Privacy Policy

Welcome to PrisonerWatch ("we," "us," or "our"). We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices concerning the collection, use, and disclosure of information when you use our website, services, and API (collectively, the "Service").

The core mission of PrisonerWatch is to document and provide access to information about political prisoners, primarily using data aggregated from public sources. This policy focuses on the information we collect from users of our Service, not the publicly sourced data about prisoners displayed on the platform.

We collect information in the following ways:

• Information You Provide Directly:
  • Account Information: When you register for an account, we collect your email address and a hashed version of your password.
  • Newsletter Subscription: If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address.
  • Contact Form: When you contact us via the contact form, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message.
  • Chat Interactions: If you use our AI Chat Assistant, we process the queries you submit to provide responses.
• Information Collected Automatically:
  • API Usage Data: If you use our API, we log information related to your requests, including the API key used, timestamp, endpoint accessed, and request status. This is linked to your account for usage monitoring and security.
  • Standard Web Logs: Like most websites, our servers may automatically record standard log information, such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and pages visited. We use this information primarily for security, debugging, and aggregated analytics, minimizing the use of identifiable data.
  • Cookies: We use essential cookies necessary for website functionality, such as maintaining your login session. We currently do not use third-party analytics or tracking cookies beyond what's essential for operation.
• Information from Public Sources:

  The primary data displayed on PrisonerWatch concerning political prisoners (names, case details, locations, etc.) is collected and aggregated from publicly available sources, primarily reputable human rights organizations like OVD-Info and Memorial. We process this public data as described in our Methodology.

We use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

• To provide, operate, and maintain our Service (e.g., user accounts, API access).
• To process and respond to your inquiries and support requests (via the contact form).
• To send you newsletters and updates if you have subscribed (you can opt-out at any time).
• To manage your API keys and monitor API usage for billing (if applicable), security, and abuse prevention.
• To operate and improve our AI Chat Assistant. Queries are processed by our AI model (potentially third-party services like Google Gemini) to generate relevant responses based on the database content.
• To analyze usage trends (in an aggregated and anonymized form) to improve the Service.
• To ensure the security and integrity of our Service.
• To comply with legal obligations.

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

We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may share information with third-party vendors and service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, email delivery, and potentially AI processing for the chat feature. These providers are obligated to protect your information and use it only for the services they provide to us.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or government agency).
• Aggregated Data: We may share aggregated, anonymized user data (which cannot identify you) for research, reporting, or public interest purposes related to our mission.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred. We will provide notice before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

The data regarding political prisoners displayed on the platform originates from public sources and is intended for public access and awareness.

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include using HTTPS for secure connections and hashing user passwords.

However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

• Account information is retained as long as your account is active.
• API logs may be retained for a limited period for security and analysis.
• Contact form submissions may be retained to manage inquiries.
• Newsletter subscription emails are retained until you unsubscribe.

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These may include the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to certain exceptions).
• Opt-out of receiving marketing communications (like our newsletter) by using the unsubscribe link in the emails.

To exercise these rights regarding your account information, please contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

Our Service includes links to external websites and data sources (e.g., OVD-Info, Memorial). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

Our Service is not directed to individuals under the age of 13 (or a higher age threshold depending on jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Via our Contact Page.