Last updated: 2026-06-07 · Version 0.1 (draft)
The Online Amateur Radio Community (“OARC”, “we”, “us”) is a volunteer-run amateur radio community operating primarily online using various services and platforms. We aim to be open, transparent, and respectful of our members' privacy.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how and why we use it, how it is stored and shared, and the rights you have under UK data protection law.
This is a general policy covering OARC as a whole. Some services we run have additional, service-specific notes, listed at the end of this document.
Contact email: [email protected]
OARC is an amateur radio online club run by volunteers. It is an informal, unincorporated collective — not a registered company or charity. We use external platforms to connect our community, and we operate some services directly while others are run by individual members associated with OARC.
Where a service is not owned or directly operated by OARC, this is stated in the service-specific section.
For data protection purposes, OARC acts as the data controller for services it operates directly. In practice this responsibility is held by the volunteers who administer those services.
Depending on how you interact with OARC, we may collect:
When you register for training classes or licence-related activities:
See the service-specific sections below.
We use personal data only where necessary, including to:
We do not use your data for advertising or sell it to third parties.
Under UK GDPR, we process personal data using one or more of:
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have judged that our use is proportionate and does not override your rights. You can object at any time (section 8).
We only share personal data when necessary:
All third parties are expected to handle data responsibly and securely.
Some third-party services we use (such as Discord or Zoom) process data outside the UK under their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.
Where we transfer data abroad ourselves — for example via hosting or AI providers — we rely on appropriate safeguards, such as UK adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses.
We keep personal data only as long as necessary, then delete or anonymise it:
You may request deletion of your data where appropriate.
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
We do not carry out automated decision-making with legal or similarly significant effects. To exercise any right, contact us using the details at the top of this document.
OARC is intended for users aged 13 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. Some training activities may involve under-18s; where they do, we take their needs into account and collect only what is necessary. If you believe we hold data on a child under 13, contact us and we will delete it.
Our website and wiki use only essential cookies needed to operate the site [adjust if you use analytics or other non-essential cookies, which require consent].
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, or unauthorised access. However, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. Where a security incident has occurred we will let our community know about it, and its impacts, as soon as we can.
If you have a concern about how we use your data, please contact us first at [email protected] and we will respond. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version, with its revision date, will always be available on our website.
The following provide additional detail for specific OARC-related services. For questions about this policy or any service, contact us using the details at the top of the document.