Telemetry

Liftbridge sends anonymous usage telemetry to help improve the project. This page explains what data is collected, how it's used, and how to opt out.

Overview

Liftbridge collects minimal, anonymous usage statistics to help the development team understand:

• How Liftbridge is being deployed (operating systems, hardware configurations)
• Which Liftbridge versions are in active use
• Basic system characteristics for optimization and testing

Privacy First

Liftbridge does not collect any personally identifiable information, message data, stream names, or performance metrics.

What Is Collected

Liftbridge sends the following anonymous data every 24 hours:

Instance Information

• instance_id: A random UUID generated on first run

  • Stored in {data.dir}/.instance_id
  • Unique per Liftbridge installation
  • Not linked to any personal information

• timestamp: When the telemetry report was generated (UTC)

• liftbridge_version: The running version number (e.g., 1.10.0)

System Information

• os: Operating system details

  • Name (e.g., "linux", "darwin", "windows")
  • Version (Go runtime version)
  • Architecture (e.g., "amd64", "arm64")
  • Platform (e.g., "linux-go1.23.0-amd64")

• cpu: CPU characteristics

  • Physical cores
  • Logical cores (threads)
  • Frequency in MHz (when available)

• memory: System memory

  • Total RAM in gigabytes

Example Payload

{
  "instance_id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-20T10:30:00Z",
  "liftbridge_version": "1.10.0",
  "os": {
    "name": "linux",
    "version": "go1.23.0",
    "architecture": "amd64",
    "platform": "linux-go1.23.0-amd64"
  },
  "cpu": {
    "physical_cores": 8,
    "logical_cores": 16,
    "frequency_mhz": null
  },
  "memory": {
    "total_gb": 32.0
  }
}

What Is NOT Collected

Liftbridge explicitly avoids collecting:

• User Data: No usernames, emails, or personal information
• Message Contents: No stream data or message payloads
• Stream Information: No stream names, subjects, or configurations
• Network Information: No IP addresses, hostnames, or NATS server addresses
• Credentials: No API keys, passwords, or TLS certificates
• File Paths: No directory structures or file names
• Performance Metrics: No throughput, latency, or resource usage
• Cluster Information: No server IDs, namespace names, or peer details

How It Works

Telemetry Schedule

1. First Transmission: Immediately after Liftbridge starts
2. Subsequent Transmissions: Every 24 hours
3. Single Instance: Each Liftbridge server sends its own telemetry

Endpoint

Telemetry is sent to: https://telemetry.basekick.net/api/v1/liftbridge/telemetry

Network Behavior

• If the telemetry endpoint is unreachable, Liftbridge logs a warning but continues operating normally
• Failed transmissions are retried during the next scheduled transmission
• No telemetry data is queued or persisted locally

Startup Logging

Liftbridge logs telemetry status on startup:

When Enabled:

INFO: Telemetry collector started [instance_id=550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000, interval=24h0m0s]

When Disabled:

INFO: Telemetry is disabled

Disabling Telemetry

You can opt out of telemetry in two ways:

Option 1: Configuration File

Edit your Liftbridge YAML configuration file and add:

telemetry:
  enabled: false

Full Example:

listen: 0.0.0.0:9292
data.dir: /var/lib/liftbridge

clustering:
  server.id: node-1
  namespace: production

telemetry:
  enabled: false

Option 2: Environment Variable

Set the environment variable before starting Liftbridge:

export LIFTBRIDGE_TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false

With Docker:

docker run -e LIFTBRIDGE_TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false liftbridge/liftbridge:latest

With Docker Compose:

services:
  liftbridge:
    image: liftbridge/liftbridge:latest
    environment:
      - LIFTBRIDGE_TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false

Verification

After configuring, start Liftbridge and check the logs:

INFO: Telemetry is disabled

If you see this message, telemetry is successfully disabled.

Configuration Options

Setting	Type	Default	Description
telemetry.enabled	boolean	true	Enable or disable telemetry
telemetry.interval.seconds	integer	86400	Reporting interval in seconds (default: 24 hours)

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
LIFTBRIDGE_TELEMETRY_ENABLED	true	Enable or disable telemetry
LIFTBRIDGE_TELEMETRY_INTERVAL_SECONDS	86400	Reporting interval in seconds

Why Telemetry?

Benefits to the Project

Anonymous telemetry helps the Liftbridge team:

1. Prioritize Platform Support: Understand which operating systems and architectures to focus on
2. Test on Real Hardware: Know what CPU and memory configurations are common
3. Track Version Adoption: See how quickly users upgrade to new releases
4. Plan Deprecations: Identify when old versions are no longer in use

Privacy Considerations

Liftbridge's telemetry is designed with privacy as a priority:

• Anonymous: No linkage to individuals or organizations
• Minimal: Only essential system characteristics
• Transparent: Full disclosure of what is collected
• Optional: Easy opt-out with no functionality loss
• No Tracking: No cookies, fingerprinting, or cross-site tracking

Frequently Asked Questions

Does telemetry affect performance?

No. Telemetry runs asynchronously and has negligible performance impact:

• Transmission occurs once per 24 hours
• Payload is ~500 bytes
• Network timeout is 30 seconds
• Failed transmissions don't block Liftbridge operations

Can I verify what's being sent?

Yes. You can inspect the telemetry payload by:

1. Network Inspection: Use tools like Wireshark or tcpdump to capture the request
2. Source Code: Review the telemetry implementation in the Liftbridge repository

What happens to the data?

Telemetry data is:

• Stored securely on Basekick infrastructure
• Aggregated for statistical analysis
• Not shared with third parties
• Not used for commercial purposes
• Retained for a limited time (90 days)

Will Liftbridge work if telemetry is blocked?

Yes. Liftbridge functions identically whether telemetry is enabled or disabled. If the telemetry endpoint is unreachable (firewall, network issues), Liftbridge logs a warning and continues normally.

Why not make it opt-in?

We believe in transparency and easy opt-out rather than opt-in because:

• Telemetry helps improve the product for everyone
• Data collected is truly anonymous and minimal
• Opt-out is simple and clearly documented
• Many users don't discover opt-in options

However, we respect your choice and make opting out straightforward.

Privacy Policy

For detailed information about how Basekick handles data, see our Privacy Policy.

Support

If you have questions or concerns about telemetry:

• Discord Community
• GitHub Issues
• Email: privacy@basekick.net