Privacy & Security Policy
PocketMC is engineered with an uncompromising local-first architecture. Your server configurations, game worlds, credentials, and telemetry preferences reside strictly on your own hardware. This document outlines how secrets are encrypted, how telemetry operates with zero personal data, and every outbound connection the software makes.
1. Local Storage Sovereignty & Platform Encryption
Hardware-backed cryptographic security without cloud intermediary storage.
Local Directory Containment
PocketMC maintains all server configuration files, world archives, console logs, player data, and metadata strictly on your local machine under your designated application directory. We do not mirror or store your game data on proprietary servers.
- World saves stay on your NVMe or SSD storage.
- No remote access unless you explicitly enable a tunnel.
- Full portability: delete or move instances with standard file operations.
Platform-Native Key Vaults
Sensitive credentials (including CurseForge API tokens, Playit secret keys, OAuth refresh tokens, and AI Provider keys) are encrypted at rest using OS hardware-backed cryptographic facilities:
- Windows: Protected via Windows Data Protection API (DPAPI), bound exclusively to your user SID.
- Linux: Stored via Linux Secret Service API (dbus / GNOME Keyring / KWallet).
- macOS: Protected using Apple Keychain Security framework.
Direct Cloud Backup Pipe
When configuring automated off-site backups to Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or Dropbox, the connection is established directly between your local PC and the respective cloud provider API.
- Zero intermediary servers handle world archives.
- OAuth tokens are held in your local DPAPI vault.
- RCON freeze and thaw commands preserve chunk consistency.
2. Telemetry Architecture & Complete Opt-Out
Transparent health metrics designed to evaluate engine stability with zero tracking.
What Is Collected (If Enabled)
To measure software reliability, track server engine adoption, and diagnose crashes, PocketMC includes an optional telemetry reporting system:
- Anonymous Client UUID: Randomly generated locally on first launch; not tied to hardware serials.
- Approximate Country: Resolved on startup via
http://ip-api.comto understand regional usage. - Client Version & Engines: App version and active server engine counts (e.g. Paper, BDS, Fabric).
What Is Never Collected
We follow a strict zero-knowledge approach regarding your personal identity, server content, and player behavior:
- Zero personal identifiers, real names, or email addresses.
- Zero player gamertags, IP addresses, or in-game chat logs.
- Zero world saves, seed values, coordinate records, or mods.
- Zero hardware MAC addresses, motherboard serials, or GPU IDs.
1-Click Permanent Opt-Out
Telemetry is completely optional. You can disable all telemetry reporting at any time with a single switch:
- Open Settings > Telemetry in PocketMC.
- Toggle Anonymous Telemetry to OFF.
- All outbound telemetry routines, IP lookups, and proxy pings cease immediately and permanently.
3. Exhaustive Outbound Connection Disclosures
PocketMC connects to external services only when you explicitly invoke specific application features.
| Service & Hostname | Trigger Event | Data Exchanged | Security Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adoptium & GitHub API api.adoptium.net / github.com |
Runtime installation or update check | Requested Java/PHP version, target OS architecture | HTTPS / TLS 1.3 with SHA-256 binary validation |
| Modrinth & CurseForge api.modrinth.com / api.curseforge.com |
Browsing or installing mods, plugins, datapacks | Search query text, game version, loader type | HTTPS / TLS 1.3 with authenticated API keys |
| Playit.gg API api.playit.gg |
Provisioning or running public network tunnels | Tunnel claim token, local port allocation request | HTTPS / TLS 1.3 with stateless proxy token auth |
| Cloud Storage APIs Google Drive / OneDrive / Dropbox |
Scheduled or manual off-site backup upload | ZIP world archives sent directly to user cloud account | OAuth 2.0 PKCE with client-side DPAPI token store |
| AI Model Providers Gemini / OpenAI / Claude / Ollama |
User clicking "Analyze Log with AI" | Regex-sanitized server crash logs | HTTPS to user endpoint or local HTTP loopback (Ollama) |
| Telemetry Relay pocket-mc-proxy.onrender.com |
Application launch (if telemetry is enabled) | Anonymous UUID, app version, engine count, country | HTTPS / TLS 1.3 with zero IP address logging |
4. Diagnostic Logs & Automated Regex Sanitization
Security safeguards applied when generating local diagnostic bundles for troubleshooting.
Regex Secret Masking
When you choose to generate a diagnostic support bundle in PocketMC, an automated sanitization pass scans all server configuration files and console logs before compiling the archive:
rcon.password, database credentials, and query secrets are replaced with[REDACTED].- Bearer tokens, API keys, and Playit claim secrets are stripped from log outputs.
- Absolute directory paths are converted to relative instance paths.
Local Export Control
Diagnostic archives are saved strictly to your local machine (e.g., your Desktop or Downloads folder) as a standard ZIP file.
- PocketMC never transmits diagnostic archives automatically.
- You retain full capability to inspect the ZIP archive before sharing it.
- Diagnostic archives can be posted manually on GitHub issues or community Discord channels.
Security Vulnerability Disclosures & Inquiries
If you discover a security vulnerability or have questions regarding data privacy in PocketMC, please report it directly to our security maintainers at contactdslabs@gmail.com. We acknowledge receipt within 48 hours and coordinate responsible disclosure fixes before public release.