Privacy Policy
This policy explains how Wanyama Watch handles wildlife incident reports, ranger account data, and report conversations.
Information we collect
- Photos and optional multiple images attached to a wildlife report
- Precise location attached to a wildlife report for routing and mapping
- Incident descriptions and shared report conversation messages
- Ranger account data such as phone number, name, work area, profile photo, and favorite animal
- Ranger operational routing data such as base coordinates and recent in-app location updates
- Operational data such as assignment history, report status changes, and push notification tokens
How we use information
- To route a report to the nearest eligible ranger
- To let vetted rangers review, claim, and manage wildlife incidents
- To support report conversations between the reporter and assigned ranger
- To allow administrators to review reported chat messages and moderate abusive content
- To keep audit logs, prevent abuse, maintain service security, and investigate incidents
- To maintain operational records and generate aggregated or de-identified analysis for wildlife-response improvement and public-interest reporting
We do not sell personal data and we do not use report data for advertising or consumer marketing profiling.
Who we share information with
Report details are shared with the ranger assigned to that case and with administrators who manage the vetted ranger roster. Internal ranger-only notes are not shown to reporters.
Information may also be shared, where necessary and lawful, with hosting and technical service providers and with competent wildlife, regulatory, public, or law-enforcement authorities.
Legal basis and handling
We process personal data for service delivery, security, moderation, legal compliance, and public-interest wildlife coordination. We aim to handle personal data in line with applicable Kenyan data-protection requirements, including fairness, lawful use, relevance, and reasonable security safeguards.
Depending on the context, our legal basis may include your consent where requested on-device, steps you ask us to take by submitting a report or using a ranger account, legitimate interests in running and securing the platform, compliance with legal obligations, protection of vital interests, and public-interest or research-related processing permitted by law.
Where personal data is hosted, backed up, or accessed outside Kenya, we aim to use lawful transfer mechanisms, appropriate safeguards, or consent where required under Kenyan law.
Retention and deletion
Reports, assignment records, and moderation records may be retained for operational history and safety review. Rangers can delete their own account inside the app. When a ranger deletes their account, active sessions and push tokens are revoked and the account is anonymized for operational records.
Some data may be retained for longer where reasonably necessary for legal claims, evidence preservation, abuse prevention, security review, public-interest analysis, or compliance with applicable law.
Your choices
- Photo library and camera permissions are requested on-device when you attach a report photo
- Location permission is requested on-device and can be changed in system settings
- Rangers can update their profile and delete their account in-app
- Reporters can access only their own report thread using the per-report access token stored on their device
Your privacy rights and complaints
Subject to applicable Kenyan law, you may request information about the personal data we hold about you, ask us to correct inaccurate data, object to certain processing, or request restriction, deletion, or portability where those rights apply.
We may ask for reasonable information to verify identity and locate the relevant report or account record before acting on a request.
If you believe your privacy rights have been infringed and we do not resolve the matter, you may also contact the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner in Kenya.
Children and data minimisation
The service is designed for wildlife incident reporting, not for collecting personal profiles about children or other vulnerable individuals. Please avoid submitting unnecessary personal data about children or other third parties. Where a child uses the service, parent or guardian assistance should be used where practicable.
Contact
For privacy questions or support requests, contact wanyamawatch@gmail.com.
Related pages: Support ยท Terms of Service
ODPC: www.odpc.go.ke