Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 14, 2026

Colota ("the App") is a self-hosted GPS tracking application for Android, developed by Max Dietrich. This privacy policy explains what data the App collects, how it is used, and your rights regarding that data.

Data Collection​

Location Data​

The App collects the following location-related data when tracking is active:

• GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude)
• Altitude
• Speed
• Bearing (direction)
• Accuracy
• Timestamp

Device Data​

The App also collects:

• Battery level (0–100%)
• Battery status (charging, unplugged, full)

All data is stored locally on your device and is never sent anywhere unless you configure a server. The App does not collect personal identifiers, advertising IDs, device identifiers (IMEI, serial number), usage analytics, telemetry, or crash reports.

Data Storage​

Collected data is stored in a local SQLite database on your device. The data is not accessible to other apps.

Authentication credentials (if configured) are encrypted using AES-256-GCM via Android's EncryptedSharedPreferences.

Data Transmission​

The App only transmits data to a server endpoint that you configure. No data is sent anywhere by default.

• Data is sent via HTTPS (HTTP is only allowed for local/private network addresses)
• The App makes no network calls to any third-party service
• No analytics, tracking pixels, or advertising networks are used
• No data is shared with the developer or any third party

Data Sharing​

Colota does not share your data with anyone. The only data transmission occurs to your own self-hosted server, if you choose to configure one.

Third-Party Services​

Google Play​

The App is distributed via Google Play, which may collect data according to Google's Privacy Policy. This is outside the App's control.

No Other Third Parties​

The App contains no third-party SDKs, analytics tools, advertising frameworks, or cloud services.

Data Retention​

Location data remains on your device until you delete it. You can:

• Export data in CSV, GeoJSON, GPX, or KML format
• Delete sent history
• Delete data older than a specified number of days
• Clear all data from the database

Your Rights​

Since all data is stored locally on your device, you have full control:

• Access: View all data in the app's Data Management screen
• Export: Export your data at any time in multiple formats
• Delete: Delete any or all data at any time
• Portability: Export and transfer your data freely

Permissions​

Children's Privacy​

The App is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

Open Source​

Colota is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. You can review the complete source code to verify these privacy practices.

Changes to This Policy​

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.

Contact​

For questions about this privacy policy, write to colota@mxd.codes or open an issue on GitHub.