Privacy Policy.
Last updated: October 2026 · StormSyncApp.com
Overview
StormSync VT/OI is a free project run by one person. This page says what the website and the download form store about you, what the app and my servers record when they connect, who else can see that, and how to get your information deleted. I tried to keep it short and complete. If something here is wrong or unclear, email me.
What the access form stores
You only hand over information when you submit the form on the download page. Browsing the rest of the site does not create a record with me. When you submit it, this is saved:
| Data | Why | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Name and email address | So I know who has access, and so I can contact you if a serious fix, a security problem or a big change needs your attention. I expect that to be rare. | Until you ask me to delete it, or the project ends |
| Your answers: NWS or emergency management work, whether you stream, and how you plan to use the app | To decide what to build and fix first. "Prefer not to say" is always an option and does not affect approval. | Same as above |
| IP address at the time you submit the form | Saved with your record as a simple audit trail. | Same as above |
| Time of your last download | Added to your record when you download the installer. | Same as above |
| Access status | Approved or paused. I can pause downloads for a browser if there is abuse. | Same as above |
The records are kept in the site's database and I am the only person who looks at them in the admin area. The site's host and Cloudflare, covered below, also handle ordinary web traffic, including your IP address, whether or not you use the form.
Cookie and browser storage
After you submit the form, the site saves a random code in your browser: a cookie named ss_client (it can last up to ten years) and an entry called ss_client_token in your browser's local storage. The code ties your browser to your record, which is how the download stays unlocked next time. It is not used for tracking or advertising. Clearing your cookies and site data removes it, and you would just fill in the form again.
Security and abuse prevention
This is separate from the website form above. To keep StormSync Central and the stream services reliable, and to stop abuse, my servers record a small amount of technical information whenever the StormSync app connects to them. This happens automatically, and you do not need to fill in anything for it to apply.
Each connection can record:
| Data | Why | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Your IP address | Any server sees it when you connect. I use it to spot and block abusive traffic, such as floods of connections or repeated failed attempts. | Connection logs and stream details are deleted automatically after 7 days. If access is restricted for abuse, the address involved is kept until the restriction is lifted. |
| A random install ID, created when you install StormSync | Lets me tell one installation from another, so a problem can be dealt with without affecting everyone else. It is random and is not derived from your name or your files. | Same as above |
| An anonymized device identifier | A one-way hash. It cannot be reversed to find out who you are, your name, or anything about your files. It helps me recognize a device that keeps coming back after an install ID has been reset. | Same as above |
| App version | So I can tell whether a problem comes from an old build, and when it is safe to retire an old version. | Same as above |
| When you connected and disconnected | To keep the service reliable and to investigate outages or unusual connection patterns. | Same as above |
| The number and type of requests made, including failed or rejected ones | To detect abuse, such as excessive or malformed requests, and to see where the service is struggling. | Same as above |
| If you use StormSync stream overlays: the on-screen details you set in them (stream name, title, social media handles, sponsor names, and the topic or banner text you display), and when your overlays were live | This is information you already show publicly on your stream. I use it only to connect a stream to its StormSync install when enforcing the rules, for example when an abusive install needs to be tied to the stream it is feeding. | Deleted automatically after 7 days. Kept only while a restriction is in place, if the stream is linked to one. |
What I use it for. Only to run the service, to investigate and prevent abuse, and to enforce restrictions on installs, devices or networks that break the terms. This includes the stream overlay details above, which I use only to link a stream to its install. I do not use any of it for anything else.
What I do not do with it. I do not sell this information, use it for advertising, or share it with third parties, except where the law requires it.
Restrictions. If access is restricted because of abuse, the IP address, network or identifier involved has to be kept for as long as the restriction lasts, otherwise it could not be enforced. Once the restriction is lifted, that information is removed too.
Your NWWS-OI password. It is never sent to my servers. If you use a Private Feed, your app talks to NWWS-OI directly, and the credentials stay on your PC.
Questions or deletion. If you want to ask about, or request deletion of, data tied to your install, email me at [email protected]. Because the install ID is random, it helps if you include it in your message, but the logs are deleted automatically after 7 days in any case.
What I do not do
I do not sell, rent or share your information with anyone for marketing, and I do not send newsletters or promotions. The only emails you should ever get from me are a reply to something you sent, or a notice that really does need your attention, such as a security problem.
I do not run analytics or advertising scripts on this site.
Other services that see your visit
The website runs on WordPress hosting and is served through Cloudflare. Both handle network traffic as part of keeping the site online, and both have their own privacy policies and logs that I do not control.
The site's fonts load from Google Fonts. That means your browser contacts Google when a page loads, and Google receives your IP address and browser details, as it would for any site that uses them.
Inside the app
Your alert history is stored in a local SQLite database on your PC. If you use a Private Feed, your NWS username and password are saved on your PC too. I do not receive either of them.
To do its job, the app connects to a few outside services, and each of them can see your IP address, as any server would:
- Central Feed relay (run by me), if you use Central Feed. It carries raw NWS alert text to your app. No user credentials are involved. My servers log the technical connection details described under Security and abuse prevention.
- NWWS-OI directly, if you use a Private Feed.
- Update checks against my server, so the app can tell you when a new version is out.
- Map and radar providers, to draw maps and radar.
- The NWS and the Storm Prediction Center, for outlooks, discussions and archives.
- Discord, only if you add a webhook. Alerts you choose to forward are sent to the webhook address you entered.
Your choices
You can ask me, at any time, to show you what I have stored about you, correct it, or delete it. Email me from the address you used on the form and I will delete your record. After that, your browser will no longer be recognized, and you can fill in the form again if you want to download another copy.
For data tied to your app install rather than your form record, see the last paragraph of Security and abuse prevention.
Children
StormSync is not aimed at children under 13 and I do not knowingly collect their information. If you think a child has submitted the form, email me and I will delete the record.
Changes
If the form, the app, my server logging or the services above change in a way that affects your privacy, I will update this page and the date at the top.