Privacy Policy

1. Responsible Entity

Meshtastic PT is an independent and unofficial community, run by volunteers, that promotes the use and knowledge of the Meshtastic network in Portugal. The technical infrastructure (website, database, MQTT servers, etc.) is maintained for educational and community purposes.

2. MQTT and Data Flow

The Meshtastic network operates by default exclusively over LoRa radio, with no internet required. MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is an optional feature that allows devices with internet access to forward LoRa network traffic to a central server (broker), making it accessible online.

Any Meshtastic device with internet access, whether a gateway, repeater, or regular client, can choose to enable this connection and publish the packets it receives to the broker. All traffic passing through our broker includes geographic positions, telemetry, node information, and message contents. Our platform receives, processes, and stores this traffic to display it on the website and power community tools. The broker enforces per-connection rate limiting and flood and abuse protection mechanisms to ensure service stability and integrity.

3. Data Collected

• Geographic Positions: Exact geographic positions (latitude/longitude) are only stored when users explicitly choose to share this information through configured devices.
• Node Information: Short name, long name, node ID, firmware, region, radio version, channel settings, and other technical data sent by devices.
• Telemetry: Information such as battery voltage, temperature, channel utilization, and other sensor data, if devices send this information.
• Message Packets: Contents transmitted over the Meshtastic network, encrypted or not.
• IP Address (temporary): For abuse protection, some endpoints temporarily log the IP associated with the request (e.g., moderation panel).
• Web Traffic Analytics: We use Cloudflare Web Analytics, a privacy-first solution that does not use cookies and does not track individual users. It only collects aggregated metrics (visit counts, popular pages, origin countries) to help us improve the website.
• Contact Form: When you submit a message through the contact form, the data provided (name, email, and message) is stored temporarily and used solely to respond to your request.

4. Purpose of the Data

Collected data is used exclusively for the following purposes:

• Visually present the Meshtastic network in Portugal (map, node list, statistics);
• Provide educational tutorials on how to install and configure Meshtastic devices;
• Provide dashboards with telemetry charts and technical analysis per node;
• Enable community moderation (blocking/unblocking abusive nodes);
• Improve the reliability, performance, and security of the infrastructure;
• Prevent duplication or malicious injection of packets;
• Provide public tools for the community (e.g., node search, advanced filters, etc.);

5. Tutorial System

The website provides a section of visual and interactive tutorials, with images, QR codes, and step-by-step instructions on:

• Flashing firmware with Chrome;
• Configuring name, channel, region, and operating mode;
• Integration with Meshtastic Android/iOS apps;
• Use with MQTT, LoRa, and sensor monitoring.

These tutorials do not require any registration and do not collect personal data.

6. Blocking and Moderation System

The platform implements a community moderation mechanism aimed at preventing abuse or improper content on the network:

• Blocking criteria: Too many or too few hops, misconfigured telemetry, HAM Mode usage, Range Test, offensive language, threats of physical harm, Router / Repeater / Router Late mode in conflict with the core network, Store and Forward spam, etc.
• Method: A node is marked as "blocked" after approval by 3 independent moderators through a secure moderation panel.
• Unblocking: Only after manual review by 3 moderators or technically verified behavior change (e.g., spam removal, firmware reconfiguration).
• Transparency: The block status is visible in the interface, with public date and reason.

7. Data Sharing

The data shown on the site is public and originates from a community and decentralized network. However:

• We do not share IP logs or raw telemetry data with third parties;
• We do not sell or commercialize any collected data;

8. Data Retention and Removal

Data is stored as long as it is considered relevant for visualizing the network:

• Nodes inactive for more than 90 days may be archived;
• Old messages are automatically removed after 90 days;
• Duplicate or technically invalid positions are automatically discarded;

9. User Rights

Although the system is community-based and decentralized, we respect the following rights:

• Right to clear information about the data presented;

10. Security

Data is stored in an encrypted database with restricted access. Connections to the frontend use HTTPS with HSTS. The MQTT server applies mitigation mechanisms against flood and spoofing. All API endpoints have rate limiting and origin validation.

11. Contact

For any questions related to this policy, please contact us through the community's official Telegram channel, or submit a request via the contact form on the website.

Last update: April 30, 2026
This policy may be revised periodically.