Privacy Policy
From OpenStreetMap
This page describes the OpenStreetMap privacy policy. It describes what personal information we may be gathering from you, who can see this information, and what options you have for controlling this.
Contents |
Community development
Development of the software behind OpenStreetMap, is a community effort, with many developers involved and work taking place on many separate components. Generally a good level of care is being taken to ensure that personal information of mappers contributing to the project, will not fall into the wrong hands. This has come about as a series of independent decisions within the design of the various components. The following descriptions are a de facto accumulation of this into a 'privacy policy' describing how we work with the data. We are working to improve the technology to offer a more coherent privacy model.
You should always view OpenStreetMap systems and software with a questioning mind, and feel free to raise any concerns you have about matters of privacy via our Contact channels.
Other Policies
As well as privacy issues, users and contributors must also be aware of the OpenStreetMap License. This includes disclaimers
Current Privacy Policy
GPS Trace Data
GPS data is uploaded in the form of individual GPX files. These are kept as raw files, as well as imported into the database. GPX files can be marked "public" by the uploader; this is completely unrelated to the option of making one's edits "public".
When GPS data for an area is downloaded via the API no indication is provided of which user uploaded a point, or of the timestamp that was associated with the point. Points are however returned in timestamp order. GPS data downloaded in this way will include points from traces which were not marked as public.
If a GPS trace is marked as public when it is uploaded then the raw trace may be downloaded from the web site or using an API call. In this case the user's display name is shown (regardless of whether the user has made their edits public) and the timestamps in the GPX file will be included. Also, any additional information placed in the GPX file will still be present, e.g. waypoints with their names and/or notes entered, associated symbols, elevation data, etc.
Map Data
All edits made to the map are recorded in the database with the user ID of the user making the change.
If a user has selected the (non-reversible) "make my edits public" option on their account page then any download of map data from the API will include their display name for any edits made by them.
Edits made by a user who has not chosen to make their edits public will have no indication of the identity of the user making the change.
User Location
If a user selects the "make my edits public" option and also sets a home location then they will appear on the "nearby mappers" list for other people with a home location near theirs.
Email Addresses
The registered email address for an OSM user account, will never intentionally be published on the internet anywhere, shared with third party organisations, or revealed directly to other logged in users. Email addresses will be used by the server to notify the user if another user has sent a message through the website. Only System Administrators will have direct access to email address data. It may be used by these people to contact users directly about their edits or other OpenStreetMap related issues.
Note that some other types of Accounts used by developers/community do expose email address information more publicly (due to technical limitations of the software used, rather than policy decisions) The Trac system exposes your email address in plaintext on the page. The mailing list system exposes email addresses of people posting messages, in the archive web pages, but with obfuscation. If you want to post to the list, the system also requires you to register with your proper 'from' address, not a forwarding address.
Discussion
As mentioned above, feel free to raise any concerns you have about matters of privacy via our Contact channels.
Discuss the contents of this page on Talk:Privacy Policy
