VarAC Privacy Policy

Hi guys,

I know nobody likes reading legal text, so here’s the short version of how I handle your data. There isn’t much to it.

VarAC doesn’t spy on you. It runs on your computer and works fully off-grid. Your messages, logs and contacts stay on your computer, and VarAC doesn’t send me anything. The only exception is data sent to other services by features you turn on yourself in VarAC, such as PSK Reporter, QSO loggers, QRZ.com, Google Translate or Gemini. Each of those services has its own privacy policy.
The download form. When you download VarAC from the website, you give me your name, callsign and email. I use them to send you VarAC news and updates, and to keep a record that you agreed to the Terms.
I keep your email until you tell me to stop. VarAC is off-grid, so I have no way of knowing whether you still use it. Unsubscribe with the link in any email, or email me and I’ll delete your details.
I don’t sell your data. Not to anyone, ever.
Academy purchases go through Payhip. I see your name, email and what you bought, never your card details.
The website uses cookies like most websites do. You can control them in your browser.
Online Forum, Facebook and Telegram groups. What you post there is visible to other members, and those platforms have their own privacy rules.
Under 18? Please ask a parent or guardian before you use VarAC or send me your details.
Questions or want your data deleted? Email varac.hamradio@gmail.com and I’ll take care of it.

That’s it. Enjoy VarAC :)

73, Irad 4Z1AC

This summary is here to help. It doesn’t replace the full Privacy Policy below, and if the two ever differ, the full Privacy Policy applies.

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Last updated: October 31, 2026

This Privacy Policy outlines how Irad Deutsch (4Z1AC), the owner of VarAC ("we", "our" or "us"), collects, uses and protects the personal information of users ("you" or "your") who visit our websites and use our software and services, including the free VarAC software, the varac-hamradio.com websites, VarAC Academy and the official VarAC online forums, Facebook group and Telegram group. By accessing or using our websites, software or services, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1. Personal Information: We may collect personal information, such as your name, callsign and email address, when you voluntarily provide it, for example when you download the Software, register for or graduate from VarAC Academy, subscribe to updates, or contact us.

1.2. Purchase Information: The Software is free and we do not sell licenses for it. If you buy an optional paid item, such as a VarAC Academy course, our payment provider (for example Payhip) shares your name, email address and order details with us. We do not receive your full payment-card details.

1.3. Download Records: When you download the Software from our website, we ask for your name, callsign and email address, and we record them together with the date and time of your submission. We keep this record to send you VarAC news where you have agreed to receive it, and as a record that you accepted our Terms of Use and this Privacy Policy. The Software itself does not record or report its installation or use. It can be installed and used entirely off-grid, and we receive no information from it.

1.4. Usage Information: When you visit our websites, our website platform automatically collects certain information about your device and how you interact with the websites, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited and the date and time of your visit.

1.5. Cookies and Tags: We may use cookies, tags and similar technologies to operate our websites, analyze trends and support marketing. You can control the use of cookies through your browser settings.

1.6. Community Forums and Groups: When you join or post in the official VarAC forums, Facebook group or Telegram group, your name, profile and posts are visible to other members. Facebook and Telegram process this information under their own privacy policies. As group administrators, we can see your profile and posts and may use them to moderate the groups and enforce our Terms of Use.

2. Legal Basis for Processing

2.1. Where applicable under data-protection law (including the EU General Data Protection Regulation, "GDPR"), we process your personal information on one or more of the following legal bases: performance of a contract (for example, to deliver the Software, courses and badges); your consent (for example, for marketing communications, which you may withdraw at any time); our legitimate interests in operating, moderating, protecting and improving our services and enforcing our rights in the Software; or compliance with a legal obligation.

3. VarAC Software and Optional Online Features

3.1. The Software runs on your own computer. Your radio traffic, messages, logs and contact lists stay on your computer, and the Software does not send them to us.

3.2. Some optional features, when you turn them on, send information to third-party services over the internet, such as:

PSK Reporter: your callsign, your locator, and the callsigns, frequencies and signal reports of stations your station hears.
QRZ.com lookups: the callsigns you look up.
AI features: the text and questions you send to the AI engine you choose, such as Google Gemini.
Google Translate and maps: text or locations you choose to open, sent from your computer's web browser.
QSO loggers: the details of contacts you choose to log, sent to the logging program or service you connect.

3.3. Each of these services handles that information under its own terms and privacy policy. Each feature can be turned on or off in the Software's settings. See also section 6 of our Terms of Use.

4. Information About Other Stations

4.1. The Software shows information about other radio stations that your station hears or links with, such as callsigns, locations, messages and signal reports. This information is received by your own station over the air and stays on your station. We do not receive it. You decide how it is kept and used, and are responsible for doing so in line with the law that applies to you.

5. Use of Information

5.1. We may use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Providing the Software, updates, VarAC Academy courses and badges.
Communicating with you about your inquiries, purchases or registration.
Running and moderating the official VarAC forums and groups.
Sending news, release announcements and marketing communications about VarAC, where you have agreed to receive them.
Analyzing trends to improve our websites and services.
Protecting the Software, preventing abuse, and investigating and enforcing breaches of our Terms of Use, including unauthorized copying or reverse engineering.
Complying with legal obligations and protecting our rights.

6. Data Retention

6.1. Because the Software works off-grid, we cannot tell whether you are still using it. We therefore keep your download record and email address, and continue to send you VarAC news where you have agreed to receive it, until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete your information.

6.2. If you unsubscribe, we stop sending you news and marketing, but we may keep your email address on a do-not-contact list so that we do not add you again by mistake. If you ask us to delete your information, we will do so, except for records we must keep by law, such as purchase and accounting records, and records needed to establish, exercise or defend legal claims, including claims relating to breaches of our Terms of Use.

7. Sharing of Information

7.1. We may share your personal information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating our websites and services, such as our website host, email-marketing platform and payment provider. These providers may use it only to provide their services to us and are required to keep it confidential.

7.2. We do not sell your personal information.

7.3. We may disclose your information in response to legal process, or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims, including claims relating to infringement of our rights in the Software.

8. International Data Transfers

8.1. Our service providers may store and process your personal information in countries other than your own, which may have different data-protection standards. Where personal data is transferred internationally, we take appropriate steps to ensure it receives an adequate level of protection, consistent with applicable data-protection law.

9. Data Security

9.1. We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Your Rights

10.1. You can ask us at any time to access, correct or delete your personal information, and you can unsubscribe from our emails using the link in any email. Depending on where you live, for example in the EU or the UK, you may have further rights under local law, such as receiving a copy of your data or complaining to your local data-protection authority.

10.2. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at varac.hamradio@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days and may ask you to verify your identity before acting on your request.

11. Children's Privacy

11.1. Our websites and services are not directed to children under the age of 18. Users under that age, including young licensed radio operators, may use the Software only with the permission of a parent or guardian and should not send us personal information. If we learn that we hold a child's personal information without such permission, we will promptly delete it.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

12.1. We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the revised Privacy Policy on our website. The date of the latest version is shown at the top of this Privacy Policy. We are not required to notify you of changes, and it is your responsibility to review this page periodically.

13. Contact Us

13.1. VarAC is owned by Irad Deutsch (4Z1AC). If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your information, please contact us at varac.hamradio@gmail.com.

By using our websites, software or services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy.