Privacy Policy

VATSIM Pandemic · Last updated: May 2026

Short version: This application does not create user accounts, does not track you personally, and does not sell or share any data with third parties. The only data processed is publicly available VATSIM flight data.

1. Overview

VATSIM Pandemic ("the Application", "we", "us") is a browser-based game overlay that uses live public data from the VATSIM network to run a cooperative pandemic-response simulation. This Privacy Policy explains what information is involved when you use the Application, how it is used, and your rights regarding it.

Independent Project: VATSIM Pandemic is an independent, fan-made project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially connected to VATSIM inc. or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. The VATSIM name and network are the property of their respective owners.

By using the Application you acknowledge this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use.

2. Information We Do Not Collect

The Application does not:

Collect your name, email address, or any personally identifying information
Use advertising networks or behavioural tracking
Sell, rent, or share data with third parties
Store payment information (there is no payment mechanism)

3. VATSIM Pilot Data

The Application reads live flight data from the VATSIM public data feed. This feed is made publicly available by VATSIM and contains information that pilots on the VATSIM network have voluntarily published, including:

Aircraft callsigns
Aircraft position (latitude / longitude / altitude)
Heading and ground speed
Departure and destination airport codes

This data originates from the VATSIM network and is governed by VATSIM's own terms of service and privacy policy. The Application displays this information solely to drive game mechanics and does not store it beyond the active server session.

4. Technical Connection Data

Like any web server, the server may log standard connection metadata (IP address, browser user-agent, request timestamps) in access logs for the purpose of diagnosing errors. These logs are not shared, are not used for tracking, and are rotated periodically.

5. Cookies & Local Storage

The Application does not set persistent cookies from its own server. The following browser storage is used:

various settings — Various settings are stored in your browser and contain no personal data. Expires automatically after 10 days.
Socket.IO session identifier — a randomly generated, non-personal identifier used by the browser's WebSocket connection. Exists only for the duration of your active session and is not written to persistent storage.

Third-party CDN services loaded by the Application (Google Fonts, CartoDB, unpkg) may set their own cookies subject to their respective privacy policies. See Section 6 for details.

6. Third-Party Services

The following third-party resources are loaded by the Application:

CartoDB / OpenStreetMap — Map tile images. When the map loads, your browser makes requests directly to CartoDB's CDN. CartoDB's privacy policy applies to those requests.
Google Fonts (Inter, JetBrains Mono) — Typefaces loaded from Google's CDN. Google's privacy policy applies to those requests.
unpkg CDN (Leaflet.js) — JavaScript library. Loaded from unpkg's CDN; their privacy policy applies.

We do not control these third-party services and recommend reviewing their respective privacy policies if you have concerns.

7. Children's Privacy

The Application is not directed at children under the age of 13 and does not knowingly collect any information from children. VATSIM membership itself requires users to be at least 13 years of age.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the Application after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

9. Contact

Questions or concerns regarding this privacy policy can be directed to:

Teh_Spartan
iam@tehspartan.com