Privacy policy

CivilDev needs account details to let you join. Public posts, profile details and report locations can be seen by anyone. Direct messages are for their participants, although our systems process them to deliver and protect the service. Think before sharing your home or school address, contact details or someone else's photo. For help, email info@civildev.co.uk.

CivilDev is currently an independent community platform, without a council or housing association operating it. CivilDev determines how information submitted to this service is used. Contact us at info@civildev.co.uk or through the contact page.

We process account details such as your email address, display name, username and optional council information.

If you register with an email address and password, we use the date of birth you enter to check the minimum age. We do not store it in your account record. Google sign-in does not ask for your date of birth or check your age.

When you contribute, we store the issues, ideas, projects, discussions, comments, reactions and photos you choose to publish.

If you join an Idea pilot vote, we store your account ID and Yes, No or Abstain choice so we can keep one changeable vote per account until voting closes. Other members do not see your individual choice. After closing, CivilDev publishes the combined counts and keeps a snapshot of that result with the Idea's public follow-up updates.

You can currently submit an issue report without an account. It is still a public post and is linked in our records to a shared anonymous reporter account, rather than your own profile. Guest reporting does not ask for your date of birth or check your age.

Precise location is requested only when you use a location feature. You can deny permission and, where supported, enter a location manually.

We also process device and session identifiers needed to secure sign-in, restore sessions and prevent abuse.

Direct messages, notifications, enquiries and any chatbot transcript you choose to attach to an enquiry are processed to provide those features. Technical logs may contain IP addresses, device and request information. On mobile, enabling notifications creates a push token. Donation providers handle payment information and we may receive a transaction record. Card donations open Stripe's hosted checkout; CivilDev does not collect card numbers in its own forms.

We use account, sign-in and communication data to provide the service you request (contract); public posts, maps, messages and notifications to deliver the features you use (contract); and technical and moderation data to protect members and the platform (our legitimate interests in safety, security and preventing abuse). Optional page usage and page speed measurements run only with your choice (consent). We process donation records to administer donations (contract and applicable legal duties).

Your public profile and published civic contributions may be visible to anyone. Your email address and authentication credentials are not displayed as part of the public profile.

Account fields required at registration are needed to create an account. You can still browse public content without providing them. Other profile details and contributions are optional. CivilDev does not currently forward a community issue post to any council or landlord as a formal repair or complaint request.

CivilDev uses hosting and database infrastructure, Supabase file storage, Resend email delivery, map services, Google sign-in if you choose it, Stripe hosted checkout for card donations, and realtime services. Vercel page usage and page speed tools load only for the categories you allow. The mobile app uses Expo push services if you enable notifications. If Devy's hosted AI is configured and you use it, recent conversation text may be sent to Google's AI service. The code redacts known profile values where possible, but words you type may still contain personal information.

Some service providers may process information outside the UK. We are checking each provider's processing location and transfer safeguards. Contact us for the available details of a particular transfer. Please avoid putting sensitive information into public posts or assistant questions.

Sign-in and display preference cookies support the service. Browser storage can hold drafts and assistant history. The mobile app stores sessions, drafts and preferences on your device. Optional page usage and page speed measurements stay off until you allow them. See the cookies and device storage notice to view or change your choice.

We keep account data while your account is active. A web sign-in session can last up to 30 days. Public posts and messages remain while needed for community history and conversations, unless you remove content or ask us to assess erasure. Security, moderation and support records remain while needed to resolve the matter or meet applicable duties; the period depends on the case. Backups can remain through their rotation period.

Account deletion revokes sessions and removes or anonymises account identifiers. Related posts and messages may remain linked to a “Deleted user” record; deleting an account does not erase every contribution or image. Email us to request review of those items. Reports marked fixed by five community votes are scheduled for deletion ten days later. That label is a community signal, not an official repair record.

You can edit your profile, control device location and notifications, and use account deletion in settings. You may ask for access, correction, erasure, restriction or portability of personal information where applicable. You can change either optional measurement choice on the cookies page.

Your right to object: you may object to processing based on our legitimate interests by emailing info@civildev.co.uk. We will assess your request and explain any reason we must continue. Some rights depend on the circumstances and lawful basis. If you are unhappy with our response, you can complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office.

We use encrypted transport and access controls to help protect information. No online service can guarantee absolute security.

Accounts are intended for people aged 13 or over. Email and password registration checks the date entered, not a verified identity; Google sign-in does not establish whether someone is 13 or over. If you are under 18, remember that public posts and map locations can be seen by anyone. Do not share your home or school address, contact details or information about other children in public posts. Contact us for help with a post, message or account.

For privacy questions, access or deletion requests, email info@civildev.co.uk or use the CivilDev contact page. We will update the date above when this notice changes and bring material changes to members' attention where appropriate.