This Privacy Policy explains how RailroadRadar (“RailroadRadar,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and shares information when you visit or use https://railroadradar.com, the RailroadRadar progressive web app, and related pages (together, the “Service”).

By using the Service, you agree to this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use RailroadRadar or create an account.

1. Who we are and how to contact us

RailroadRadar is a live train tracking map that shows live and scheduled passenger trains. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by MassDOT, the MBTA, Amtrak, MTA Metro-North, the Long Island Rail Road, Metra, NJ Transit, CTrail, or any other railroad or public agency.

RailroadRadar is operated in the United States. For privacy questions, account requests, or to exercise the rights below, contact:

Please include the email address on your RailroadRadar account if you have one, so we can locate your records.

2. Information we collect

2.1 Information you provide

• Google account sign-in. You may sign in with Google to report locomotive pairings and manage account settings. Google provides your account identifier, email address, display name, and profile photo (if your Google account includes one). We collect your email so we can moderate reports and reach you about your account.
• Train and unit reports. Signed-in users can pair locomotives or special units to live or scheduled trains and add comments. A report may include railroad/agency, train number, vehicle or locomotive identifier, service date, unit name, comment text, and the time of the report.
• Public reporter label. You choose how your name appears on reports: first initial, full Google display name, a custom label, or “Anonymous.” Your email and raw Google name are not shown on the public map.
• Notification and interest settings. You may tell us which railroads or units you follow and whether you want alerts when a watched unit goes live or when a new report is posted.
• Optional contact for future alerts. Some screens mention vehicle or SMS alerts. If those features are enabled and you submit a vehicle ID or phone number, we will use that information only to send the alerts you requested.
• Questions you type in search (“Ask”). If you enter a question, we send the question plus a short snapshot of matching live-train facts to our Ask endpoint so we can answer in plain language.
• Messages you send us. If you email us, we keep the contents of that correspondence.

2.2 Information collected automatically

• Technical and log data. Servers and content-delivery networks may record IP address, browser type, device type, pages requested, referring URL, date and time, and similar diagnostic data needed to operate and secure the Service.
• Map usage. The live map loads tiles and geographic data from map providers. Those providers may receive your IP address and the map area you view.
• Approximate or precise location (optional). If you allow location access, your browser can share coordinates with RailroadRadar so we can center the map on you and list nearby trains. That calculation runs in your browser. You can deny or later revoke location permission in your device or browser settings. We do not require location to use the map.
• Local device storage. The Service stores preferences on your device (for example cookie consent, map theme, whether train labels or clusters are shown, which railroads are visible, and notification choices).
• Service worker / installed app. If you install RailroadRadar on your home screen or allow a service worker, your browser may cache map assets for offline or faster loading and may deliver notifications you enabled.

2.3 Information from transit agencies and public feeds

Live positions, schedules, stations, alerts, and trip history come from public or licensed data sources such as MassDOT/MBTA, Amtrak, MTA (Metro-North and LIRR), Metra, NJ Transit, and CTrail, and from our own processing of those feeds. That operational railroad data is not your personal information. Historical trip lookup may be served through a Google Apps Script endpoint that returns stored vehicle positions.

2.4 Information from other users

Other signed-in users may submit reports that appear on trains you are viewing. Public report cards show a contributor label (or “Anonymous”), a verification badge if applicable, and the report content — not the reporter’s email.

3. How we use information

We use the information above to:

• Operate the live map, station boards, search, trip pages, and shareable train links.
• Authenticate you with Google, keep you signed in, and remember your settings.
• Accept, display, moderate, and audit train and locomotive reports.
• Enforce community rules, including holding reports for review, verifying trusted reporters, and suspending or banning accounts that abuse the Service.
• Send in-app or browser notifications you have enabled.
• Answer “Ask” questions using live train context you can already see on the map.
• Understand how the map is used (only if you allow Microsoft Clarity).
• Secure the Service, debug outages, prevent fraud or spam, and comply with law.
• Contact you about your account, a report you submitted, or a material change to this Policy.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your reports or account data to build advertising profiles or to show third-party ads.

4. Cookies and similar technologies

When you first visit the map, a banner states: “We use cookies to run RailroadRadar and (if you allow) analytics.” You can accept optional analytics or open Customize to choose.

Category	What it does	Can you turn it off?
Essential — account sign-in	Google Firebase Authentication cookies and storage keep you signed in for reports and account features.	No — required if you use accounts. You can still use the public map without signing in.
Analytics — Microsoft Clarity	If allowed, loads Clarity (clarity.ms) to see how people use the map. Clarity may use cookies and session replay / heatmaps.	Yes. Decline or uncheck Analytics. Clarity is not loaded until you allow it.
Preferences — saved settings	localStorage keys such as cookie consent, map theme, label/cluster toggles, and notification choices.	Yes in the banner. Clearing site data in your browser also removes them.
Functional — live map tiles	Imagery and tiles from Mapbox, OpenStreetMap, or similar providers. Needed to draw the map.	No — the map cannot run without tiles. You can leave the site.

We also store a small consent record in localStorage (rr_cookie_prefs and, for older visits, rr_cookie_consent) so we remember your choice.

Microsoft Clarity is a Microsoft product. If you allow it, Microsoft may collect device and usage data under Microsoft’s own privacy terms. You can opt out on a later visit by choosing Customize and rejecting analytics, then refreshing the page.

5. Accounts, reports, and moderation

Creating an account is optional. The map works without signing in.

If you sign in:

• We create an account record keyed to your Google user ID and store your email and display name so administrators can moderate the community.
• Public train-report documents store your user ID, the label you chose, whether you are a verified reporter, and the pairing or comment itself. They are written so that email and raw Google name are not published on the map.
• A separate admin-only audit record may keep fuller contributor identity (including email and Google display name) so we can investigate abuse, duplicate reports, or mistakes.
• Pending reports, report holds, ban records, verified-reporter flags, and an action log may be stored for safety and operations.
• You may delete your account from the account menu. We will delete or de-identify your account and settings records we control. Public reports already shown on a train may remain as operational notes with a generic or leftover label, or we may anonymize the contributor fields if you ask us to. Ban or legal-hold records may be retained as needed to protect the Service.

RailroadRadar is in active development (beta). Features, stored fields, and retention periods may change as we improve moderation.

6. Notifications

If you enable notifications, your browser or installed web app may receive alerts when a watched unit appears live or when a new report is posted on a unit you follow. On iPhone, notifications generally work only if RailroadRadar is added to the Home Screen; Safari alone may not deliver alerts after you leave the page.

You can disable notifications in RailroadRadar settings and in your browser or operating-system permission controls.

7. When we share information

We share personal information only as follows:

• Service providers that host or power the Service, including Google (Firebase Authentication and Cloud Firestore; Google sign-in; Google Apps Script for some historical lookups) and, if you consent, Microsoft (Clarity).
• Map and library providers that receive technical data when your browser requests map tiles, map code, or other assets (for example Mapbox, OpenStreetMap contributors, and public CDNs that serve mapping libraries).
• Transit agencies and public data sources, indirectly: we request their public feeds; we do not send them your account profile in those requests.
• The public, for report content and the reporter label you chose. Do not put information in a comment that you do not want others to see.
• Other users who view a train page or popup that includes community reports.
• Legal and safety: if we believe disclosure is required by law, court order, or to prevent harm, fraud, or abuse.
• Business transfer: if RailroadRadar is transferred or reorganized, account and report data may move with the Service under this Policy or a successor notice.

We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

8. Third-party services

These independent services process data when you use RailroadRadar:

• Google Firebase Authentication and Cloud Firestore — account sign-in and database for reports, settings, and moderation. Google’s terms and privacy policy apply to Google’s processing.
• Google Sign-In — you authenticate with Google; we never receive your Google password.
• Microsoft Clarity — optional analytics and session insights, loaded only after consent.
• Mapbox / OpenStreetMap / Leaflet — map display.
• Public CDNs (for example unpkg and jsDelivr) — mapping and data libraries.
• Transit open-data APIs operated by the agencies listed in section 2.3.

Those providers have their own privacy policies. RailroadRadar is not responsible for their independent practices. Links on the Service to agency sites or other third-party pages are provided for convenience only.

9. How long we keep information

• Account and settings data: for as long as your account exists, and a short period afterward if needed to complete deletion or resolve a dispute.
• Train reports and audit logs: for as long as they remain useful to show current or recent pairings and to moderate the community. Older operational reports may be overwritten when a new pairing is submitted for the same train or vehicle.
• Cookie consent and local preferences: until you clear site data or change the setting.
• Server and security logs: typically a short operational period unless needed for an investigation.
• Clarity analytics: according to Microsoft’s retention settings for our project, and only if you allowed Clarity.

We may keep limited records longer if required by law or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

10. Security

We use reputable cloud providers, HTTPS, and signed-in access controls for reports and admin tools. No internet service is perfectly secure. You are responsible for the security of the Google account you use to sign in. Do not submit sensitive personal information (such as exact home address, phone number, or identification numbers) in a public report comment.

11. Children

RailroadRadar is a general-audience rail map. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child provided personal information, contact railroadradar@gmail.com and we will delete it.

12. Your choices and rights

You can:

• Use the map without creating an account.
• Refuse or later revoke location permission.
• Accept, reject, or change cookie / Clarity preferences via the cookie banner and preference dialog.
• Change how your name appears on reports, or switch to Anonymous.
• Turn notifications off.
• Sign out, or delete your account from the account menu.
• Email us to request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal information we hold about you.

Depending on where you live (including California and other U.S. states with privacy laws, and the EEA/UK if GDPR applies to a particular request), you may also have the right to know what we collect, request a copy, request correction or deletion, opt out of “sale” or “sharing” of personal information, and appeal a denied request where the law provides an appeal.

We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are commonly defined for advertising. If that changes, we will update this Policy and provide a required opt-out. We will not discriminate against you for exercising privacy rights. We may need to verify your request (for example by confirming control of the email on the account).

13. International visitors

The Service is hosted and operated in the United States. If you use RailroadRadar from another country, your information will be processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your home country. Google and Microsoft may process data in the United States and other countries where they operate.

Some browsers send a “Do Not Track” signal. There is no consistent industry standard for responding to it. Our cookie banner is the control we offer for optional analytics.

14. Train data, changes, and contact

Live positions, delays, tracks, and alerts come from agency feeds and volunteer reports. Feeds can be late, incomplete, or wrong. RailroadRadar is not responsible for missed trains or decisions you make based on the map. Official information remains with the operating railroad.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The effective date at the top will change when we do. Material changes will be posted on the Service. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised Policy.