Privacy

Controller

Website

When you open the website, the web server processes your IP address, the time and target of the request, technical browser information and any referrer supplied by your browser. This is necessary to deliver the pages and detect attacks (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). Technical access logs are generally deleted within 14 days.

For simple audience measurement, we record the page, language, broad device class, source of the visit and, if supplied by the browser, the external referrer. This event contains no IP address, full browser identifier or persistent user ID and is kept only until the system log is automatically rotated according to size.

We also use Google Analytics 4 by Google Ireland Limited in advanced consent mode. Until you consent, no Analytics cookies are set or read. Google nevertheless receives cookieless measurement signals that can be used to measure and statistically model page views and events. These include the sanitised page path, page title, language, broad device and referrer information, scroll depth, clicks to install the beta, and use of the interactive map. For maps, we record only broad areas of approximately one degree latitude and longitude and a zoom range; coordinates, URL parameters, hashes, and shared-position codes are removed before transmission.

If you allow Analytics, Google Analytics may store identifiers in cookies and measure sessions and returning visits more precisely. We do not use Google Signals, personalised advertising, or Google Ads features. Your choice is stored locally in the browser and can be changed at any time through “Analytics settings” in the footer. Turning Analytics off removes Google Analytics cookies set for Rivers & Seas; cookieless measurement continues.

Google also processes the IP address and other connection data transmitted for technical reasons. Recipients may include Google Ireland Limited and Google LLC in the United States. Google relies, among other safeguards, on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses for transfers. Analytics event data is retained in the property for two months. Cookieless measurement is based on our interest in understanding reach, usage, and the effectiveness of our communications with as little data as possible (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR); Analytics cookies are used only with your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR and section 25(1) TDDDG).

The interactive map also stores your chosen map style locally in the browser, and the fleet view locally remembers selected vessels. This is used only to provide the feature you requested.

App

Rivers & Seas has no separate user account and uses no advertising or personal usage tracking. The necessary processing provides the app features you choose (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR) and supports secure, reliable operation (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

With your permission, your location is processed for the map and navigation. For internet AIS, the app requests vessels for the visible map or an area around the boat position. If navigation data is missing, it may request a coarse grid cell of about 0.25 degrees. An exact map position becomes part of a Rivers & Seas map link only when you choose to share it.

Bookmarks, selected photos, tags, settings and calibrations are stored on your device and, when iCloud is enabled for Rivers & Seas, in your private iCloud area. They remain there until you delete them. The app accesses only photos you select or photo features to which you explicitly grant access.

Readings from Signal K, your own AIS receiver, and direct position sharing from iPhone to iPad or Mac are normally processed on the local network and are not uploaded to Rivers & Seas as raw data. When internet AIS is active, the area around the boat position derived from those readings may be used for the online request.

Aggregated app diagnostics

To improve the app, new beta versions automatically collect aggregated usage and quality measurements: active usage time, observed underway sessions, speed ranges, bookmark counts, permission states, available data sources and technical outcomes, including navigation warning types and submission outcomes with broad device class and detected or unknown lock state. Bookmark contents, photos, Signal K addresses, vessel identifiers and precise positions are not included.

Underway areas are aggregated on the device into cells approximately 10 × 10 km in size. No tracks or ordered position sequences are transmitted. Grid cells can be associated with the UTC day, app version and aggregated feature measurements, such as missing bridge clearances. Bookmark counts are stored as a distribution of daily samples. No persistent user or installation identifier is used.

Reports are grouped over short intervals and transmitted when a connection is available; offline reports are sent later. Local summaries expire after at most 28 days. The server retains daily aggregates and older weekly aggregates permanently for long-term usage and quality analysis; they are included from the first report. This does not count distinct people. Random identifiers for individual reports prevent duplicate counting on retries; their hashes are retained for at most 42 days. These transmissions do not retain IP addresses or complete request logs. Processing remains on Rivers & Seas infrastructure; no advertising or analytics SDK is included.

Online services and recipients

The app connects to Rivers & Seas services for online maps, internet AIS and navigation data. This involves the IP address, time and requested map tiles, regions or map areas. Depending on the feature, Apple (iCloud and place lookup), map providers such as OpenFreeMap, OpenWaters, VersaTiles or Esri, and Wikimedia/Wikidata for vessel photos also receive the technical request data they need.

We send only the data needed for the feature you choose. Providers must protect it appropriately under applicable law and their contractual obligations. Where a provider processes data outside the European Economic Area, this may take place under the privacy safeguards provided for that transfer.

Email

When you contact us, we process your sender address, message and any other information you provide so that we can reply (Article 6(1)(b) or (f) GDPR). We delete it when the matter is complete unless the law requires longer retention.

Deletion and permissions

You can change location, photo, Bluetooth and local-network permissions in system settings. Delete app data in the app or by deleting the app; deleting synced bookmarks and photos in Rivers & Seas also removes them from your private iCloud area. Email us to request access to or deletion of data held by us.

Last updated

26 September 2026