Privacy Policy
How Neighbourhood Watch Plus collects, uses, and protects your personal data
1. Introduction
Neighbourhood Watch Plus ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our community security platform.
We are the data controller for the personal data we process about you. Our registered office is located in the United Kingdom, and we comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Important: Our service involves the collection and sharing of location data and security camera information within your local community. Please read this policy carefully to understand how your data is used.
2. Information We Collect
Account Information
- Name and email address
- Profile photo (optional)
- Home address (for map centering and community verification)
- Phone number (for account security and notifications)
- Account preferences and settings
Camera and Security Data
- Camera locations (exact coordinates for your use, fuzzy locations shared with community)
- Camera specifications (resolution, capabilities)
- Camera status (online/offline/maintenance)
- Privacy settings and sharing preferences
- Footage request history and responses
- Verification status and evidence submissions
Privacy Protection: Your exact camera locations are never shared with the community. We use cryptographic techniques to generate randomized "fuzzy" locations within a safe radius for community visibility while keeping your actual positions private.
Usage and Community Data
- Community interactions and requests
- App usage patterns and feature utilization
- Technical data (IP address, device type, browser information)
- Location data for map services and community matching
- Communication logs for support requests
3. Legal Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, we process your personal data based on the following lawful bases:
Consent (Article 6(1)(a))
Camera location sharing, community participation, and optional features
Contract (Article 6(1)(b))
Account creation, service provision, and platform functionality
Legitimate Interest (Article 6(1)(f))
Platform security, fraud prevention, and service improvement
Legal Obligation (Article 6(1)(c))
Compliance with law enforcement requests where legally required
4. How We Use Your Information
Core Service Functions
- Providing community security mapping and camera coordination
- Facilitating footage requests between community members
- Verifying camera authenticity and user trustworthiness
- Generating privacy-protected community heat maps
- Enabling secure communication between neighbours
Platform Improvement
- Analyzing usage patterns to improve features
- Developing better security and privacy protections
- Enhancing community matching algorithms
- Identifying and preventing misuse or fraud
5. Data Sharing and Disclosure
What We Share with Your Community
- Fuzzy camera locations (randomized within safe radius)
- Your public profile information (name, verification status)
- Camera availability for footage requests (if you opt-in)
- Community safety statistics (anonymized)
What We Never Share
- Exact camera coordinates or your precise home location
- Camera footage or recordings
- Private messages or sensitive account information
- Individual usage patterns or personal data
Third-Party Disclosures
We may share limited data with: map service providers (for location services), authentication services (for account security), cloud hosting providers (for data storage), and law enforcement (only when legally required by valid warrant or court order).
6. Data Retention
| Data Type | Retention Period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Account Information | Until account deletion + 30 days | Service provision and backup recovery |
| Camera Locations | Until camera removal + 90 days | Community safety mapping |
| Usage Logs | 12 months | Security monitoring and service improvement |
| Communication Records | 24 months | Dispute resolution and compliance |
7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
Access (Article 15)
Request a copy of your personal data
Rectification (Article 16)
Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Erasure (Article 17)
Request deletion of your personal data
Portability (Article 20)
Export your data in machine-readable format
Restriction (Article 18)
Limit how we process your data
Objection (Article 21)
Object to processing based on legitimate interests
Withdraw Consent
Remove consent for optional features
Complain
Contact the ICO if you're unsatisfied
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 10. We will respond within one month of receiving your request.
8. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data:
Encryption
All data encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
Access Controls
Role-based access, multi-factor authentication, regular audits
Infrastructure
UK-based servers, regular backups, disaster recovery plans
9. International Data Transfers
Your personal data is primarily stored and processed within the United Kingdom. Where we need to transfer data internationally (e.g., for cloud services), we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including adequacy decisions or Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the UK authorities.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:
Data Protection Officer: privacy@neighbourhoodwatchplus.co.uk
Support Team: support@neighbourhoodwatchplus.co.uk
Postal Address: [Your Company Address, UK]
ICO Registration: [Your ICO Registration Number]
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Visit ico.org.uk or call 0303 123 1113.
This Privacy Policy is effective as of the date shown above and may be updated from time to time.
We will notify you of significant changes via email or platform notification.