Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 2026

OutageWatch (the app, the website, we, us) sends power-outage alerts for PG&E's Northern and Central California territory. This policy explains what we collect, why, and who it is shared with. OutageWatch is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by PG&E.

We built OutageWatch to collect as little as possible. There are no accounts, no sign-up, and no name, email, or phone number required to use it.

What we collect

• Areas you add. When you add a ZIP code, type an address, or tap "use my location," we store that area (its coordinates and, for a ZIP, the ZIP code) so we can watch it for outages. Addresses you type are turned into coordinates ("geocoded"); the address or ZIP is sent to our server to look up the location and check which utility serves it.
• A notification token. To deliver push alerts we use a messaging service that assigns your app install or browser an anonymous token. We store this token with your saved areas so we can notify the right device.
• Basic request data. Like any internet service, our servers briefly receive your device's IP address when you make a request. We use it only to operate and protect the service (for example, rate limiting) and do not build a profile from it.

We do not collect your name, email, phone number, contacts, photos, or a continuous location history.

Browser notifications

If you opt into web push alerts, your browser gives us a push token. We store that token together with the ZIP or area you chose so we can deliver alerts to you, and nothing else. We do not collect your name or email to send these alerts. You can turn web notifications off at any time through your browser's site settings, which revokes the token.

Local storage

We use your browser's localStorage to remember your last ZIP and whether you dismissed a banner, so the site is a little less repetitive on your next visit. That is it. There are no third-party tracking cookies, no analytics, and no ads. You can clear this at any time from your browser's storage settings.

Geolocation

If you tap "use my location," your browser shares your coordinates with the site once, so we can find outages near you. Those coordinates are used in the moment and are not stored on our servers.

How your information is used

• To show outages in and near the areas you save.
• To send you an alert when an outage affects one of your areas, its restoration estimate changes materially, power is restored, or a Public Safety Power Shutoff is planned for your area.
• To keep the service running and prevent abuse.

We do not sell your information, show ads, or use third-party advertising or analytics and tracking tools.

Who your information is shared with

To provide the service, limited data is processed by these providers.

• Google. Firebase Cloud Messaging delivers push notifications using your anonymous token. Google Cloud (Firestore, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage) hosts our servers and database.
• Anthropic. Powers the optional plain-language "what's going on?" explanation on an outage. We send only the outage's facts (cause, estimated restoration, customer count, and so on). We do not send your location, saved areas, or notification token.
• Geocoding services. When you type an address or ZIP, it is sent to the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and Photon (an OpenStreetMap service) to find its coordinates.
• OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap. Provide the map tiles the site draws. Your approximate map view is requested from them.
• PG&E. We read PG&E's public outage map to get outage data. We do not send PG&E any of your information.

Data retention

Your saved areas and notification token are kept until you remove the area (which deletes it from our server) or your notification token becomes invalid (we prune dead tokens automatically). Uninstalling the app, or clearing your browser storage, removes the data stored on your device.

Your choices

• Remove any saved area at any time.
• Turn off notifications in your browser's site settings or your phone's system settings.
• Clear your browser storage, or uninstall the app, to remove local data.

Security

Data is sent over encrypted connections (HTTPS) and stored on Google Cloud. No system is perfectly secure, but we keep the data we hold minimal and anonymous.

Children

OutageWatch is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy; we will change the "Last updated" date above. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your data? Open an issue at github.com/nicglazkov/outagewatch/issues.