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1. Who is responsible for your information
Deutsche Kraniche Virtual is the controller of the personal information described in this notice. This means we determine why and how that information is processed for the services covered below.
2. Scope
This notice applies to the Deutsche Kraniche Virtual public website, member accounts, pilot systems, flight-recording software, support channels, and Deutsche Kraniche Virtual-controlled community spaces. Third-party services such as Discord, VATSIM, IVAO, and other third-party providers also process information under their own notices and terms.
3. Information we collect
Account and identity information
We collect an ordinary chosen name, email address, account credentials in protected form, email-verification state, multi-factor authentication settings, and a self-declaration that the member is at least 18 years old. We do not require a birth date or identity document for ordinary age verification.
Members may optionally add VATSIM, IVAO, or Discord identifiers and other profile information identified in the account interface.
Profile and community information
We process profile visibility, display name, avatar, preferences, uploads, posts, comments, support messages, conduct reports, and other material a member submits. The final fields available on profiles are listed in the account interface.
Flight and simulator information
We collect the simulator and flight information required to validate and record a simulated flight. This may include aircraft and callsign information, departure and arrival information, route and timestamps, position or flight-path information, simulator and client versions, flight events, and performance results.
The flight-recording interface and supporting documentation identify the fields collected by the current software. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual limits collection to information reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this notice; this section does not authorize unrelated or unlimited device collection.
Optional performance analytics
With a separate opt-in, Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may collect limited device, software, and performance information to understand compatibility and improve reliability. The collection interface will describe the categories sent before the member enables it. Raw information is treated as personal data while it can still be connected to a member or device.
Optional crash reports
With a separate opt-in, Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may collect error and crash reports. Reports may contain application state, operating-system or device information, installed simulator components, file paths, network information, or other diagnostic material. Where technically feasible, members can preview or redact a report before sending it. Members should not intentionally include passwords, authentication tokens, private communications, or unrelated files.
Security and usage information
We collect IP addresses, request and authentication logs, security events, cookie or session identifiers, and information needed to prevent abuse and investigate incidents.
Financial contribution information
An external payment provider processes payment details. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may receive transaction status, date, processor reference, and information needed for accounting or fraud prevention. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual does not store full payment-card details. A member may separately enable a binary contributor marker on their profile; we do not display contribution amounts.
Information from third parties
If a member connects or verifies an external identifier, we may receive limited information from the selected service. We may also receive reports about conduct on a Deutsche Kraniche Virtual community surface or during a Deutsche Kraniche Virtual-associated flight. We will tell the affected person about third-party information when required and safe to do so.
4. How we use information and our reasons
We process information to:
- Create, authenticate, secure, and support accounts.
- Provide pilot services and validate simulated flights.
- Apply member-selected profile visibility.
- Operate community features and events.
- Enforce our Terms and Community Standards with human review.
- Detect fraud, abuse, and security threats.
- Respond to support, privacy, legal, and security requests.
- Comply with applicable accounting, tax, and legal obligations.
- Improve compatibility and reliability when optional analytics or crash reporting is enabled.
- Support partnership status with an online network when a member links their network account.
Depending on location and context, our legal grounds may include performing our agreement with the member, our legitimate interests in operating and protecting the community, consent for optional processing, and compliance with legal obligations. Where processing relies on consent, the member may withdraw it prospectively without affecting earlier lawful processing.
5. Profile visibility
Members choose one profile state:
- Public: The profile can be viewed without signing in. Public profiles are marked
noindexto discourage search-engine indexing and are not placed in a public pilot roster. - Members: The profile is visible only to authenticated Deutsche Kraniche Virtual members.
- Private: The profile is visible only to the member and authorized staff who need access.
The visibility choice applies to the profile as a whole; individual fields are not configurable unless the interface expressly says otherwise. Fields designated private by Deutsche Kraniche Virtual, including email addresses, are never displayed. Contributor recognition requires a separate display choice.
Changing a profile to a more private setting removes access through Deutsche Kraniche Virtual immediately. Copies may remain briefly in content-delivery caches until those caches expire. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual cannot control copies previously made by another person while information was visible.
6. Online network partnerships
Members may choose to link their Deutsche Kraniche Virtual account to an account with a supported online network. Linking is a single setting: the network identifier and relevant flight dates are not managed or authorized separately.
While the accounts remain linked, Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may disclose the member’s network identifier and relevant flight dates to the respective online network only as needed to support the partnership status between Deutsche Kraniche Virtual and that network. Unlinking the accounts stops future discretionary disclosures, but it does not require the network to erase information already received. Online networks process received information under their own policies.
7. When we disclose information
We may disclose information:
- To infrastructure providers that host, deliver, secure, monitor, or support the service.
- To transactional email and support providers.
- To error-monitoring or analytics providers when the corresponding optional feature is enabled.
- To payment processors for financial contributions.
- To Discord or another community platform when a member uses that platform.
- To a supported online network while the member’s account is linked, for the partnership purpose described in Section 6.
- To professional advisers, auditors, insurers, or a successor operator under confidentiality obligations.
- To authorities or other parties when we reasonably believe disclosure is legally required or necessary to protect rights, safety, or service integrity.
We provide additional information about relevant recipients when required by law or in response to a valid privacy request. We do not publish server addresses, network diagrams, security configurations, or other details that would create unnecessary security risk.
8. Where information is processed
Although Deutsche Kraniche Virtual is legally based in the United States, the systems we directly operate to store and process personal information are located in the European Union. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual seeks to keep third-party processing within the European Union wherever reasonably possible, although some providers may process information in other jurisdictions. When personal information is transferred across borders, Deutsche Kraniche Virtual will use any transfer mechanism or additional safeguard required by applicable law and provide further information on request.
9. Retention
We retain information only for a documented operational, security, legal, or accounting need.
| Information | Normal retention |
|---|---|
| Active account information | While the account remains active |
| Closed-account identity | Removed within 30 days, subject to the exceptions below |
| Backup copies | Until overwritten through the normal backup cycle |
| IP and authentication logs | 90 days, unless required for an active security or abuse investigation |
| Raw optional performance analytics | Up to 30 days before deletion or irreversible aggregation |
| Crash reports | Until resolution and for no more than 90 additional days |
| Ordinary conduct records | Two years after final resolution |
| Member content preserved as evidence | Only while reasonably needed for moderation, security, or legal purposes |
| Completed flight information after account deletion | Direct and indirect member identifiers removed; only irreversibly anonymous aggregate statistics retained |
| Financial contribution information | As held by the payment provider or as required for accounting and law |
| Contributor marker | Until the member disables it or closes the account |
We may retain a minimal restriction record longer when reasonably necessary to enforce a permanent safety or security restriction, establish or defend legal claims, or meet a legal obligation. Access to such records is limited.
10. Account closure and deletion
Members may close an account through account controls or request closure at [email protected]. Public and member profile access ends promptly. Within 30 days, Deutsche Kraniche Virtual deletes or de-identifies account information that is no longer needed.
Completed flight records are separated from the account and retained only as anonymous aggregate statistics that cannot reasonably be reconnected to the former member. Content may be temporarily preserved when it forms part of an unresolved moderation, security, fraud, or legal record.
11. Cookies and similar technology
We use cookies or similar storage necessary for authentication, security, preferences, and core service operation. Optional analytics will not activate until the required choice has been made. The relevant preference interface identifies optional technologies and provides the available controls before they are enabled.
12. Your choices and rights
Account controls allow members to manage profile visibility, linked online-network accounts, optional analytics, crash reporting, communications, contributor recognition, and available profile information.
Depending on applicable law, a person may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection, portability, withdrawal of consent, or review of certain decisions. Requests can be submitted through account privacy controls or [email protected]. We may take reasonable steps to verify the requester and protect other people’s information.
We aim to make the privacy controls and request process described in this notice available consistently to all members, regardless of where they live. We will not discriminate against anyone for exercising a privacy right provided by applicable law.
If you have concerns about how we handle personal information, we welcome you to contact us. You may also contact a data-protection or privacy authority with jurisdiction over your concern. Where applicable law gives you a direct right to complain, you do not need to contact us first.
Deutsche Kraniche Virtual does not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
We aim to respond within the period required by applicable law. If we deny a request in whole or part, we will explain the reason and any available appeal route where required.
13. Automated checks
Automated systems may flag flight reports, authentication events, or other activity for validation, fraud prevention, or security review. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual will provide meaningful human review before an automated flag results in a material membership sanction.
14. Security and incidents
We use safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information we hold. No system is completely secure. If an incident affects personal information, we will investigate, mitigate harm, and notify affected people or authorities when required. More information appears in our Security statement.
15. Age requirement
Deutsche Kraniche Virtual is only available to people aged 18 or older. We do not knowingly allow minors to maintain accounts. If you believe a minor has provided personal information, contact [email protected].
16. Changes to this notice
We may update this notice as the service, providers, or law changes. We will post the revised notice with a new effective date. Material changes will receive prominent service or email notice before they take effect when reasonably possible or legally required. Previous versions remain available in Policy History.