Privacy Policy

1. Overview

ShoreWatch (“we”, “our”, or “the app”) is a coastal risk intelligence platform for Atlantic Canada. We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information.

2. Information We Collect

Location Data

When you use ShoreWatch, we access your device’s GPS coordinates to identify the nearest DFO tide station and display relevant coastal risk data for your area. Location is also used to geotag flood reports you submit. Location data is only accessed while the app is in use and is not stored on our servers unless you voluntarily attach it to a flood report.

Push Notification Tokens

To send you coastal risk alerts and emergency notifications, we register a Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token unique to your device. This token is stored on our servers and is used solely to deliver push notifications. It does not identify you personally.

Flood Report Data

When you submit a flood report, we collect the photo you attach, the GPS coordinates of the flooding, and any optional information you choose to provide (estimated water depth, a description, your name, and your email address). Photos are stored securely using Cloudinary or Amazon S3. All other report data is stored in our database. Name and email are never displayed publicly.

Saved Locations

If you save locations in the app for personalized alerts, those location names and coordinates are stored on our servers associated with your device’s anonymous user identifier.

Email Address (Dashboard Users Only)

The municipal dashboard uses a magic-link authentication system. If you log in to the dashboard, your email address is collected and stored to manage your account and send authentication emails. This does not apply to mobile app users.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To display real-time coastal risk data relevant to your location
• To send push notifications when risk levels rise at your saved locations
• To process and moderate community flood reports
• To improve the accuracy of our surge forecasts and anomaly detection models
• To operate the municipal emergency management dashboard

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party. We share data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Firebase (Google): FCM push notification tokens are processed by Google Firebase to deliver notifications to your device.
• Cloudinary / Amazon S3: Flood report photos are stored with these cloud storage providers.
• Municipal operators: Approved flood reports (excluding your contact details) may be visible to verified ShoreWatch municipal administrators for emergency management purposes.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the safety of individuals.

5. Third-Party Data Sources

ShoreWatch displays data from public government APIs including Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Environment and Climate Change Canada, the National Hurricane Center (NHC), and Open-Meteo. We do not share your personal information with these services.

6. Data Retention

Push notification tokens are retained until you uninstall the app or revoke notification permissions. Flood reports and associated photos are retained for operational and emergency management purposes and may be deleted upon request. Saved location data is retained until you remove the location in the app.

7. Your Rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of any personal data we hold about you by contacting us at the email below. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Children’s Privacy

ShoreWatch is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Continued use of ShoreWatch after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at:

owner@shore.watch