Privacy Policy
CoastWatch Atlantic ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights.
1. Information We Collect
Location Data
We request access to your device's GPS location to identify the nearest coastal monitoring station and to geotag flood reports you submit. Location is accessed only while the app is in use (foreground). We do not track your location in the background.
Photos and Camera
We access your camera and photo library only when you choose to attach a photo to a flood report. Photos are uploaded to our servers solely for the purpose of community flood reporting.
Push Notification Token
If you enable push notifications, we store your device's FCM token to send you real-time coastal risk alerts. You can disable notifications at any time in your device settings.
Saved Locations
Locations you save in the app are stored on our servers linked to an anonymous device identifier, so your preferences sync across sessions.
Usage Data
We do not collect analytics, advertising identifiers, or behavioural tracking data.
2. How We Use Your Information
- To display relevant coastal risk data for your location
- To deliver push notifications for surge, flood, tsunami, and hurricane events
- To process and display community flood reports
- To remember your saved locations and preferences
3. Data Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.
Flood report photos and GPS coordinates you submit are shared with municipal emergency management administrators for moderation and public safety purposes.
We use the following third-party services:
- Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google) — push notifications
- Cloudinary — photo storage (flood reports only)
- Open-Meteo — weather and marine forecast data (no personal data sent)
- DFO IWLS, Environment Canada, NTWC, NHC — public data sources
4. Data Retention
- Push notification tokens are retained until you uninstall the app or revoke notification permissions.
- Flood report photos are retained until deleted by a moderation administrator.
- Saved locations are retained until you remove them in the app.
5. Your Rights
You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us at the email below. We will delete your saved locations, notification token, and any submitted flood reports within 30 days.
6. Children's Privacy
CoastWatch Atlantic is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
7. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via a notice in the app.