What this policy covers
This policy explains what information 4Warning collects, why we collect it, and what you can do about it. It covers both the 4Warning app and this website.
4Warning is a community safety app. People post warnings about incidents and hazards near them, and other users close enough for it to matter are alerted. Because the whole service depends on location, this policy pays particular attention to how location is handled.
Information we collect
We collect as little as we can while still making the service work.
- Account details: the email address or sign-in identifier you register with, and a display name if you choose one.
- Approximate location: your position while the app is running, used to decide which warnings are relevant to you and to place any warning you post.
- Warnings you post: what you selected, any description, and any photo, video or audio you attach.
- Device and technical data: device type, operating system version, app version, and crash or error logs.
- Support messages: anything you send us when you contact us or report a problem.
How we use your information
- To show you warnings reported within roughly half a mile of where you are.
- To deliver alerts when you move near a relevant warning.
- To place warnings you post so they reach the right people.
- To investigate reports of misuse and enforce our Community Guidelines.
- To fix faults, improve reliability, and understand whether the service is working.
- To answer you when you get in touch.
Location data
Location is the most sensitive thing we handle, so we limit it deliberately.
- We use approximate location, not precise tracking. The service works on a radius of roughly half a mile, which does not require pinpoint accuracy.
- We do not build or sell a history of where you have been.
- You control location permission through your device settings. If you turn it off, you can still read the app, but relevance and alerts will not work.
- A warning you post records the location of the incident, not a record of your movements.
What other people can see
Warnings are meant to be seen. Assume anything you post is visible to other users nearby.
- Other users can see the warning type, its location, the time, and anything you attached.
- Your email address is never shown to other users.
- Do not include names, vehicle registrations, phone numbers, or anything else that identifies a specific person. This is covered in our Community Guidelines and we remove content that breaks it.
When we share information
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only in these situations:
- With service providers who host and run the service for us, under contract and only for that purpose.
- With the police or another authority where we are legally required to, or where there is a genuine risk to someone’s safety.
- Where you have asked us to.
How long we keep it
- Account details: for as long as your account exists, then deleted.
- Warnings: they expire from the live service once no longer relevant, and are deleted on our normal retention cycle.
- Reports of misuse: kept long enough to act on them and to handle any appeal.
- Technical logs: kept for a short period for diagnostics, then deleted.
Your rights
You can ask us to give you a copy of your information, correct it, delete it, or stop using it in a particular way. You can also object to how we use it, or ask us to move it elsewhere. Get in touch and we will act on it. See Data Protection for the detail.
Children
4Warning is not intended for children. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will remove it.
Changes and contact
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we will say so in the app and update the date at the top of this page.
Questions about privacy, or a request about your information: use the contact page.
