GridDown Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026 · BlackAtlas LLC

These terms apply to GridDown Maps by BlackAtlas LLC. GridDown Maps is proprietary, paid software licensed per seat — not open source. For other BlackAtlas products, see the site-wide legal pages.

Summary

GridDown is designed with privacy as a core principle. We:

• Collect no personal data
• Require no accounts or registration
• Operate primarily offline
• Store all data locally on your device
• Have no analytics or tracking
• Run no backend servers

Your data stays on your device. Period.

Data Collection

What We Do NOT Collect

BlackAtlas LLC does not collect:

What Stays on Your Device

All data you create or interact with in GridDown is stored locally on your device:

This data:

• Never leaves your device unless you explicitly export it
• Is not accessible to BlackAtlas LLC
• Is not synced to any cloud service
• Can be deleted at any time by clearing browser site data

Device Permissions

GridDown may request device permissions. All are optional and only activated when you use the relevant feature:

Location (GPS)

Your location is never transmitted to BlackAtlas LLC. It may be sent to third-party APIs (weather, AQI) as coordinates only—see External Services below.

Microphone

Audio is processed entirely on your device. It is never recorded, stored long-term, or transmitted over the internet.

Camera

Images are stored locally and only transmitted as audio tones through your radio speaker when you explicitly initiate transmission.

Bluetooth

Connections are direct between your device and the hardware. No data passes through any server.

Serial Port (USB)

Connections are local USB connections to your own hardware.

Motion Sensors

Sensor data is processed locally for navigation calculations. It is never stored long-term or transmitted.

Vibration

Vibration is a local device function with no data transmission.

External Services

GridDown connects to third-party services only when you have internet connectivity and use features that require external data.

Map Tile Providers

Only tile coordinates are sent (e.g., zoom level, x, y). No personal information is transmitted.

Weather and Environmental

Coordinates are sent to get localized data. No other personal information is included.

Search and Geocoding

Only your search query is sent. No device or user identifiers are included.

No Data Sent To

• BlackAtlas LLC servers (we have none)
• Analytics services
• Advertising networks
• Social media platforms
• Any data brokers

Offline Operation

When operating offline, GridDown:

• Makes no network requests
• Uses locally cached map tiles and data
• Processes all features on-device
• Transmits nothing over the internet

GridDown is designed to work fully offline after initial setup and map downloading.

Feature-Specific Privacy Details

Global Search (Ctrl+K)

• Search history stored locally in localStorage
• Favorites stored locally in localStorage
• No search queries sent to any server
• Landmark database is bundled with app (no network lookup)

Situation Wizard (F1)

• Decision tree processed entirely locally
• No data collection or transmission
• No analytics on wizard usage

Mobile Features

SSTV (Slow Scan Television)

• Receiving: Audio decoded locally into images
• Transmitting: Images encoded locally to audio tones
• AI Enhancement: Runs entirely on your device (WebGPU/WASM)
• Storage: Images saved in browser IndexedDB
• No cloud processing: Everything runs locally

RadiaCode Integration

• Direct Bluetooth connection to your detector
• Radiation readings processed and stored locally
• Track exports are local files you control
• No data sent to any server

AtlasRF Integration

• Connects to your own local AtlasRF hardware
• Data flows between GridDown and your AtlasRF only
• No data passes through BlackAtlas LLC

Celestial Navigation

• Star calculations run locally using bundled algorithms
• Camera star identification processed on-device
• No images or observations transmitted

Meshtastic / APRS

APRS® is a registered trademark of Bob Bruninga, WB4APR (SK).

• Connect directly to your hardware
• Messages sent over your radio network
• GridDown does not relay or store network traffic
• You control your radio communications

CoT Bridge (Cursor on Target)

IMPORTANT: Position Sharing Disclosure

The CoT Bridge feature enables bidirectional communication with CoT-compatible tactical applications (such as ATAK or WinTAK). When you enable position sharing:

Key Privacy Considerations:

1. Explicit Consent Required: Position sharing is disabled by default. You must explicitly consent and enable it.

1. Local Network Only: Data is transmitted via UDP multicast on your local network (typically WiFi). It does not traverse the internet unless you configure your network to relay it.

1. No Server Involvement: BlackAtlas LLC does not receive, store, or process any CoT data. All communication is peer-to-peer on your local network.

1. You Control Transmission:

• Sharing is off by default
• You must consent before enabling
• You can stop sharing at any time
• You can revoke consent at any time

1. Visibility Warning: When sharing is enabled, your position is visible to all devices on the CoT multicast network. This may include devices you don't control.

To disable position sharing:

• Click "Stop Sharing" in the CoT Bridge panel
• Or click "Revoke sharing consent"
• Or disconnect from the CoT Bridge
• Sharing automatically stops when you close GridDown

The CoT Bridge does NOT:

• Send data to BlackAtlas LLC
• Send data over the internet (unless you configure routing)
• Store your position history on any server
• Share data with any third party

Hardware Connections

When you connect external devices:

No hardware data is transmitted to BlackAtlas LLC or any third party.

Data Export and Sharing

Exporting Your Data

• Exported files (GPX, KML, JSON) are created locally
• Files are saved to your device
• You control where exports go

Plan Sharing

• Plan packages are plaintext — base64 is an encoding, not encryption
• Anyone holding the file can read it; transfer over an encrypted link if the contents are sensitive
• Sharing is peer-to-peer (you share the file directly)
• BlackAtlas LLC has no access to shared plans

What You Can Export

• All waypoints and routes
• Settings and preferences
• Radiation tracks
• Team/communication plans
• SSTV image gallery

Your Privacy Rights

You have complete control over your data:

Deleting All Data

To completely remove all GridDown data:

1. Browser Settings → Privacy/Security
2. Clear browsing data or Clear site data
3. Select the GridDown site/origin
4. Clear storage (IndexedDB, localStorage, Cache)

Or use: Settings → Clear All Data within GridDown

Children's Privacy

GridDown:

• Does not knowingly collect information from children under 13
• Does not require any personal information
• Does not have age verification (none needed)
• Is suitable for all ages as a navigation/planning tool

International Users

GridDown operates the same way globally:

• No data leaves your device to our servers (we have none)
• Third-party APIs may have their own privacy policies
• GDPR/CCPA compliance: We collect no personal data to regulate
• Data residency: Your data stays on your device in your jurisdiction

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as features are added. Changes will be:

• Documented in the CHANGELOG
• Reflected in the "Last updated" date above
• Available for review in the source repository

Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

Third-Party Privacy Policies

For external services GridDown connects to, see their privacy policies:

Contact

Questions about this privacy policy:

BlackAtlas LLC

• Privacy Inquiries: info@blackatlas.tech
• General Contact: info@blackatlas.tech

Related Documents

• Terms of Service - Usage terms
• Disclaimer - Safety information
• Security Policy - Vulnerability reporting
• License - Software licensing

© 2025–2026 BlackAtlas LLC. All Rights Reserved.

GridDown Maps is proprietary software supplied with BlackAtlas hardware (not open source). See LICENSE for details.