Legal
Privacy Policy
Last updated: 6 July 2026
In short
BlueBaħar does not require an account and does not ask for your name or email address. The app lets you view public maritime data, opt into new-notice notifications, and optionally submit reports. Your device location stays on your device. To keep the app reliable we collect limited operational data: anonymous usage statistics, crash reports, optional push tokens, and the report content you choose to send. Analytics and crash reporting are on by default but you can switch them off at any time in the app's settings.
1. What we don't collect
We do not operate user accounts and we do not serve advertising or use advertising SDKs. We do not collect your name, email address, contacts, photos, or precise persistent advertising identifiers.
We collect only the limited information needed to operate and improve the app: anonymous usage statistics, crash reports, optional push-notification tokens, ordinary service request metadata, and any report text, map point, or diagnostics that you choose to send. The sections below explain exactly what this involves and which providers are used.
2. Geolocation
If you grant the app location permission, BlueBaħar uses your device's geolocation services to display your current position on the map together with notices to mariners, hazards, restricted zones, protected areas, and weather forecasts.
Location data is processed locally on your device. It is not transmitted to our servers, stored remotely, or shared with any third party. You can revoke the permission at any time from your device settings; the rest of the app will continue to work without it.
3. Notifications
BlueBaħar can show local alerts generated on your device, such as alert-zone warnings. If you opt into "New notice notifications", the app registers an Expo push token and your platform (iOS or Android) with our backend so we can send a short digest when new notices to mariners are published. The token is not linked to a name, email address, or account.
Push notifications are delivered through Expo and the relevant Apple or Google push service. You can opt out in the app at any time; when you do, the app asks our backend to delete the stored token. We also delete tokens when Expo reports that a device is no longer registered.
4. Reports and feedback
If you submit a map report, we store the title, description, and tapped map coordinates so a moderator can review the issue. If you submit a bug report, we store the message and the diagnostics shown in the app before you send it, such as app version, device model, and operating system version. When analytics sharing is enabled, those diagnostics may include your anonymous PostHog identifier so we can find related app events.
Reports are optional and are used only to review map feedback, diagnose bugs, and improve the service. Please do not include names, contact details, or other personal information in report text.
5. Anonymous usage analytics
To understand how the app is used and to improve it, we collect anonymous usage data using PostHog. This includes information such as which screens are viewed, which features are used, and basic technical details (app version, device model, and operating system). PostHog assigns each install a randomly generated, anonymous identifier so usage can be counted without identifying you. We have disabled IP-based geolocation, so PostHog does not store your IP address or infer your location or region from it, and we do not record your screen or replay your sessions. Analytics data is processed on PostHog's EU-based infrastructure.
This data is not linked to your name, email, or any personal information — because we do not ask for any — and is used only in aggregate to measure and improve the app. We do not use it for advertising. You can turn this off at any time in the app — see Your choices, legal basis and rights below. PostHog's handling of this information is governed by its own privacy policy.
We also use PostHog to count visits to this website (bluebahar.com), including which pages are viewed and clicks on the App Store and Google Play download buttons. The website analytics run in PostHog's cookieless mode: no cookies, local storage, or any other identifier is placed on your device, which is why this site shows no cookie banner. Instead, PostHog's EU-based servers count visits using a temporary, salted hash of technical request data that rotates every day and cannot be linked back to you; your IP address is not stored. This data is used only in aggregate to understand how the website is used.
6. Crash and error reporting
When the app encounters an error or crash, we collect a diagnostic report using Sentry so we can find and fix the problem. A report typically contains technical information such as the error and stack trace, the app version, the device model, and the operating system version, along with an anonymous identifier.
We do not attach your name, email, or IP address to these reports. The data is used solely for diagnosing and fixing problems with the app, and you can turn crash reporting off at any time in the app — see Your choices, legal basis and rights below. Sentry's handling of this information is governed by its own privacy policy.
7. Your choices, legal basis and rights
Opt out in the app. Analytics and crash reporting are on by default, but you can switch them off at any time under Settings in the app ("Share anonymous analytics"). New-notice push notifications are opt-in, and can be turned off from the same Settings screen. Once switched off, no further usage events, crash reports, or new-notice push tokens are sent from your device.
Data controller. Impossible Labs is the data controller for the limited data described in this policy, and can be reached at info_AT_bluebahar_DOT_com.
Legal basis. Optional reports and new-notice push notifications are processed because you choose to submit or enable them. For anonymous analytics and crash reporting, to the extent this information is treated as personal data under the EU General Data Protection Regulation, we rely on our legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f)) in keeping the app reliable and improving it. We balance that interest against your privacy by not asking for account details, disabling IP-based location, not recording your sessions, and offering the in-app opt-out above.
Your rights. Because we deliberately avoid account details, we may be unable to link anonymous analytics or crash data back to you. You can stop that collection immediately using the in-app opt-out, and you can remove a stored push token by turning off new-notice notifications. Where applicable you also have the right to object to processing and to lodge a complaint with your data protection authority (in Malta, the Information and Data Protection Commissioner).
8. App updates
BlueBaħar uses Expo to deliver over-the-air updates to the app. When the app checks for an update, your device contacts Expo's servers and sends standard technical information (such as the app and runtime version and the platform) so the correct update can be returned. This is not used to identify you. Expo's handling of that information is governed by its own privacy policy.
9. Data shown in the app
The information shown in BlueBaħar is fetched from our backend, which in turn retrieves and aggregates publicly available open data published by the Government of Malta and its agencies (notices to mariners, marine protected areas, weather forecasts and similar published datasets).
When the app fetches this data, your device makes ordinary HTTPS requests to our backend. Like any web service, our infrastructure may briefly process technical information (such as IP address) for the sole purpose of delivering the response and protecting the service from abuse. This information is not used to identify you and is not retained beyond what is necessary for those operational purposes.
10. Map tiles
The map background is rendered using third-party map tile providers. When tiles are loaded, your device communicates directly with the tile provider, which may receive standard request information (such as IP address and the map area being viewed) subject to that provider's own privacy policy.
11. App stores
BlueBaħar is currently offered without a subscription or in-app purchase. Downloads, updates, ratings, and any store-level account interactions are handled by the Apple App Store or Google Play under their own privacy policies. We do not receive payment details from Apple or Google.
12. Children
BlueBaħar is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version is always available at this page, with the "last updated" date at the top.
14. Contact
For any privacy-related question, write to info_AT_bluebahar_DOT_com.