Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 11, 2025

Our Commitment to Privacy

The Watch Index is built on a foundation of complete anonymity. We understand that seafarers need to feel safe reporting their experiences without fear of identification or retaliation. This privacy policy explains exactly what data we collect, how we use it, and what we don't collect.

What We DO NOT Collect

We deliberately avoid collecting any personally identifying information:

• No names – We never ask for or store your name
• No email addresses – Submissions are completely anonymous
• No vessel information – We don't collect ship names, IMO numbers, or company details
• No location tracking – We don't track your IP address or geographic location
• No cookies – We don't use tracking cookies or analytics that identify individual users
• No user accounts – No registration or login required

What We DO Collect

When you submit a fatigue report, we collect only the following aggregated, non-identifying information:

• Ship type – General category (Tanker, Bulk, Container, Gas, Other)
• Trading region – Broad geographic area (Global, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Americas)
• Sleep hours – Hours of sleep in the last 24 hours
• Rest violations – Number of rest-hour breaches in the last 7 days
• Called during rest – Whether you were called during designated rest periods
• Port intensity – Operational intensity level (Low, Medium, High)
• Submission timestamp – Date and time of submission (for trend analysis only)

This data is stored securely and used exclusively for aggregation and statistical analysis.

How We Use Your Data

All submitted data is:

• Aggregated – Combined with other submissions to calculate averages and trends
• Anonymized – Impossible to trace back to any individual seafarer
• Publicly displayed – Shown on our dashboard as aggregate statistics only
• Used for advocacy – Shared with researchers, unions, and policymakers to highlight fatigue issues

We will never:

• Sell your data to third parties
• Share individual submissions with anyone
• Attempt to identify individual seafarers
• Use the data for commercial purposes

Data Storage and Security

Your submissions are stored securely using industry-standard encryption and security practices:

• HTTPS encryption – All data transmission is encrypted
• Secure storage – Data is stored on secure, reputable hosting platforms
• No third-party access – Only authorized maintainers can access the raw data
• Regular backups – Data is backed up to prevent loss

Data Retention

We retain submitted data indefinitely for the following purposes:

• Long-term trend analysis
• Historical comparison
• Research and advocacy

Since all data is anonymous, there is no way to identify or delete specific individual submissions. If you have concerns about a submission, please contact us.

Third-Party Services

The Watch Index uses the following third-party services:

• GitHub Pages – Website hosting (does not track individual users)
• Vercel – Backend API hosting (processes submissions anonymously)

These services may collect standard web server logs (IP addresses, browser types) for technical purposes, but we do not have access to or use this information for tracking individuals.

Your Rights

Because we collect no personally identifying information, traditional data protection rights (such as access, correction, or deletion of personal data) do not apply. However, you have the right to:

• Submit reports completely anonymously
• View all aggregated data on our public dashboard
• Contact us with questions or concerns about our data practices
• Request information about how we use aggregated data

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date.