Privacy Policy
Intelligence Network is a volunteer environmental sensor network for Illinois. People contribute readings through a Telegram bot (@intelligence_network_bot); the network checks them against neighbors and official data, sends alerts to subscribers, and publishes a daily digest in Google Drive and a public website. This policy explains what we collect, how it's used, what is published, and how to delete it.
What we collect
- From Telegram, when you use the bot: your Telegram user ID, chat ID, display name and username.
- Your home location, as you set it: a ZIP code, ZIP+4, county, or a location you share.
- Readings you send: the values, times and places, any note or tags, and a Telegram reference to a photo you attach. Photos are not downloaded.
- Your subscriptions: the topics and areas you ask for.
- An e-mail address, only if you ask for the digest by e-mail with
/digest.
We don't collect your contacts, device information, or anything from your Google account.
How it's used
- To run the network: compare your readings with nearby sensors and official data, keep a trust score for each sensor, detect events, and send the alerts and reports you subscribed to.
- To build the daily digest and this website.
- Messages that aren't in the short reading format are interpreted by AI models running on the operator's own computer. They are not sent to outside AI services.
- To keep the network healthy: rate limits and, when necessary, suspending sensors that send false data.
What is published
The daily digest (Google Docs that anyone with the link can view), this website and its data files show readings aggregated by county and ZIP code, and list contributors only by a pseudonymous handle such as s-3f9a1. We never publish names, Telegram usernames or IDs, ZIP+4 codes, coordinates or e-mail addresses.
If other people subscribe to raw reports for an area, they receive readings from that area with the contributor's handle, the ZIP code and county, the time, and any note the contributor attached.
Who else handles data
- Telegram delivers the bot's messages. Telegram's own privacy policy covers your use of Telegram.
- Google hosts the digest in the network's Google Drive. If you give an e-mail address, Google sends you an invitation to the digest folder.
- GitHub hosts this website.
We don't sell or rent data, and we don't use it for advertising.
Google API data
The service uses Google Drive only through the network's own Google account (ilintelligencenetwork@gmail.com), with the drive.file permission, to create and update the digest folder and its documents. It does not access the Google accounts or Google data of contributors or subscribers. Intelligence Network's use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
How long it's kept
- Your readings stay part of the network's record until you delete them.
- Official reference data (NWS, USGS, NRCS and others) is kept for about 30 days.
- Subscriptions and your e-mail address are kept until you remove them.
Your choices
/unsubscribe allstops every push./forget confirmdeletes your sensor record, your readings, your subscriptions and any digest e-mail address, and removes that address from the digest folder. Event totals that were already computed may still count your past readings, without any link to you.- Or e-mail ilintelligencenetwork@gmail.com and we'll do it for you.
Children
The service is not directed at children under 13. If you are under 13, please don't use it.
Changes
Changes to this policy will be posted on this page with a new effective date.