Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how LRCF collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal data when you use the Roadkills India mobile application. It is governed by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and applicable Indian law.

1. Who We Are

The Roadkills India app is operated by Landscape Research and Conservation Foundation (LRCF), a not-for-profit organisation registered in India, with its office at Vidisha Apartments, Khare Town, Dharampeth, Nagpur 440010. The project is supported by a seed grant from The Habitats Trust.

2. Information We Collect

Account information (provided by you during sign-up)

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Profile photograph (optional)
• Encrypted password (we never see your password in readable form)

Roadkill report data (created each time you submit a report)

• Photographs of the dead animal taken using the app's camera
• GPS location (latitude and longitude) of the sighting
• Date and time of the sighting
• Taxonomic group selected by you (Bird, Reptile, Mammal, Frog, Other)
• Linear infrastructure type (Road, Railway, Power line, or Canal)
• Species name (optional, entered by you)
• Road or area description (optional, entered by you)
• Indication of whether a human was injured in any associated accident

Technical information (collected automatically)

• Device type and operating system
• App version
• Approximate IP address (for security and abuse prevention)

We do not collect: financial information, health data, biometric data, browsing history outside the app, contacts, messages, or any data unrelated to roadkill reporting.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your user account
• To send you a one-time verification code (OTP) at signup
• To attribute roadkill records to the citizen scientist who submitted them
• To analyse roadkill data and produce scientific reports, heat maps, and recommendations to government bodies, road authorities, and conservation organisations
• To share aggregated, anonymised statistics about wildlife mortality
• To improve the app and respond to your queries
• To send you periodic updates about the project (you may opt out by emailing the Grievance Officer)

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on your consent, which you provide when you sign up and accept these Terms. You may withdraw consent at any time by deleting your account (see Section 9).

5. How We Store Your Data

• Account information and metadata (name, email, phone, record details) are stored in encrypted form using a reputable cloud database provider with servers in India.
• Photographs are stored using a reputable secure object storage service.
• All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections.
• Passwords are stored as one-way bcrypt hashes — even our staff cannot read them.

6. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal data. Ever.

• Anonymised, aggregated data (e.g., "X roadkills occurred on NH-48 between January and June") may be published in reports, shared with researchers, government bodies, and conservation organisations, or made available to the public.
• Identifiable record data (photograph, GPS, date, species — with submitter identity removed) may be shared with researchers, road ecologists, wildlife conservationists, forest officials, and highway authorities on request, for the purpose of mitigation planning. Such sharing follows the application process and reciprocal obligations described in our Data Sharing Policy.
• Sharing initiated by you (Share My Map feature): The app includes a Share My Map feature that allows you to generate an image showing the geographic locations of your own reported roadkills for a selected date range, along with the Roadkills India branding and our website URL. This image is shared only when you explicitly choose to share it via your device's share menu (for example, to WhatsApp, X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn). The shared image does not include your name, email, individual species names, or any other personal information — only the geographic pin locations, the date range, and the aggregate record count. By using this feature, you understand that you are voluntarily sharing your records' geographic locations with whoever you choose to send the image to.
• Your personal contact information (name, email, phone) is never shared with third parties, except when legally compelled by a court or government agency.

You will not receive marketing communications from third parties through this app.

7. How Long We Keep Your Data

• Roadkill records (photo, location, date, species, infrastructure type): Retained indefinitely as they form a permanent scientific dataset.
• Personal account information (name, email, phone, profile photo): Retained until you delete your account.
• Inactive accounts: Accounts with no activity for 5 years may be archived; you will be notified by email before any action.

If you delete your account through the in-app Delete Account button, your personal identifiers (name, email, phone, profile photo) are removed immediately. Your roadkill records remain in the scientific dataset but become anonymous (the user identifier is removed and the contributor name is replaced with "Anonymous Contributor"). Photographs you submitted are retained for research because they do not identify you personally (they show wildlife, not you).

If you use our web-based deletion request page on roadkillsindia.org, your request is processed manually within 30 days, with the same outcome (personal identifiers removed, records anonymized).

8. Your Rights Under DPDP Act 2023

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Correct any inaccurate or outdated information (you can edit name, phone, and profile photo directly in the app)
• Delete your account and personal information (via the in-app Delete Account button or the web deletion request page)
• Withdraw consent at any time
• Nominate another person to exercise these rights on your behalf in case of your death or incapacity
• Lodge a grievance with our Grievance Officer (Section 12) or with the Data Protection Board of India if you are not satisfied with our response

To exercise these rights, contact our Grievance Officer (Section 12). We will respond within 30 days.

9. Account Deletion

You can delete your account at any time. We offer two paths:

9.1 In-app deletion (instant)

Open the app → Profile → scroll to the Danger Zone → tap Delete Account. Confirm by typing DELETE and entering your current password. The deletion is processed immediately:

• Your profile (name, email, phone, profile photo) is removed from our database.
• Your authentication record is deleted — you can no longer sign in with the deleted account.
• Your roadkill records remain in the scientific dataset but are anonymized: the user identifier is removed and the contributor name is replaced with "Anonymous Contributor".
• An audit log entry records the deletion timestamp only — no identifying information about you is retained.

9.2 Web-based deletion request

If you no longer have the app installed, you can request account deletion via our web page at roadkillsindia.org. Provide your registered email; we will verify your identity and process the deletion within 30 days with the same outcome as in-app deletion.

9.3 What is retained and why

After account deletion, the following remains in our scientific dataset:

• Photographs of wildlife (which do not identify you)
• GPS location, date, time, species, and infrastructure type of each report
• These records are linked to "Anonymous Contributor" and cannot be traced back to you.

This retention serves the scientific purpose of the project — the value of a wildlife mortality dataset comes from longitudinal continuity. We disclose this clearly so you can make an informed decision before contributing data.

9.4 What is deleted

• Your full name
• Your email address
• Your phone number
• Your profile photograph
• Your authentication record (sign-in credentials)

After deletion, you can create a new account at any time. However, the link between your old anonymized records and any new account cannot be re-established.

10. Children's Data

The app is intended for users 18 years and older. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18 without verified parental or guardian consent. If you believe a child has provided personal data through the app, contact the Grievance Officer immediately and we will delete it.

11. Security

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS / TLS)
• Encrypted password storage (bcrypt hashing)
• Row-level access controls in our database
• Restricted access to data on a need-to-know basis among LRCF staff and authorised research partners
• Regular review of security practices

No system is perfectly secure. By using the app, you acknowledge that you transmit data at your own risk. In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and the Data Protection Board of India as required by law.

12. Grievance Redressal

If you have any concerns, complaints, or grievances about your data or this policy, please contact our designated Grievance Officer:

We will acknowledge your grievance within 7 working days and respond within 30 days.

13. Changes to This Policy

When we make material changes, we will notify you within the app and may require you to re-accept the updated policy. The "Last updated" date at the top of this document indicates when changes were made.

14. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Some technical operations may involve servers in various jurisdictions. We will only transfer data to providers and locations that offer adequate data protection standards.

15. Contact

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact the Grievance Officer listed in Section 12.