Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Who Called Me ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects information when you visit and use whocalledme.org ("the site"). By using our site, you agree to the terms outlined in this policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use our site.

We are committed to handling all data responsibly, transparently, and in accordance with applicable data protection laws including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the UK GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other applicable privacy regulations worldwide.

What Information We Collect

Information You Provide

When you submit a report on our site, we collect the information you voluntarily provide including the phone number being reported, the call type, safety rating, and any additional details you choose to share in the optional fields. We do not require your name, email address, or any personally identifiable information to submit a report.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our site, we automatically collect certain technical information including your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages visited, and the date and time of your visit. This information is collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies and is used solely for the purpose of improving site performance and user experience.

Phone Numbers You Search

When you search a phone number on our site, that search may be logged for the purpose of improving our database and understanding which numbers are receiving the most attention from our community. We do not link search activity to any personally identifiable information.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To operate and improve the Who Called Me platform and database.
• To display community reports accurately on number result pages.
• To analyse site traffic and usage patterns in order to improve the user experience.
• To detect and prevent fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity on the platform.
• To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests from authorities where required.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party under any circumstances.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and analyse site usage. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential cookies are necessary for the site to function correctly. They cannot be disabled without affecting site functionality.

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our site. We use tools such as Google Analytics to collect anonymised data about traffic and usage patterns. This data does not identify you personally.

Advertising cookies may be used by third-party advertising partners including Google AdSense to serve relevant advertisements based on your browsing behaviour. These cookies are set by third parties and are governed by their respective privacy policies.

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings at any time. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the site.

Third Party Services

We use a number of third-party services to operate our platform. These include Google Analytics for traffic analysis and Google AdSense for advertising. These third parties have their own privacy policies and we encourage you to read them. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services. Google AdSense may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our site or other sites. You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google's Ads Settings.

Data Retention

We retain user-submitted reports indefinitely as they form part of our public community database. Automatically collected technical data such as server logs is retained for a period of up to 90 days before being deleted. We do not retain any personally identifiable information beyond what is necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy.

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to access — You have the right to request a copy of any personal data we hold about you.
• Right to erasure — You have the right to request that we delete any personal data we hold about you, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Right to rectification — You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate personal data we hold about you.
• Right to object — You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restrict processing — You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• CCPA rights — If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete it, and the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. We do not sell personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through our contact page. We will respond to all requests within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

Our site is not directed at children under the age of 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete it.

Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your data, please reach out to us through our contact page. We are committed to addressing all privacy-related enquiries promptly and transparently.