.

Editorial newsletters, digests and marketing emails are sent only where you have consented, or where we are otherwise permitted to send them under the Spam Act 2003 (Cth). Every one carries an unsubscribe link that works, and we action unsubscribes within 5 business days.

We may contact a business at a published business address about its listing. If you would prefer not to hear from us, tell us and we will stop.

We hold personal information in access controlled systems provided by the suppliers listed in clause 6. Traffic to the Sites is encrypted in transit. Access to administrative systems is restricted to us.

No system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the security of information transmitted to us over the internet, and you send it at your own risk.

If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify the individuals affected and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, as if the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme applied to us. We will do that promptly, and we will tell you what happened, what information was involved and what we are doing about it.

We keep account and listing information while the account exists, and for 12 months afterwards.

We keep payment and invoice records for 5 years, as required by Australian tax law.

We keep correspondence, correction requests, removal requests and complaints for 2 years, so that we have a record of what was decided and why.

We keep aggregate traffic statistics indefinitely. These do not identify individuals.

Editorial listing content, including descriptions we have written, is not deleted when an account closes. It is our own editorial work and is dealt with under our Terms and our removal policy.

You can ask us what personal information we hold about you and ask for a copy. You can ask us to correct anything that is wrong.

Email editor@australianatlas.com.au. We will respond within 30 days. There is no charge.

We will ask you to verify your identity before we release information. If we refuse a request, we will tell you why in writing.

You can also correct most of your own information directly through your account and the operator dashboard.

You can ask us to close your account and delete the personal information associated with it. Email listings@australianatlas.com.au.

Two things to understand before you do:

Deleting your account does not delete the listing for your business. The listing reverts to an unclaimed editorial listing and stays published. If you want the listing gone as well, ask for that separately and we will remove it. Both requests are free.

We cannot delete payment and invoice records inside the tax retention period, or correspondence relating to an unresolved dispute or complaint.

If you think we have mishandled your personal information, email editor@australianatlas.com.au setting out what happened and what you want done. We will acknowledge within 5 business days and respond substantively within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au, or by phone on 1300 363 992.

The Sites are not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe we have, tell us and we will delete it.

We may update this policy. The current version is always published on the Sites with the date it took effect and a version number. If a change materially affects how we handle personal information about account holders, we will email you before it takes effect.

Privacy questions, access requests, corrections and complaints: editor@australianatlas.com.au

Account and billing: listings@australianatlas.com.au