Last updated: September 8, 2020

MobileJustice™: Privacy Policy

This privacy policy applies to the MobileJustice™ mobile application (the “App”) and the website https://www.aclusocal.org/mobilejustice developed and operated by American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (“ACLU of Southern California”, “ACLU,” “us,” “we,” or “our”). The ACLU is committed to maintaining your confidence and trust as it relates to the privacy of your information. Please read below and learn how we collect, protect, use, and in limited circumstances, share your information as part of the App.

The App allows you to record videos of encounters with law enforcement and public officials, submit them to the ACLU, and transmit your recordings to up to three trusted contacts you choose (input in Trusted Contacts under Settings). We will use submissions to increase public awareness of and monitor law enforcement and government practices. By using the App, you acknowledge and agree to this privacy policy. If you do not agree to this privacy policy, please do not use the App.

Quick Guide to Contents:

  1. Information We Collect
  2. How We Use the Information We Collect
  3. Sharing of Information
  4. Security of Information
  5. Retention of Information
  6. Your Privacy Rights, Choice and Access
  7. Changes to This Privacy Policy
  8. What This Policy Does Not Apply To
  9. Contact Us

1. Information We Collect

We do not access, collect or retain any information, including cookies, device IDs, or activity information about your use of other applications, other than what is specifically set forth herein.

  • Personal Information. We may collect Personal Information (name, address, email address and phone number) when you register to use the App, if you choose to provide it to us. Providing this information is optional.
  • Video Reports. When you use the video reporting feature in the App, we collect that video, audio, and its associated data.
  • Incident Reports. We collect your written responses in Incident Reports you submit. This may include your Personal Information or the Personal Information of others you may provide. Geo-Location Information. We may collect your physical location at the time you used the video reporting feature but only if you have enabled your location in Settings or input your location in an Incident Report.
  • Information About Your Device and Connection. Your IP address may be included in the transmission of any of the information described here to the ACLU, but we do not retain your IP address after processing that transmission.

2. How We Use the Information We Collect

We use the information we collect about and from you for the following purposes:

  • Personal Information is used to track and respond to your Video and Incident Reports, including the ability to contact you about your Reports.
  • Incident Reports are treated as requests for legal assistance protected by the attorney-client privilege. Neither the App nor any of the materials in it are solicitations or offers by the ACLU to represent you. We cannot promise you that the information you provide will lead to any specific action on the part of the ACLU. We also may use the information you give us in Incident Reports (without your Personal Information or any other information we believe may identify you) for one of the following purposes: to further the purposes of the App, including as legislative testimony; in support of litigation; in communications with a city, state or federal agency; or to tell your story to the public, including through the media.
  • Video Reports are used to evaluate the information you provide us in Incident Reports. We may review Video Reports whether or not they are accompanied by an Incident Report. Because Video Reports are intended to contain documentary evidence rather than any communication, we do not treat Video Reports as confidential. Do not send or use the Video Reports feature to make video recordings of any communications you intend to be confidential. We may share or disclose part or all of the Video Reports you give us to any person or organization, or directly to the general public, if we believe such a disclosure would further the App’s purpose and ACLU’s mission of protecting civil rights and civil liberties.
  • Geo-Location Information is used to track and respond to Incident Reports and Video Reports. If you input contacts in the Trusted Contacts section in Settings, a link to your Video Report will be sent to those contacts when you submit a Video Report; and we will provide them with your Geo-Location Information at the time you submit the Video Report. We will not provide them with any other information, including your Personal Information, or any information from your Incident Report or Video Report.
  • Your IP Address is not retained by the ACLU. Your IP address may be used for transferring the information you submit to us but we do not store or retain your IP address. All information is transmitted via HTTPS/TLS. An anonymous unique identifier is randomly generated upon your installation of the App on your device that is used to link all of the information you submit to us over time.

3. Sharing of Information

Except as described here, we will not provide any of your Personal Information to third parties without your specific consent. We may share non-Personal Information with third parties without your consent. We share the Personal Information we collect in the following circumstances:

  • ACLU Parent Organization and Affiliates. We may share your Personal Information, Geo-Location Information, Video Reports, and Incident Reports collected through the App with and between ACLU affiliates and the National ACLU, but only for the uses set forth in Section 2 of this policy. We require that any ACLU entity that receives any information comply with this Privacy Policy and the terms of the App’s End User License Agreement.
  • Third Parties Providing Services on Our Behalf. We may share information we collect with third parties that perform functions on our behalf such as service providers that host, maintain, support or otherwise assist us with the App. We only use service providers that agree not to use or disclose the information we collect, except at our direction or to comply with legal process.
  • Trusted Contacts Information. If you input contact information in the Trusted Contacts section in Settings when you submit a Video Report, that Report and your Geo-Location Information will be shared with those contacts.
  • Broader Public Disclosure. We may disclose your Video Reports or information from your Incident Reports (including the location of an incident you reported), but not your Personal Information or any other information that we think might identify you, to anyone where we believe such a disclosure would further the App’s purpose and ACLU’s mission of protecting civil rights and civil liberties, including, but not limited to: news organizations and other members of the media; courts, legislators, law enforcement agencies and other governmental officials; partner organizations working to protect civil rights, civil liberties, or human rights; or directly to the public through our web site or other materials.
  • Legal Disclosure. We may share information we collect, including Personal Information, Geo-Location Information, Video Reports or Incident Reports if compelled by law, regulation, or valid legal process. We will go to court to fight any demand that we do not believe is legitimate. We are the ACLU, and we take your right to keep your Personal Information and that of your Trusted Contacts private from the government very seriously. If we are required to disclose your Personal Information or that of your Trusted Contacts in response to a legal demand and we have information that enables us to contact you, we will do our best to provide you advance notice and offer you a copy of the legal request, unless we are prohibited from doing so by a valid court order. We will fight to ensure you have a right to know if the government demands your Personal Information or that of your Trusted Contacts from us.
  • Emergency Circumstances. We may disclose your information in certain emergency circumstances, including where we believe doing so is necessary to prevent imminent and serious bodily harm to a person. We DO NOT sell any of the Information we collect to any person, company or other third party.

4. Security of the Information

The information you submit through the App will be transmitted only via secure connection (SSL). The information will be stored on secure servers maintained by the ACLU, its parent organization, its affiliates or by third parties that agree to use or disclose the information only to provide service to us or to comply with legal process.

5. Retention of the Information

We may retain any Video Reports and Incident Reports you generate, along with any Registration and Geo-Location Information for as long as necessary to further the ACLU’s mission of protecting civil rights and civil liberties. We may retain such information even if you disable or uninstall the App.

6. Your Privacy Rights, Choice and Access

If you provided us with Personal Information or Trusted Contacts through the App, you may review and update that information in Settings. In accordance with routine record keeping, we may delete certain records that contain Personal Information you have submitted through the App. We are under no obligation to store such Personal Information indefinitely and disclaim any liability arising out of, or related to, the destruction of such Personal Information. It may not always be possible to completely remove or delete all of your information without some residual data because of backups and other reasons. We will retain and use your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. 

7. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy and our practices at any time. When we do, we will provide an update to the App with prominent notice of the new privacy policy, and will also post a notice at https://www.aclusocal.org/mobilejustice with a link to the updated document. All Information collected after we have updated our Privacy Policy and practices will be governed by the updated document.

8. What This Policy Doesn’t Apply To

This Privacy Policy does not apply to any email communications to or from you, to your use of ACLU website(s) or those operated by our parent organization or affiliates, to your use of any other mobile applications, or to any information you provide or that we receive from any source other than the App.

9. Contact Us

For inquiries about the App, contact us at mobilejustice@aclusocal.org. 

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