OpenFahrtenbuchPrivacy Policy
In short
OpenFahrtenbuch needs no account, has no server of its own, shows no ads and contains no analytics, tracking or advertising SDKs. Your trips, vehicles, places and costs are stored only on your device. We, Codext GmbH, do not receive any personal data from the app. Your location is only used while you are recording a trip.
Controller
Codext GmbH, Frankenstraße 10, 74549 Wolpertshausen, Germany. Email: kontakt@codext.de, phone: +49 7904 5203106. Represented by the managing director Daniel Ehrhardt.
Data processed by the app
On your device
The app stores the following locally in a database on your device:
- vehicles: name, license plate, odometer readings, optionally the list price and, if you connect an OBD adapter, its device identifier and the vehicle identification number (VIN) reported by the car;
- trips: date, time, odometer at start and end, start and destination address with coordinates, the distance measured by GPS, trip type, purpose, business partner, route, driver and notes;
- saved places, costs (such as fuel, service, insurance) and your settings;
- a change log: every entry and every change is stored in a SHA-256 hash chain so the logbook meets the tax requirements for immutability.
This data does not leave your device unless you export or share it yourself (see below). If you enter names of business partners or drivers, they also stay on your device only. To prevent the logbook from being altered after the fact, individual trips cannot be deleted in the app, only voided with a reason. All data is removed when you delete the app; please consider tax retention periods first and create a backup if needed. Depending on your device settings, the data may be part of your personal device backup with Apple or Google.
Location
When you record a trip by GPS, the app uses your device's location, with your permission, to determine the distance driven, the start and end point and to recognize saved places. Location is only used while a trip is actively recording; so that recording continues with the screen locked, this also happens in the background during the trip. The operating system shows you that location is in use. Without an active trip, the app does not request location. Location data is not sent to us. You can revoke the permission in the system settings at any time and record trips with an OBD adapter or by hand instead.
Address lookup by the operating system
To turn the coordinates of the start and end point into an address, the app uses your operating system's geocoding service: Apple's on iPhone, Google's on Android. Your device sends the coordinates of the start or end point and, for technical reasons, data such as your IP address to Apple (Apple Distribution International Ltd., Cork, Ireland) or Google (Google Ireland Limited, Dublin, Ireland). They process this data under their own privacy policies (Apple, Google); a transfer to the USA is possible. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (providing the feature you use). If you don't want this, you can enter addresses by hand.
Maps
The app draws a trip's route itself, without a map service. Only when you tap "Open in Maps" on a trip are the start and destination coordinates passed to Apple Maps (iOS) or Google Maps (Android). The privacy policies linked above apply; legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.
Bluetooth and OBD adapter
The app uses Bluetooth only to talk to an OBD adapter in your vehicle. During setup, with your permission, it scans for nearby Bluetooth LE devices so you can pick your adapter; some Android versions require the "Nearby devices" or "Location" permission for this. Afterwards the app only connects to the chosen adapter and reads vehicle data such as odometer, speed and, where available, the VIN. This data is stored on your device only.
Notifications
Reminders, for example about incomplete trips before the 7-day deadline, are local notifications. They are scheduled and shown on your device. No push service is used and no data is sent to us or third parties for this. You can turn notifications off in the system settings.
Export, sharing and backup
The app creates PDF, CSV and JSON files on your device. They only leave your device if you pass them on yourself through the system share sheet, for example by email to your tax advisor or to your own cloud storage. The recipient or service you choose is responsible for its processing. For private trips you can hide destinations in the export. When restoring a backup, the app reads the file you choose locally.
App stores
The app is distributed via the Apple App Store and Google Play. Apple and Google process data under their own privacy policies when you download or update the app. We only receive aggregated, non-personal statistics and, if you agreed to share them, anonymous crash reports.
If you email us, we process your email address and message to reply (Art. 6(1)(b) and (f) GDPR) and delete them when no longer needed. Please don't send us logbook exports unless we explicitly ask for them.
Website
The website is served via Cloudflare (Cloudflare, Inc., 101 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA, certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework). Cloudflare processes technically necessary data such as IP address, time and requested page to deliver the site securely (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). The website uses no cookies, no analytics and no embedded third-party content; the font is served from our own server.
No sharing, no selling
We do not sell data and do not share personal data with third parties, because we do not receive such data through the app.
Your rights
You have the right of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, data portability and objection under the GDPR. Contact kontakt@codext.de. Since app data lives only on your device, it is in your hands; we can neither see nor delete it. You may also lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, for example the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Baden-Württemberg, Lautenschlagerstraße 20, 70173 Stuttgart, Germany.
Changes
We update this policy when the app or the law changes. The version published here applies.