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Cole Gentry edited this page Dec 29, 2025 · 2 revisions

Privacy & Analytics

UltraLog respects your privacy while collecting minimal, anonymous usage data to help improve the application.

Overview

Starting with version 1.5.0, UltraLog includes optional anonymous analytics powered by PostHog. This data helps the development team understand how the application is used and prioritize new features.

Key Privacy Principles:

  • No personal data is ever collected
  • No log file content is ever transmitted
  • No file names or paths are sent
  • All data is anonymous and cannot be traced to you
  • Analytics are used solely to improve UltraLog

What Data Is Collected

UltraLog collects the following anonymous usage events:

Event Data Collected Purpose
app_started App version, platform (Windows/macOS/Linux) Track active installations
file_loaded ECU type (e.g., "Haltech"), file size in KB Understand which ECU formats are popular
channel_selected Number of channels selected Understand typical usage patterns
chart_exported Export format (PNG or PDF) Track feature usage
tool_switched Tool name (Log Viewer or Scatter Plot) Understand which features are used
playback_started Playback speed multiplier Track playback feature usage
colorblind_mode_toggled Enabled/disabled Track accessibility feature usage
update_checked Whether update was available Track update adoption

Common Properties

Every event includes:

  • App version (e.g., "1.6.0")
  • Platform (windows, macos, or linux)
  • Anonymous session ID (random UUID, not persistent)

What Is NOT Collected

UltraLog explicitly does not collect:

  • Your name, email, or any personal information
  • IP addresses (PostHog is configured not to store these)
  • File names or file paths
  • Log file contents or data values
  • Channel names from your ECU
  • Screenshots or visual data
  • Crash reports or error logs
  • System specifications beyond OS type
  • Location data
  • Any identifiable information

How Data Is Stored

Analytics data is sent to PostHog's servers using HTTPS encryption:

  • Provider: PostHog
  • Data Center: PostHog Cloud (US)
  • Retention: 90 days
  • Encryption: TLS 1.3 in transit
  • Access: Only the UltraLog development team

Session Identification

Each time you launch UltraLog, a new random UUID is generated as your session ID. This ID:

  • Is not stored on disk
  • Is different every time you launch the app
  • Cannot be used to identify you across sessions
  • Cannot be linked to any personal information

This means even PostHog cannot track you across different sessions or identify you as a returning user.

Technical Implementation

Analytics are implemented using the posthog-rs Rust crate:

// Events are sent in background threads to avoid blocking the UI
// Errors are silently ignored - analytics never affect app functionality
std::thread::spawn(move || {
    let _ = posthog_rs::capture(event);
});

Key implementation details:

  • Events are non-blocking (sent in background threads)
  • Failed events are silently dropped (no retries, no error messages)
  • Analytics code is isolated and cannot access your log data
  • The app functions normally even if analytics fail

Why Collect Analytics?

Anonymous usage data helps the UltraLog team:

  1. Prioritize ECU support - Know which formats are most requested
  2. Focus development - Understand which features are actually used
  3. Fix issues - Identify common error scenarios
  4. Improve accessibility - Track adoption of accessibility features
  5. Plan releases - Understand update adoption rates

Your Rights

As analytics are completely anonymous with no persistent identifiers:

  • There is no personal data to delete
  • There is no account to manage
  • Sessions cannot be linked together
  • You cannot be identified from the collected data

Disabling Analytics

Currently, analytics cannot be disabled through the UI. If you have strong privacy concerns:

  1. Network blocking: Block outbound connections to app.posthog.com
  2. Firewall rules: Add a firewall rule for the PostHog domain
  3. Build from source: Remove the analytics module and recompile

A UI toggle for disabling analytics is being considered for a future release.

Contact

If you have questions about privacy or data collection:

Changes to This Policy

This privacy policy may be updated as UltraLog evolves. Changes will be documented in release notes and this page will be updated accordingly.

Last Updated: December 2024

See Also

UltraLog Wiki

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