Privacy.
Short version: we collect the minimum needed to run the service, we never sell it, we never broker it, and you can delete it whenever you want.
What we collect
- Your email address — when you join the waitlist or create an account.
- Your IP address and browser user-agent — at signup time, to prevent abuse (bots, burner-email spam, fraudulent free-trial loops). Retained with the signup row.
- Addresses you check coverage for — only when you save one to your account. Anonymous one-off lookups are not stored against your identity.
- Your filters and alert rules — stored on your account so the service can send you the right alerts.
- Delivery receipts — whether an alert was delivered to your device, so we know the product works.
What we do not collect
- We do not use cookies for advertising or analytics beyond a privacy-preserving, cookieless page-view counter (Cloudflare Web Analytics, no personal data, no cross-site tracking).
- We do not use third-party trackers, pixels, ad networks, or session replay tools.
- We do not collect phone numbers, precise GPS, contacts, photos, or mic/camera data. The service does not request those permissions.
- We do not collect or store audio of public-safety radio transmissions. Transcripts of unencrypted dispatch calls are stored; audio is not redistributed.
How we use what we collect
- To run the service — show you the right feed, send you the right alerts, keep your account secure.
- To detect abuse (one person signing up with dozens of burner emails to stack free-trial access).
- To respond to you if you email us.
What we will never do
- Sell your data, broker your data, or package your data for any third party. Ever. This is not a data-harvesting business and never will be.
- Build features for law enforcement. We will not partner with ICE, DHS, local PD, or any agency. DARKSTAR is a public-awareness tool for residents, property owners, journalists, and businesses.
- Share search or filter data with advertisers, insurers, or data cooperatives.
Who can see your data
- The operator (one person — see Who runs this).
- Cloudflare (our edge + database provider), bound by their standard data-processing terms.
- Our email-delivery provider, only for the purpose of delivering emails we explicitly send you.
- Nobody else.
Deleting your data
Email hello@darkstaraz.com from the address tied to your account. Your row is deleted from our database within 7 days, and backups roll off within 30. You can also export your filters and alerts in JSON before you go.
Legal basis + location
DARKSTAR is operated from Arizona, USA. If you are accessing the service from outside the United States, you do so on your own initiative and consent to the transfer of your signup data to the United States for processing.
Changes
If this policy changes in a way that affects what we collect or how we use it, we will email subscribers before the change takes effect. The top of this page will show the effective date.