Privacy Policy

This policy explains what happens to your data when you use storylurk.com, including our Instagram story viewer and related tools. The short answer: we collect very little.

The short version

• You don't create an account, and we never ask for your Instagram login.
• We don't keep a history of the usernames you search.
• We keep short-term copies of public Instagram content so pages load faster.
• To stop bots, we use a scrambled version of your IP address for up to 24 hours.
• We don't sell or share your personal information.

Information we don't collect

StoryLurk has no user accounts. We don't ask for your name, email address, phone number, Instagram username or password, or any social media login. You should never give them to us. We don't build profiles of visitors, and we don't keep a list of the accounts you look up.

Information we use to run the site

Usernames you search

When you search, we receive the username so we can look up that account's public content. It isn't added to the page address, so it doesn't show up in website logs. We don't save it to a history or link it to you.

Short-term copies of public content

We keep a temporary copy (a cache) of the public content we look up, so it loads faster the next time. This includes things like a profile's bio, stats, stories, posts, reels and highlights. These copies delete themselves: stories after about 30 minutes, posts, reels and highlights after about 6 hours, and profile details after about 24 hours. They hold information about public accounts, not about you.

Bot protection

To stop bots from overloading the site, we count how many searches each visitor makes in a short period. For this we use a scrambled version of your IP address that can't be turned back into the original. These counts are deleted within 24 hours and aren't used for anything else.

Daily totals

We count how many lookups we make each day so we can manage costs. These are plain numbers, with no usernames, IP addresses or other personal information.

Website logs

Like any website, our hosting company automatically records basic technical details to run the site and keep it secure. These include your IP address, browser type and the pages you visit. It keeps these logs for a limited time under its own policies. The usernames you search aren't part of the page addresses in these logs.

Cookies

StoryLurk doesn't use cookies to track you, and it doesn't save your searches in your browser.

We may add ads in the future. If we do, advertising companies such as Google may use cookies to show you ads based on your visits to StoryLurk and other sites. You can turn off personalized ads in Google's Ads Settings and opt out of many other advertising cookies at aboutads.info. In places where the law requires it, like the UK and Europe, we'll ask for your consent before using any non-essential cookies. We'll update this policy before any ads go live.

Companies that help us run StoryLurk

• Hosting: runs the website and keeps the basic technical logs described above.
• Public data provider: a third-party service that looks up public Instagram content for us. It receives the username being looked up, but nothing about you.
• Temporary storage: if we use an outside service for it, that service holds the short-term copies and bot-protection counts described above.
• Advertising (if we add it): handles data as described in the cookies section.

Children's privacy

StoryLurk isn't meant for children under 13, or under the minimum age in your country. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children.

Your rights

Depending on where you live (for example California, the UK or Europe), you may have the right to see, correct or delete your personal information. You may also be able to object to how it's used, or to opt out of its sale or sharing. Because we don't keep accounts or search histories, we usually don't hold anything that can be linked to you. To make a request, email support@storylurk.com and we'll reply within the time the law requires.

Content removal requests

Own a public Instagram account and don't want it on StoryLurk? Email support@storylurk.com with the username and a way to confirm you own it. We'll block it from the site. Any temporary copies stop showing right away and are deleted within 24 hours. You can read more on our About page.

International visitors

StoryLurk's servers may be in the United States or other countries. By using the site, you understand that the small amount of technical data described here may be handled there.

Changes to this policy

If our practices change, we'll update this page and the date at the top, and we'll point out any important changes. Our Terms of Service explain the rules for using the site.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email support@storylurk.com.