Privacy Policy

Last updated: 14 July 2026

1. Overview 2. Information We Collect 3. Anonymous Reports 4. How We Use Your Information 5. How We Share Information 6. Evidence and Media Uploads 7. Data Retention 8. Security 9. Your Rights and Choices 10. Children's Privacy 11. Cookies and Local Storage 12. Changes to This Policy 13. Contact Us

This Privacy Policy explains how CivicAlert NG ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use our crime-reporting and case-tracking platform. We built CivicAlert NG to make it easier to report crime and follow up on cases, and we take the sensitivity of that information seriously.

1. Overview

CivicAlert NG processes two broad categories of information: account information for registered users (citizens, investigators, police admins), and crime report data submitted through the Platform, which may be linked to a user account or submitted anonymously.

2. Information We Collect

Category	Examples
Account information	Full name, email address, phone number, password (stored as a secure hash), account role
Report information	Incident description, category, date, location (state, address, and optionally a map pin), priority
Evidence	Photos, videos, or documents you choose to upload in support of a report
Case activity	Status changes, internal comments, and update timestamps recorded as your report is processed
Technical data	Basic request logs (such as IP address and timestamps) retained for security and abuse-prevention purposes

3. Anonymous Reports

If you submit a report anonymously, we do not knowingly attach your account identity to that report. We still retain the report content itself (description, location, evidence) so that it can be reviewed and acted upon, but we do not require you to create an account or provide your name to submit an anonymous report.

4. How We Use Your Information

To operate the Platform, including creating accounts, authenticating logins, and displaying your submitted or assigned reports;
To route and triage crime reports to the appropriate investigators or police administrators;
To notify you by email about status updates on reports you have submitted (where you are not reporting anonymously and have provided contact details);
To generate aggregate, non-identifying statistics (such as the public "Live Activity" totals and category breakdowns shown on our homepage and statistics page);
To maintain the security, integrity, and lawful use of the Platform.

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in the following circumstances:

With law enforcement personnel using the Platform — Investigators and Police Admins can access report details, including evidence and, where applicable, reporter contact information, strictly for the purpose of reviewing and acting on that report;
Aggregated and anonymized statistics — Publicly visible figures (such as total reports, resolved cases, and category counts) do not identify individual reporters;
Legal compliance — We may disclose information where required by Nigerian law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of any person.

6. Evidence and Media Uploads

Photos, videos, or documents you upload as evidence are stored securely and are only accessible to authorized personnel reviewing the associated report. Please avoid uploading evidence that contains sensitive personal information about uninvolved third parties beyond what is relevant to the report.

7. Data Retention

We retain report data for as long as necessary to support case review, follow-up, and any applicable legal or record-keeping requirements. Account information is retained for as long as your account remains active, and for a reasonable period afterward in case of disputes or legal obligations, after which it may be deleted or anonymized.

8. Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your information, including encrypted password storage, authenticated access to sensitive report data, and role-based access controls that limit who can view or act on a given report. No system can guarantee absolute security, and we encourage you to use a strong, unique password for your account.

9. Your Rights and Choices

You can review and update your account details from your Profile page;
You can track the status of a submitted report using your report number without needing to log in;
You may request correction or deletion of your account information, subject to any reports or records we are required to retain for legal or case-integrity reasons;
If you submitted a report anonymously, we may not be able to locate or modify that specific submission on request, since it is not linked to identifying account information.

10. Children's Privacy

CivicAlert NG is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect account information from children under the age of 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.

11. Cookies and Local Storage

We use browser local storage to keep you signed in between visits (storing your session token and basic profile details on your device) and to support core site functionality. We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal or operational reasons. We will update the "Last updated" date above when we do. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please reach out through the contact details provided on the Platform, or via your institutional administrator if you are a Police Admin, Investigator, or Super Admin user.