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Data Policy

Last updated: 9 August 2026

Navtrac (navtrac.io) is operated by CITS LTD, Unit 7 Initial Business Centre, Wilsons Business Park, Manchester M40 8WN, United Kingdom. You can contact us at navtrac@citsltd.uk.

This Data Policy explains where the maritime data shown in Navtrac comes from, how it is processed, and — just as importantly — its limitations. It applies to both the web application and the API.

1. Where our data comes from

  • Vessel positions (AIS). Live and historical positions are derived from the Automatic Identification System — radio broadcasts that ships transmit publicly. We aggregate AIS from terrestrial receiver networks, including national AIS networks operated by government agencies and community receiver networks such as AISHub (aishub.net), supplemented by satellite-derived position estimates for vessels far from coastal coverage.
  • Vessel registry data. Identities, dimensions, and flags are compiled from AIS static messages and public registry sources.
  • Sanctions screening. Compliance data is drawn from official government sanctions lists, including OFAC (United States), the UN Security Council consolidated list, the EU consolidated list, and the UK (OFSI) sanctions list.
  • Safety and inspection records. Port state control inspection and detention data is sourced from the public databases of port state control authorities and regional MoUs, and from EMSA/THETIS public data.
  • Emissions. Vessel CO₂ emissions data comes from the EU's public THETIS-MRV reporting system.
  • Ports, weather, and security incidents. Port reference data, marine weather, tides, and maritime security incident reports are drawn from public and government sources, including national hydrographic, meteorological, and maritime safety agencies.

2. How we process it

We clean, deduplicate, and merge these sources into a single vessel registry, compute derived values (voyage histories, port calls, congestion metrics, risk indicators), and serve them through the map and the API. Derived values — including AI-generated risk scores and reports — are our own estimates, not statements by any data source.

3. Limitations you should understand

  • Coverage gaps. Terrestrial AIS only reaches vessels within receiver range; mid-ocean positions may be estimated or hours old. Some vessels switch off or misconfigure their AIS transponders.
  • Latency. Positions, inspection records, sanctions lists, and emissions data each update on their own schedules; nothing in the Service is guaranteed to be real time.
  • Accuracy. AIS data is self-reported by vessels and can be wrong or deliberately spoofed. Registry, destination, and ETA fields are typed in by crews and frequently contain errors.
  • Not navigation-grade. The Service must never be used for navigation, collision avoidance, safety-of-life, or emergency-response decisions.
  • Not compliance advice. Sanctions and safety indicators are screening aids. Always verify against the official list or authority before acting; a match or absence of a match in Navtrac is not a legal determination.

4. Using and redistributing data

Your plan determines what you may export. Exported data is for your own internal use; reselling or republishing raw data as a standalone dataset is prohibited — see the Acceptable Use Policy and, for API users, the Developer & API Terms.

5. Corrections

If you believe data about a vessel is wrong — for example a stale position or an incorrect identity — email navtrac@citsltd.uk and we will investigate. Where the error originates in an upstream public source, we may be unable to change it until the source does.

6. Contact

Questions about this Policy can be sent to navtrac@citsltd.uk or by post to CITS LTD, Unit 7 Initial Business Centre, Wilsons Business Park, Manchester M40 8WN, United Kingdom.