Privacy Policy — Downriver Train Spotter

Overview

Downriver Train Spotter (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the downrivertrains.com website and the Downriver Train Spotter Android application (collectively, the “Service”). This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights with respect to that information.

What We Monitor

We monitor publicly-visible railroad grade crossings using cameras located on or near public rights-of-way. The Service captures still images at 30-second intervals. Images show roads, railroad tracks, crossing gates, and trains — not individuals or private property.

Information We Do Not Collect

We do not collect names, email addresses, or any account information.
We do not perform facial recognition, license plate reading, or identification of individuals or vehicles.
This website uses no analytics cookies and no third-party tracking scripts.
No personal information is required to use this website.

Mobile App — Data Practices

No account required. The app does not require sign-in and does not collect your name, email address, or password.
Push notification token. If you enable push notifications, your device’s push notification token is stored on our server solely to deliver crossing alerts to your device. This token is not shared with any third party and is deleted when you unsubscribe from notifications.
Notification preferences. Your per-crossing alert settings and active-hour schedule are stored on our server to control when you receive notifications. This data is not linked to any personal identity and is used for no other purpose.
No location access. The app does not request or use your device’s location at any time.
No camera or microphone access. The app does not access your device camera or microphone.
No advertising. The app contains no advertisements and no advertising or analytics SDKs.

Data Deletion

You can remove all data stored on our servers at any time using either of the following methods:

In the app (self-service): Open the Downriver Train Spotter app, go to Settings, and unsubscribe from every crossing listed under Push Notifications. Once all subscriptions are removed, your push notification token and all associated preferences are deleted from our server immediately.
By email: Send a deletion request to [email protected] from any address. Because we do not collect your email address, simply describe your device (model, approximate date of first use) so we can locate and remove your token record. We will confirm deletion within 7 days.

We do not retain any backup copies of push tokens after deletion. Once removed, you will stop receiving crossing alerts unless you re-enable notifications in the app.

Image Retention

Rolling snapshots: Diagnostic images captured every 30 seconds are automatically deleted on a 24-hour rolling basis and are never permanently stored.
Event images: A single best-frame snapshot is saved when a train detection is confirmed. These event images are retained indefinitely for historical analysis and are displayed on the public dashboard.
Privacy masking: For cameras installed on or adjacent to private or business property, configurable blur or blackout regions are applied to exclude sensitive areas from all stored and served images before they ever reach disk.

Third-Party Services

Cloudflare: This website is served through Cloudflare, which may log standard request metadata (IP address, user agent, request timestamp) for security, performance, and caching purposes. See Cloudflare’s Privacy Policy.
Google Play & Firebase Cloud Messaging: The Android app is distributed through Google Play. Push notifications are delivered via Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM). Device interaction with these services is governed by Google’s Privacy Policy.

Children’s Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at the address below and we will delete it promptly.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we do, the revised policy will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of those changes.

Contact

For questions about this policy, to request image removal, or to request deletion of your notification data, contact us at [email protected].