Privacy Policy

ECTLogger is free, open-source net logging software built for Emergency Communications Teams and SKYWARN spotter nets. This page explains, in plain terms, what data an ECTLogger instance collects and why. It does not sell data, run ads, or share data with third parties beyond what’s needed to run the service (email delivery, and optionally Gravatar for avatars — see below).

This policy describes the software’s behavior. The operator of the specific ECTLogger instance you use (your ECT, ARES group, or SKYWARN coordinator) is the one who actually runs the server and holds the data — contact them with questions about your own account.

Account information

Creating an account requires an email address and, typically, a callsign. A password is optional — magic-link sign-in (a one-time link emailed to you) is the default, and a password is only useful as a fallback for when email delivery is unavailable. If you set one, it must meet an industry-standard complexity policy: at least 12 characters, with a mix of uppercase, lowercase, a number, and a symbol. Administrator accounts are required to also set up two-factor authentication (a code from an authenticator app).

Your email address is never shown to other users. Your callsign, name, and any contact details you add to your profile are visible to other signed-in users by default, since that’s the point of a net roster — matching who’s on the air to who they are.

Net logs and check-ins

The core of the app is the net log: who checked in, their frequency/mode, their status (e.g. has traffic, relay, mobile), and timestamps. This is the operational record of a net and is visible to other participants and net control staff during and after the net, and may be exported (CSV, ICS-309) or emailed to subscribers by the net’s owner.

Chat messages sent during a net are stored as part of that net’s record for the same reason — they’re part of the operational log, not a private conversation.

Location data

Your profile has an optional static location field you can fill in yourself. Separately, you can opt in to “location awareness,” which uses your browser’s location permission to compute a Maidenhead grid square automatically — this is off by default and only active if you turn it on in Settings.

Email notifications

ECTLogger sends email for magic-link sign-in, and optionally for net start/close reminders, net logs, and a daily digest of platform updates, depending on your notification preferences. Every notification email includes a one-click unsubscribe link. Turning off “Email Notifications” in Settings stops all of these except the magic-link sign-in email itself and this session’s own password-changed confirmation, which exist to protect your account.

Gravatar

If your instance has Gravatar avatars enabled and you haven’t uploaded a custom profile image, your email address is hashed and sent to gravatar.com to look up an avatar image. No other profile data is sent. Uploading your own avatar image, or your instance disabling Gravatar, stops this.

What we don’t do

ECTLogger has no advertising, no analytics or tracking scripts, and doesn’t sell or share your data with third parties beyond the email delivery and optional Gravatar lookups described above.

Your data, your control

You can review and update most of your own information from your Profile page at any time. To request that your account be deleted, contact an administrator of your ECTLogger instance.

Questions

Questions about this policy or your data can be directed to the administrator of the ECTLogger instance you use, or raised as a GitHub issue on the ECTLogger project.