Polarsteps and data privacy: What happened — and what to look out for in an alternative
Polarsteps is the go-to app for many to map out their trips. In September 2026, the app made headlines due to its data privacy practices. Here's what's known, what you should check in your account now, and what questions you should ask an alternative, regardless of whether you ultimately stick with Polarsteps, switch, or document your trip in a completely different way.
What happened at Polarsteps?
In early September 2026, the Dutch investigative platform Follow the Money (FTM) published a report on Polarsteps. The investigation was prompted by a French security researcher who, according to media reports, had already reported the vulnerability to Polarsteps in the fall of 2025. According to FTM, the app's application programming interface (API) allowed for the extensive retrieval of data: names and profiles of approximately 23 million users, connections between followers, and, in many cases, GPS coordinates and photos and videos with embedded coordinates.
Particularly concerning: Research revealed that even trips whose owners had set their profiles to "followers only" were accessible. Because many trips begin and end at home, residences could be deduced. FTM also identified military personnel from several NATO countries among the users. According to industry publications, the cause was not an obscure vulnerability, but rather a lack of access controls: The interface did not adequately verify who was allowed to view which trip and barely limited the number of queries.
Polarsteps rejects the claim of a data leak, pointing to its default privacy settings. The company states that it has tightened access controls: follow requests now require confirmation by default, and secret links are better protected. According to Dutch media, Polarsteps is in contact with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens). However, data accessed before the changes cannot be retrieved.
What you should do now as a Polarsteps user
You don't have to delete everything immediately. These steps will significantly reduce the risk, whether you stay or switch:
- Check your privacy settings: Set your profile and travel information to private or "followers only" and check if new followers need to be approved.
- Clean up your follower list: Remove everyone you don't know personally.
- Check start and end points: If a trip shows your home address, delete or move the first and last stop.
- Declutter your old travels: Delete what you no longer need. What no longer exists cannot be retrieved.
- Request a copy of your data: According to Articles 15 and 20 of the GDPR, you have the right to a copy of your data. Back it up before you travel or delete your account.
- Share location with a time delay: Post locations only after you have moved on, and not in real time.
What you should look out for in a Polarsteps alternative
No platform is automatically safe, as the Polarsteps case demonstrates. Instead of trusting advertising promises, ask each app these questions:
| Ask | Why it's important | That's how it is with Vakantio |
|---|---|---|
| Does the app track in the background? | Automatic GPS tracking generates a large amount of very accurate location data, even at home. | No background tracking. You set the location yourself for each post (or it is taken from the image data during photo import). |
| Who is allowed to read along? | "Private" is only helpful if readers need to be verified. | Public or "followers only" with a follow request that you confirm. Private visibility is a premium feature. |
| Do readers need an app? | Each additional app is another account with its own data. | No, the data is read via the browser. |
| Can you get your data back out? | Without export, you are bound to the supplier, even if you no longer trust them. | Yes, as a ZIP file containing all posts and images, directly in the blog settings. |
| Does the app want your home address? | What is not stored cannot be lost. | A profile does not require an address. We only request an address for the purpose of sending photo books and postcards. |
| Where is the data processed? | The GDPR applies if the provider is based in the EU or serves people in the EU. It is also important to consider which service providers are involved. | Servers in Frankfurt, operations from Kreuzlingen on Lake Constance. All service providers are listed in the privacy policy. |
Polarsteps or Vakantio : Which suits you best?
To be honest, they're two different tools. Polarsteps automatically records your route and easily turns it into a line on the map. If that's exactly what you're looking for, you won't find an equivalent in Vakantio , because we deliberately don't track your route in the background. Vakantio is a travel blog: You write reports of as much length as you like, attach photos, and add each location yourself. This is how your travel map is created.
- Vakantio is suitable if you want to tell stories instead of tracking them and decide for yourself which place ends up on the map.
- Vakantio is suitable if you want family and friends to read along without using the app. New posts can be sent via email upon request.
- Polarsteps is a better fit if you want a seamless GPS route without any typing.
- Whatever you decide: Check the settings and share locations with a time delay.
Regarding pricing: Creating a blog, writing, posting a map, and taking photos are free with Vakantio . Making a blog or individual posts visible only to confirmed followers is part of the Premium package (Explorer from €9.90/month).
Switch from Polarsteps to Vakantio
- Request a copy of your data from Polarsteps and back up your photos.
- Create a free travel blog at Vakantio . It takes less than a minute.
- Create a separate entry for each stop that's important to you, including the location and photos. There's no automatic import function. Many people use the move to turn short notes into proper travelogues.
- Set the visibility: public, or only for family and friends.
- Only after everything has been migrated should you delete the old trips on Polarsteps.
As of October 2026. The information regarding Polarsteps is based on the aforementioned reports and the company's statement. Polarsteps denies that a data breach occurred. Polarsteps is a trademark of Polarsteps BV; this article is not affiliated with Polarsteps.
Frequently asked questions about Polarsteps and data protection
Did Polarsteps have a data leak?
According to an investigation by Follow the Money from September 2026, the Polarsteps interface allowed access to the profiles, trips, GPS coordinates, and photos of millions of users, including trips intended only for followers. Dutch media are calling it a data leak. Polarsteps denies this characterization but claims to have tightened its access controls.
Is Polarsteps safe now?
Polarsteps claims to have made improvements, such as requiring follow requests to be approved by default and using better-protected secret links. However, this cannot be independently verified. No provider can guarantee security. The most effective measures are private settings, a clean follower list, and scheduling posts.
What is the best Polarsteps alternative with a focus on data privacy?
It depends on your needs. If you don't want background tracking, prefer to manually set locations, and want your family to be able to follow along without an app, a travel blog like Vakantio is suitable. If you want an automatic GPS route, you'll need a tracking app. In that case, the settings become even more important.
Should I delete my Polarsteps account?
Don't rush into anything. First, request a copy of your data (Articles 15 and 20 GDPR) and back up your photos. Afterward, you can delete individual trips or the entire account. However, deleting the data will not recover data that was already accessed before the changes were made.
Trackt Vakantio my location?
No, not in the background. With Vakantio each listing gets a location that you set yourself. When importing photos, the location can be taken from the image data. You decide when and where a location becomes visible when you publish the listing.
Can I transfer my Polarsteps trips to Vakantio ?
There's no automatic import. You upload your photos and create posts for the most important stops. It's more work, but in the end you have real travelogues instead of individual notes.
Telling stories about travel without being tracked in the background
Create your travel blog for free. You set the locations yourself, family and friends can read along in their browser, and you can export your content at any time.
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