We Monitor by ASCOA

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 2, 2026

Welcome to We Monitor, a mobile application developed by the African Sustainable Conservation and Outreach Association (ASCOA) to support environmental monitoring, citizen science, waste management, and community conservation initiatives. This Privacy Policy explains how We Monitor collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects your information when you use the application or any related services ("Services").

By creating an account or using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with it, please do not use the Services.

1. Information We Collect

To provide the Services, We Monitor may collect the following information:

1.1 Personal information you provide

• Account information. Your full name and email address. When you register with an email address and password, your password is handled and stored in secured form by our authentication provider and is never accessible to us in plain text. If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo from your Google account.
• Profile information. Organization or community affiliation (where applicable) and any profile photograph you choose to add.
• Cleanup submissions. Cleanup records, waste categories and quantities, the number of participants, the date, and any photographs you choose to attach.
• Hotspot reports. Illegal dumping and hotspot reports, GPS coordinates of reported locations, photographs, and comments and observations provided by you.
• Communications. Information you provide when you contact us for support or other inquiries.

1.2 Information collected automatically

• Location information. With your permission, the app accesses your device's location to record cleanup locations, map waste hotspots, and display reported information on a map. Location information is collected only when permission has been granted. You can decline or revoke location access in your device settings; some features may then be limited.
• Photos and media. When you attach images, the app accesses the photos or camera you select. Only the images you choose are uploaded.
• Technical information. Device type and operating system, application version, IP address, diagnostic and crash reports, usage statistics, and performance data to keep the Services reliable and to improve them.

1.3 Local storage on your device

The mobile app stores a copy of your profile and certain submissions on your device so that the app remains usable offline. This data stays on your device and is synchronized with our servers when a connection is available. Signing out clears the locally cached profile.

2. How We Use Information

• Create and manage your account; verify your identity and authenticate access.
• Record environmental observations and cleanup activities.
• Map waste hotspots and environmental incidents.
• Generate statistics and environmental reports.
• Improve the quality, functionality, and security of the Services.
• Send account-related messages such as email verification, password reset emails, and important notifications.
• Conduct environmental research and conservation planning.
• Monitor application performance and resolve technical issues.
• Comply with legal obligations where applicable.

We do not sell your personal information to advertisers or third parties.

3. How We Share Information

We share information only where necessary to operate the Services or comply with legal obligations.

3.1 Service providers

We rely on trusted technology providers that process information on our behalf:

3.2 Within ASCOA

Authorized ASCOA staff, project coordinators, researchers, and designated administrators may access submitted information solely for environmental management, project coordination, reporting, monitoring, and research purposes.

3.3 Research and conservation partners

ASCOA may collaborate with universities, government institutions, environmental organizations, and conservation partners. Whenever possible, information shared for research or reporting purposes will be aggregated or de-identified so individual users cannot be identified without their consent.

3.4 Legal requirements

Information may be disclosed where required by law, court order, lawful governmental request, or where necessary to protect the rights, safety, property, or security of ASCOA, users, or the public.

3.5 Aggregated information

We may publish or share anonymous environmental statistics, such as total waste collected, number of cleanups conducted, waste hotspot trends, and community participation statistics. These reports do not identify individual users.

4. Environmental Data Ownership

Users retain ownership of photographs and content they submit. By submitting environmental observations, photographs, cleanup records, hotspot reports, or other information through We Monitor, you grant ASCOA a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to store, analyze, reproduce, publish, and use such information for:

• Environmental conservation
• Scientific research and environmental reporting
• Public awareness, education, and advocacy
• Policy development and grant proposals

Where practical, contributors may be acknowledged without revealing personal information unless permission has been provided.

5. Citizen Science and Research

We Monitor supports citizen science by enabling individuals and communities to contribute valuable environmental information. Submitted observations may be reviewed, validated, corrected, or combined with other datasets before being used in scientific publications, environmental reports, or policy recommendations.

ASCOA cannot guarantee that every user submission accurately reflects field conditions and encourages users to provide truthful, accurate, and responsible information.

6. Location, Photos, and Media

We Monitor uses location information to record cleanup locations, map waste hotspots, improve environmental monitoring, and support reporting and analysis. You may disable location permissions through your device settings; however, certain features may not function properly.

Photographs submitted through the Services are used to verify reports, document environmental conditions, and support awareness and research activities. ASCOA does not use uploaded photographs for facial recognition or commercial advertising.

7. International Data Transfers

Our technology providers, including Google, may process or store information on servers located outside your country of residence, including outside Cameroon. Where international transfers occur, reasonable technical and organizational safeguards are applied to protect your information in accordance with applicable data protection laws and internationally recognized security practices.

8. Data Retention

We retain information only for as long as necessary to provide the Services, fulfill conservation objectives, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and improve environmental reporting:

• Account information is retained while your account remains active.
• Environmental records may be retained for long-term monitoring and research.
• Anonymous statistical datasets may be retained indefinitely.

You may request deletion of your account as described in Section 9, subject to legal and scientific record-keeping requirements.

9. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on applicable laws, you may have the right to:

• Access your personal information.
• Correct inaccurate information or update your profile.
• Request deletion of your account.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Request a copy of your information.
• Object to certain processing activities.

You can update much of your profile directly in the app. To exercise any other right, contact us using the details in Section 15. Requests may require identity verification before processing. You may also manage location and camera permissions through your device settings.

10. Security

ASCOA implements reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect your information, including:

• Encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) for all data in transit.
• Managed authentication through Firebase Authentication.
• Role-based access controls limiting who can access data.
• Secure cloud infrastructure with regular performance and security monitoring.

While we work to protect your information, no electronic storage or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their account credentials.

11. Children's Privacy

We Monitor is intended for individuals who can contribute environmental information responsibly. The Services are not directed to children below the minimum digital age required under applicable law. Children should use the Services only with the knowledge and supervision of a parent, guardian, teacher, or authorized activity coordinator.

If we become aware that personal information has been collected from a child without appropriate authorization, we will take reasonable steps to remove such information. Contact us at the details in Section 15 if you believe this has occurred.

12. Third-Party Services

The Services integrate third-party technologies including Google Maps Platform, Google Sign-In, Firebase Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Cloud Storage, and Firebase Analytics. These services operate under their own privacy policies, and ASCOA is not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party providers. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you use.

13. Community Standards

To maintain a trusted environmental monitoring platform, users agree not to:

• Submit false or misleading reports.
• Upload offensive, abusive, or illegal content.
• Impersonate another individual or organization.
• Attempt unauthorized access to the Services.
• Distribute malware or harmful software.
• Use the Services for commercial advertising or political campaigning without authorization.

ASCOA reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these standards.

14. Changes to This Policy

ASCOA may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect improvements to the Services, legal requirements, or operational changes. When significant changes are made, we will update the "Last Updated" date above and, where appropriate, provide notice within the application or through our website. Continued use of the Services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact:

• Organization: African Sustainable Conservation and Outreach Association (ASCOA)
• Email: devteam@ascoa-cm.org
• Website: ascoa-cm.org