Overview
Dr Documentary (drdocumentary.com) is a free, curated discovery platform that helps visitors find documentary films and educational videos hosted on third-party platforms such as YouTube. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how it is used, which partners help us run the site, and the choices you have. Dr Documentary is operated from Canada.
Information We Collect
Information collected automatically. Like most websites, we and our partners collect standard usage information when you visit, such as the pages you view, how long you stay, the website that referred you, your browser and device type, screen size, language, and an approximate location (city or region) based on your IP address.
Information you choose to give us. If you email us, suggest a film, create an account, post a comment or rate a documentary, we receive the information you provide, such as your email address, display name, message and suggestion details.
Information stored only in your browser. Without an account, your My List, viewing history, playback progress and preferences (such as your cookie choice) are kept in your own browser's local storage and are not sent to us.
Accounts and Saved Lists
Creating an account is optional. Without one, your My List, viewing history and playback progress are stored only in your own browser and are never sent to us.
If you choose to sign in with Google or with an emailed sign-in link, we use Google Firebase (Firebase Authentication and Cloud Firestore) so your saved documentaries follow you across devices. We store your email address and, if you sign in with Google, the name and profile photo Google provides, together with the documentaries in your list, the films you recently opened and how far you have watched each one. This data is stored on Google servers, which may be located outside your country. We do not store passwords, we do not sell this information, and we do not use it for advertising.
You can delete your account at any time from the My List page using Delete account. This permanently removes your saved list, history and progress from our database and deletes your sign-in record. Signing out removes the saved data from that browser while keeping it in your account.
If you post comments, they are public: other visitors can read them, together with your display name and the profile picture you choose. You can edit or delete your own comments at any time. Comments that other members report are reviewed by us and may be removed. Deleting your account also deletes all of your comments.
Signed-in members also have a public profile page showing their display name, profile picture, the badges they have earned, how many documentaries they have watched, how many comments and star ratings they have posted, and their recent comments. It never shows your email address, My List or viewing history. You can switch your public profile off at any time under Edit profile on the My List page, which removes it straight away.
When you rate a documentary, each film shows the average of member ratings and how many members rated it; individual ratings are not displayed on the site. Your rating is linked to your account so you can change or remove it. When you like a comment, a random member ID (not your name or email) is stored with that comment. Deleting your account also deletes your ratings and your public profile.
Accounts, comments and public profiles are intended for users aged 13 and over.
How We Use Information
- To operate the website and remember your saved list and preferences.
- To understand which documentaries, categories and pages are most useful, so we can improve the library.
- To show advertising that keeps the site free (see Advertising below).
- To respond to messages, film suggestions, copyright notices and legal requests.
- To protect the website from abuse, spam, fraud and technical problems.
We do not sell your personal information.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, to understand how visitors use the site, for example which pages are popular and how people find us. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect usage information such as pages visited, time on site, device and browser type, and approximate location. It does not give us your name or email address, and IP addresses are not stored by Google Analytics 4.
On Dr.Doc Kids pages, Google Analytics runs with Google signals and ad personalisation turned off, so visits to the kids section are counted but are not used to build advertising profiles.
You can learn how Google uses this information at How Google uses information from sites that use its services. You can opt out of Google Analytics on all websites by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Advertising
Dr Documentary is free to use and is supported by advertising. We may work with third-party advertising partners, such as Google, to show ads on the site.
- Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this website or other websites.
- Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to users based on their visit to this site and/or other sites on the Internet.
- You may opt out of personalised advertising from Google by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of some third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalised advertising at www.aboutads.info or, in Canada, youradchoices.ca, and, in Europe, www.youronlinechoices.eu.
If you do not opt out, you will still see ads, but they may be less relevant to you. Ads shown in the Dr.Doc Kids section are not personalised and are not based on a visitor's behaviour across other websites.
Cookies and Consent
Cookies are small files that a website stores in your browser. We use:
- Essential storage to keep you signed in, remember your My List and preferences, and remember your cookie choice. These are needed for the site to work.
- Analytics cookies from Google Analytics to measure traffic.
- Advertising cookies from our advertising partners to show and measure ads, and, where allowed, to personalise them.
Visitors in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland: analytics and advertising cookies stay switched off unless you choose Accept in our cookie banner. You can change your choice at any time with the "Privacy and cookie settings" button that appears on the page, or by opening Cookie settings here.
Everyone can also block or delete cookies in their browser settings. Some features, such as staying signed in or keeping your My List, may not work without them.
Third-Party Content
Dr Documentary displays and links to videos hosted by third-party platforms, mainly YouTube. When you play an embedded video, YouTube (owned by Google) may set its own cookies and collect information under its own privacy policy. Ads that play inside YouTube videos are served by YouTube, not by Dr Documentary. Links to other websites are provided for convenience, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices.
Children's Privacy
Dr.Doc Kids is a section of the site with educational videos chosen for children. We take children's privacy seriously:
- We do not knowingly collect personal information, such as a name or email address, from children under 13. Children do not need an account to watch videos.
- On Dr.Doc Kids pages, Google Analytics runs with Google signals and ad personalisation switched off, and any ads shown there are not personalised.
- Accounts, comments and public profiles are intended for users aged 13 and over.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has given us personal information, please email us at thedoctor@drdocumentary.com and we will delete it.
Where Data Is Stored
Dr Documentary is operated from Canada. Our service providers, including Google, may store and process information in Canada, the United States and other countries, where data protection laws may differ from those where you live. We rely on these providers' safeguards for international transfers. We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes in this policy. Google Analytics data is kept for the retention period set in our Analytics account, after which it is deleted automatically.
Your Rights and Choices
Depending on where you live, including under Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA), the EU and UK GDPR and US state privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, you may have the right to access, correct or delete the personal information we hold about you, to object to or limit certain uses, and to withdraw consent. To make a request, email us. We may need to confirm your identity before acting on it.
- Delete your account and all of its saved data at any time from the My List page.
- Change your cookie choice at any time from Cookie settings on this page (EEA, UK and Switzerland).
- Opt out of personalised Google ads at Google Ads Settings.
- Opt out of Google Analytics with the opt-out browser add-on.
You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time, for example when we add new features or advertising partners. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last changed.
Contact
For privacy questions or requests, email thedoctor@drdocumentary.com or visit our Contact page.
Dr Documentary is made in Canada.