ICE Watch Privacy Policy
 
Last updated: December 18, 2025
 
Your privacy matters to us. 
 
At the Digital Civil Rights Foundation, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation (together with our affiliates, “ICE Watch”, “we”, “us” or “our”), we are deeply committed to respecting your privacy and adhering to all applicable laws and regulations regarding any Personal Information that we collect, including through our ICE Watch mobile application or any other ICE Watch website, app and related services (collectively, the “Service”).  To be clear, “Personal Information” (also known as personally identifiable information or personal data) means information that can identify you specifically. 
 
This Privacy Policy is part of our Terms & Conditions available at icewatchapp.org/terms-and-conditions (the “Terms”).   This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect about you, how we use and/or share that information, and how we enable you to manage that information.  If a capitalized word is used in this Privacy Policy without a definition, it is defined in the Terms & Conditions.  And if you are under 18 years of age, please speak with your parent or guardian before using the Service - we want to ensure you and they fully understand this Privacy Policy.  
 
1.         Information We Collect
 
We may collect Personal Information from you when you do any of the following: (i) visit the Service; (ii) register for an account on the Service; (iii) sign up to receive updates from ICE Watch via email, web, or social media channels; (iv) use a mobile device or web browser to access or use the Service, including but not limited to providing or accessing Content (which is defined in the Terms & Conditions at icewatchapp.org/terms-and-conditions); (v) communicate with us via email, social media, any similar technologies, in writing, or otherwise; (vi) when you mention us on social media.
 
Information that we collect falls into one of two categories: “voluntarily provided” information and “automatically collected” information:
 
“Voluntarily provided” information refers to any information you knowingly and actively provide us when using our Service.
 
“Automatically collected” information refers to any information automatically sent by your device in the course of accessing or using the Service.
 
1.1.      Log Data – Automatically collected
When you use our Service to access our servers, we may automatically collect standard data from your device. This can include your computer or device’s identifier, type and version, IP address, operating system version, language preference, applications, your activity within the Service (such as last login, pages and Content viewed), the time and date, mobile advertising IDs (Google AAID or Apple IDFA, which are technical IDs developed for advertising purposes, and which may reset or erase in your device settings) and other connection and technical data.
Additionally, if you encounter errors while using the Service, we automatically gather information about the error and the context in which it occurred. This may include technical details about your computer or device, your actions at the time of the error, and other relevant connection and technical information.  You might not always receive a notification about these errors or their nature when they happen.
Please note that while this data may not be personally identifiable on its own, it could potentially be combined with other information to identify you as an individual.
1.2.      Device Data and Anonymity – Automatically collected
 
Account Types and Data Collection.  We offer two types of user access. You may use our Service without creating an account as a guest user. When you do this, we do not collect any Personal Information from you, though you may optionally enable location services to provide location data with your reports. If you choose not to enable location services, we do not collect location data from guest users. If you create a registered account, you may choose to post reports either publicly under your account identity or anonymously. When you choose to post anonymously or under a pseudonym, your username or identifying information will not be displayed with your anonymous reports to other users. However, your reports will remain associated with your account in our backend systems.
 
Automatically Collected Technical Information.  Regardless of account type or whether you post anonymously, our Service may access and collect data via your device's in-built tools and automatically collect technical information, such as:
 
Photos - you may decide to allow us to access and collect data from your device's camera or photo library (but please note, if you refuse to allow access, you will not be able to upload or share Content, and certain other functionality may not be available).
 
Geolocation - you may decide to share your location when you upload and publish Content. The Service collects location data only if you voluntarily enable location services on your device. You can disable location services at any time through your device settings, and if you do so, you may still use the Service but you will need to manually enter location information for reports. Location data we may collect includes precise GPS coordinates, approximate location based on IP address or cell tower triangulation, and location data associated with photos or videos you upload such as EXIF metadata. We use location data to display reports on maps within the Service, enable users to find reports near their location, verify the authenticity of reports, and comply with legal obligations.
 
Functional Usage Data - we also collect functional usage data when you use the Service, such as activities performed, time when you upload or post Content or view or interact with Content, taking screenshots, and records of application crashes and event logs. In general, when you install the app or use your device's tools within the Service, we request permission to access this information. The specific data we collect can depend on the individual settings of your device and the permissions you grant when you install and use the Service.
 
Understanding Anonymity Limitations.  We enable you to post reports anonymously to other users, but you should understand that "anonymous" means your identity is not displayed to other users of the Service. It does not mean that we cannot identify you through technical data, that you are immune from legal process, or that your activity cannot be traced through technical means by law enforcement or other parties with legal authority. We may be required to disclose your information, including information that could identify you, in response to valid subpoenas, court orders, or other legal demands as described in our Terms & Conditions.  If you want complete anonymity from ICE Watch, you should use the Service as a guest user without creating an account and without enabling location services, though even guest users may have technical data automatically collected as described above.
 
We do not use, nor do we accept from third parties, cookies or similar tracker technologies on ICE Watch. (Cookies are small data files that are placed on your device or computer when you visit an online service provider for performance, analytics, customization, advertising or other purposes.)  We do not use "Do Not Track" or "DNT" logic either, so we do not respond to DNT requests or signals.
 
1.3.      Personal Information – Voluntarily provided
 
We may ask for Personal Information — for example, when you create a ICE Watch account or subscribe to our newsletter— which may include one or more of the following: (i) name; (ii) email address; (iii) location; (iv) profile photo.
 
When you use the Service, we may also receive other Personal Information that you provide or create in the Service, such as: (i) content; (ii) location.
 
When you communicate with ICE Watch, for example to report an issue, ask for assistance, respond to a survey or exercise your rights as to Personal Information, we may receive additional Personal Information that enables us to provide support and improve the Service, such as: (i) the content of the messages you send us; (ii) contact information and other information.
 
1.4.      User Content and Responsibility
 
When you use the Service to create, upload or share any Content, please keep in mind the following:

• Do not include unnecessary Personal Information. To protect the privacy and safety of others, you should avoid including Personal Information about any individual (such as names, faces, license plates or addresses) unless it is legally necessary and relevant to your report.

 

• Public visibility. Depending on how you use the Service, certain Content that you submit may become visible to other users or the public. Please do not post or transmit any Content that you would not want to be seen publicly or shared by others.

 

• No endorsement or verification. ICE Watch does not verify, approve or endorse the accuracy of user-generated Content, and assumes no responsibility for it.  Users are solely responsible for the Content they upload and for ensuring it complies with applicable laws and regulations, including but not limited to laws regarding defamation or protecting privacy or public safety.

 

• Moderation and removal. We may review, remove or restrict access to Content that we believe violates our Terms, community guidelines or applicable law or regulation, or that we believe poses a risk to safety, privacy or security. We also reserve the right to anonymize or blur certain Content (for example, identifiable faces or license plates) to protect privacy.

 

• Anonymity. You may choose to post reports anonymously or under a pseudonym. However, depending on your settings, technical information such as device identifiers or IP addresses may still be collected for operational and security reasons, as described in this Privacy Policy.

 
2.         Use of Information
 
We may collect, hold, use, and disclose Personal Information for the following purposes, and we will not further process the Personal Information in a manner that is incompatible with these purposes: (i) to provide you with our core features and services; (ii) to contact and communicate with you, and provide support and assistance; (iii) for internal record keeping, administrative and compliance purposes; (iv) to monitor for fraud, theft or other wrongful conduct, and any safety or security concerns; (v) for technical assessment, measurement and analytics, including to operate and improve our Service.
 
We may combine voluntarily provided and automatically collected Personal Information with general information or research data that we receive from other trusted sources.
 
Unless we clearly tell you otherwise in this Privacy Policy, we do not “sell” or “share” your information to third parties, as these terms are defined in applicable data protection laws.  We only share your Personal Information with third parties when necessary to provide the Service, when authorized by you, or as required by law, including:
 

• ICE Watch personnel who are authorized to provide the Services or support assistance

• Other users with whom you choose to share Content

• Service provider partners whom we work with to bring you the Service, including for example, to provide hosting, technical support, transmission of emails or other notifications, analytics, surveys, maintenance or problem-solving, marketing, professional advice, payment systems operation, and monitoring for safety, security and performance

• Advertising Partners, such as Google AdMob

• Analytics partners who help us understand how users interact with the Service, and how we can improve the Service

• Partner integrations, where we work together to bring you a feature that may require some information sharing

• Legal purposes, including: to respond to subpoenas or other valid legal requests for user information from courts, tribunals, regulatory authorities, and law enforcement officers; to proactively share information with authorities in relation to improper Content (such as child-exploitative material, cyberbullying, etc.); to address fraud, user safety or security concerns; or to establish, exercise, or defend our legal rights

• ICE Watch corporate affiliates (such as a parent or subsidiary company of ours)

• Change of ownership, such as a merger, acquisition, corporate reorganization, sale of all or substantially all of our assets or a bankruptcy, in which case we may share, sell or transfer Personal Information, subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy which the new owner will be required to uphold.

• Anonymized information may be shared internally and with third parties for any purpose.  This information will not identify you individually or your organization.

 
Third parties we currently use (and why we use them) include:
 

• Amazon Web Services (for data storage, computing power, app testing)

• Apple (for sign-ins, optional)

• Apple Pay (for payment processing)

• BoldDesk (for customer service)

• Bonfire (for merchandise sales)

• GiveButter (for donations)

• Google (for sign-ins, optional)

• Google Analytics (for usage analytics)

• Supabase (for backend hosting)

• VercelApp (for admin panel hosting)

 
As described in our Terms & Conditions, we may disclose any information that we collect, including Personal Information and technical data, in response to valid subpoenas, court orders, search warrants, or other legal process, requests from law enforcement or government agencies, emergency situations involving danger of death or serious physical injury, or our good faith belief that disclosure is necessary to prevent illegal activity, fraud, or threats to persons or property. Even if you post anonymously or use the Service as a guest user, we may be required to disclose technical data such as IP addresses, device identifiers or location data that could be used to identify you. For more information about our cooperation with law enforcement and legal process, please review our Terms & Conditions.
 
2.1       Law Enforcement and Government Requests
 
We respect the rights of our users and the importance of transparency in matters involving law enforcement and government access to data.
 

• We will disclose Personal Information or Content to law enforcement or other government authorities only when legally required to do so, such as in response to a valid subpoena, court order or similar process.

• Where legally permitted, we will provide notice to the affected user before disclosing any Personal Information or Content, unless such notice is prohibited by law or could reasonably compromise an investigation or individual safety.

• We may voluntarily report or provide information to appropriate authorities if we believe in good faith that it is necessary to address imminent threats to safety, child-exploitative material or other serious unlawful activity.

 
3.         Security of Your Personal Information
 
When we collect, process, and retain Personal Information, we will safeguard it using industry standard technical and organization security measures.  We do this not only to comply with applicable laws and regulations, but also to help prevent loss, theft or unauthorized access, as well as unauthorized disclosure, copying, use or modification, of Personal Information or Content. While we strive to protect the Personal Information that you share with us, please be aware that no electronic transmission or storage method is 100% secure or error free, and absolute data security cannot be guaranteed.
 
3.1       Data Breach Notification
 
In the event of a data breach involving Personal Information, we will take prompt steps to investigate and mitigate the incident.  Where required by applicable law, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities without undue delay, consistent with our legal obligations under California Civil Code §1798.82 and other applicable laws. 
 
4.         How Long We Keep Your Personal Information
We securely retain your Personal Information only for as long as necessary, depending on the purpose for which we are using it, and in accordance with this Privacy Policy. For instance:

• Account creation data: if you provided Personal Information to create an account, we keep that information for as long as your account remains active; and if you terminate your account, we delete or anonymize the information within thirty (30) days by removing any identifying details

• Content, including but not limited to photo library and associated geolocation data: we keep Content until your account is terminated or until you delete it.  Reports posted anonymously by registered users are stored in our systems and associated with your account as long as your account remains active, and may be retained after account deletion for such period as we determine is necessary for legal, security or fraud prevention purposes. Anonymous reports that you posted may remain visible on the Service, but will not be publicly associated with you after account deletion.

• Technical data collected from guest users, including connection and technical data, interaction data and usage data: we retain this data for ninety (90) days unless a longer  retention period is needed for security, legal compliance or fraud prevention.

• Other data including communications data and other connection and technical data from registered users: we may keep this data indefinitely, for the purposes stated in this Privacy Policy

 
Once Personal Information is no longer needed for its stated purpose, we will delete it or anonymize it. However, notwithstanding any of the above, we may retain Personal Information or other data as required in order to comply with our legal, accounting or reporting obligations or to protect the rights of ourselves or others.
 
5.         Children’s Privacy
 
We do not target our products or services to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly or willingly collect Personal Information about children under 13. 
 
Depending on where you live, if you are under the age of legal consent, your parent or guardian may need to provide consent for you to access or use the Service.
 
If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with Personal Information, please contact us.
 
6.         International Transfers of Personal Information
 
The Personal Information that we collect is stored and/or processed in the United States.  We do not currently provide the Service to locations outside the United States.  If you provide us Personal Information, it will be transferred to and accessed from within the United States.
 
7.         Your Rights and Controlling Your Personal Information

• Your choice: By providing us with your Personal Information, you agree that we will collect, hold, use, and disclose it as outlined in this Privacy Policy. You are not obligated to provide Personal Information, but choosing not to may impact your ability to use our Service or access our products or services.

• Information from third parties: If we receive your Personal Information from a third party, we will protect it according to this Privacy Policy. If you are a third party providing someone else's Personal Information, you must have their consent to do so.

• Marketing permission: If you have previously consented to our use of your Personal Information for direct marketing purposes, you can change your mind at any time by contacting us.

• Access: You can request details of the Personal Information that we hold about you.

• Correction: If you believe any Personal Information that we hold about you is inaccurate, outdated, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading, please contact us. We will take reasonable steps to correct any errors.

• Non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights over your Personal Information. Unless necessary to provide you with a specific service, product or offer, we will not deny you products or services, charge you different prices, or provide you with a different level of service based on your Personal Information or lack thereof.

• Unsubscribe: To unsubscribe from our email database or to opt-out of communications, including marketing, please contact us or use the opt-out facilities provided in the communication.

If you make a request about your Personal Information by contacting us at support@icewatchapp.org, we will respond within the time required by law.  We may require that you provide us with information necessary to confirm your identity before responding.  Also, please note that certain information may be exempt from such requests in some circumstances.  For instance, we may need to keep processing your information in order to comply with our legal, accounting, or reporting obligations or to protect the rights of ourselves or others.
8.         Third-Party Products or Services
 
The Service may contain links or connections to third-party websites, products or services that are not owned or controlled by ICE Watch.  We do not control, warrant, endorse, guarantee, or assume responsibility for any third-party product or service, or their respective privacy practices.  We encourage you to be aware whenever you leave our Service and to read the privacy policy of each third-party website or service that you may visit or use, in order to understand what Personal Information they may collect, use and share. 
 
9.         Changes to This Policy
 
We may update our Privacy Policy at our discretion to reflect changes in our business processes, current acceptable practices, or legal and regulatory requirements.  If we make changes to this Privacy Policy, we will post the updates here and on our website.  We will use commercially reasonable efforts to notify you of material changes via a pop-up banner, by sending an email or other electronic message to the contact information associated with your ICE Watch account, or by other means.  But it is your sole responsibility to check the Service from time to time to view any modifications to this Privacy Policy.  If required by law, we will obtain your permission or provide you with the opportunity to opt-in or opt-out of any new uses of your Personal Information.  By continuing to access or use the Service after we have notified you of any modification to this Privacy Policy, you agree to be bound by the updated Privacy Policy.  If you do not agree, you must cease all access and use of the Service.
 
10.       Additional Disclosures for California
 
Under California Civil Code Section 1798.83, if you live in California and your business relationship with us is mainly for personal, family, or household purposes, you may ask us about the information we release to other organizations for their marketing purposes.  To make such a request, please contact us using the details provided in this privacy policy with “Request for California privacy information” in the subject line.  You may make this type of request once every calendar year.  We will email you a list of categories of Personal Information we revealed to other organizations for their marketing purposes in the last calendar year, along with their names and addresses.  Not all Personal Information shared in this way is covered by Section 1798.83 of the California Civil Code.
 
10.1      California Notice of Collection
 
In the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of Personal Information listed in the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 as amended (the “CCPA”):
 

• Identifiers, such as name, email address, IP address, and an ID or number assigned to your account

• Commercial information (such as Content or other products or services purchased, and purchase history)

• Geolocation data

• Inferences drawn from any of the above (such as preferences or characteristics)

 
We collect and use these categories of Personal Information for the business purposes described in the “Information We Collect” and “Use of Information” sections of this Privacy Policy, including to provide and manage our Service.
 
If you are a California “consumer,” as defined by the CCPA, you may request that we:
 

• Provide access to and/or a copy of certain personal information we have about you

• Provide information (up to twice in a 12-month period) about: the categories of personal information we collect, disclose, or sell about you; the categories of sources of such information; the business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling your personal information; and the categories of third parties with whom we have shared personal information during the past 12 months

• Delete certain personal information we have about you

 
You may exercise these rights by submitting a request to us at legal@icewatchapp.org.  In reviewing and responding to such requests, we will undertake reasonable efforts to verify your identity by, for example, matching any information you provide in the request with information we maintain.
 
Please also note that most of these rights are not absolute, and our response may be limited as permitted by the CCPA.  For example, the right to have personal information deleted is subject to a number of exceptions set out in the CCPA, such as when we need to maintain the information to provide products or services you requested or to comply with our legal obligations.
 
Under the CCPA, California consumers also have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment for exercising their other rights.  ICE Watch will not discriminate against you because you exercise your rights.  For example, if you make an access, deletion, or do not sell request, ICE Watch will not deny you services or as applicable, charge you a different price or rate.
 
11.       Contact Us
 
If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, please contact us at support@icewatchapp.org.