Privacy Policy — Badger Solar Racing

Publisher: University of Wisconsin–Madison Shared Apps

Application: Badger Solar Racing (`org.badgersolarracing`)

Contact: softwarebsr@gmail.com

Effective date: June 15, 2026

This privacy policy describes how the Badger Solar Racing mobile application

("the App," "we," "us") collects, uses, stores, and shares information when

you use the App on iOS, Android, or the web.

The App is published by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Shared Apps

account on behalf of Badger Solar Racing (BSR), a registered student

organization at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The App lets BSR members

and the general public view live and historical telemetry from BSR's Solar

Car 2 vehicle (battery state, motor metrics, GPS position of the car,

environmental conditions, and similar engineering data).


1. Summary (TL;DR)


2. Information we collect

2.1 Account information (only if you choose to sign in)

Authentication is provided by Clerk (clerk.com). If you create an account or sign in, Clerk processes and stores, on our behalf:

On iOS and Android the session token is stored on-device in the platform

keychain via `expo-secure-store`. On the web it is stored in browser

storage managed by Clerk. We do not transmit your password; passwords for

Google, GitHub, and Apple never leave those providers.

Sign in with Apple — "Hide My Email": Apple allows users to hide their

real email address and instead share a private relay address

(`*@privaterelay.appleid.com`) with the App. If you choose this option,

the App asks you to verify a `@wisc.edu` email address via a one-time code

as a second step in order to confirm BSR membership. Your real Apple ID

email is never revealed to us; only the relay address (and, once verified,

your `@wisc.edu` address) is stored in your Clerk account.

2.2 Vehicle telemetry (about the car, not you)

The App reads time-series data that BSR publishes to InfluxDB Cloud.

Examples include the car's GPS coordinates, speed, battery state of charge,

cell voltages, motor temperature, solar panel power, and fault flags.

This telemetry is about the Solar Car 2 vehicle, not about any individual

user of the App. We are listing it here for transparency only.

When the App queries InfluxDB Cloud, InfluxData may log standard request

metadata (for example your IP address and query parameters) as part of

operating the service. See the InfluxData Privacy Notice.

2.3 Map, weather, and 3D content

When map, weather, or 3D-model features are used, the App makes outbound network requests to the following third parties so they can render content:

These third parties may, as part of normal web traffic, log your device's IP

address, the resource you requested, and standard request headers (user

agent, language, etc.). Refer to their own privacy policies for details:

The App does not send these third parties your account information, your

device location, or any unique identifier we control.

2.4 Local-only preferences

The App stores some preferences only on your device (telemetry source,

refresh rate, notifications toggle, theme, units, serial-port choices on

web). These never leave your device and are removed when you uninstall the

App or clear its storage.

2.5 Optional Web Serial connection (web build only)

On the web build, you may optionally connect a serial device (e.g. a radio

receiver) to feed live telemetry into the App via the browser's standard

Web Serial API. The browser asks for your permission before granting

access, and the App only reads newline-delimited text from the port you

choose. The App does not transmit anything from the serial device to any

remote service.

2.6 Backup camera (iPad native build only)

On supported native iPad builds (not Expo Go and not the web build),

you may connect an optional USB external backup camera for a local

dashboard preview and calibration guide lines.

If you use this feature, the App:

The App stores the following on your device only to support this feature:

Camera registry data is stored in the iOS Keychain / Secure Store via

`expo-secure-store`. Calibration files are stored in the App's private

documents directory. You can remove saved cameras from Settings → Cameras

or by uninstalling the App.

To save battery, the App keeps the camera off or in standby when no

screen in the App is actively showing the backup preview.


3. Information we do NOT collect

For clarity, the App does not request or collect any of the following:

The App does not use the iPad's built-in front/rear cameras for this

feature; only an optional USB external camera you attach is used, and

only on supported native iPad builds.

Other permissions listed above (for example photo library or microphone) are

not requested because those APIs are not used.


4. How we use information

We use the limited information we collect to:

  1. Sign you in and keep you signed in across launches.
  2. Restrict access to BSR-internal features to authorized BSR members

(typically by checking for a `@wisc.edu` email on the linked account).

  1. Display your name and profile image in the in-app account panel so you

can confirm which account is signed in.

  1. Operate the App's features (showing vehicle telemetry on the map and

dashboards, loading 3D models, fetching weather overlays, and—on

supported iPad builds—showing a local USB backup camera preview when you

enable that feature).

  1. Diagnose problems that you report to us by email.

We do not use any of this information for advertising, profiling, or

sale.


5. How information is shared

We share information only with the service providers that make the App

work, and only as needed for them to provide their service:

Refer to each provider's privacy policy for details on how they handle data:

Backup camera video and camera settings are not shared with any of the

providers above or with any other third party. They remain on your device

unless you choose to export or share them outside the App yourself.

We do not sell or rent personal information to anyone. We do not share

personal information with advertisers, data brokers, or analytics providers.

We will disclose information only if required to do so by law, by valid

legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of BSR, the

University of Wisconsin–Madison, our users, or the public.


6. Data retention

exists. You can delete your account from inside the App at any time using

Account Settings → Danger Zone → Delete Account. Deletion removes your

Clerk account and signs you out.

uninstall the App.

you remove a saved camera in Settings → Cameras, reset calibration to

defaults, or uninstall the App.

App; this policy does not change BSR's internal retention schedule for

engineering data.


7. Security

`expo-secure-store`.

native builds. Calibration files are stored in the App sandbox.

Cloudflare Worker proxy use HTTPS.

are configured at build time and are not exposed in the user-facing UI.

No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security

of information transmitted to or stored by the App.


8. Children's privacy

The App is intended for a general audience of BSR members, engineering

collaborators, and motorsport / clean-energy enthusiasts. It is **not

directed to children under 13**, and we do not knowingly collect personal

information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has

provided personal information through the App, please contact us at the

email below and we will delete it.


9. International users

The App is operated from the United States. If you use the App from

outside the United States, your information will be transferred to,

processed in, and stored in the United States and in regions used by our

service providers (e.g., InfluxDB Cloud's AWS regions, Mapbox's global

edge network, Clerk's infrastructure). By using the App you consent to

this transfer.

Backup camera video processed on your iPad remains on that device and is

not transmitted internationally by us.


10. Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live (e.g., the EU/EEA, the UK, California), you

may have the right to:

You can exercise most of these rights yourself from inside the App

(Account Settings → Danger Zone → Delete Account), or by emailing us

at the address below. We will respond within a reasonable time and in

accordance with applicable law.

For backup camera data stored locally, you can remove saved cameras,

change nicknames, turn off Auto-show preview on connect, or uninstall

the App to delete on-device camera settings.

We do not "sell" personal information as that term is defined under the

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).


11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Effective date" at the

top of the policy reflects when the current version took effect. Material

changes will be highlighted in the App and/or on the App's public listing.


12. Contact

Questions, requests, or concerns about this policy can be sent to:

Email: softwarebsr@gmail.com

Postal: Badger Solar Racing, c/o University of Wisconsin–Madison,

1513 Engineering Drive, Unit 1106, Madison, WI 53706