Privacy Policy
Who is responsible
The data controller is [CONTROLLER NAME] (“we”). Contact: [CONTACT EMAIL]. Our representative in the United Kingdom under Article 27 UK GDPR is [UK REPRESENTATIVE NAME], [UK REP ADDRESS], [UK REP EMAIL].
What we do — and don’t — collect
- Your location is used on your device to show where you are on a route and to keep you on it. It is used only while the app is open(never in the background) and your live position is not sent to our servers or stored.
- When you plan a route, only the start and destination points and departure time are sent to our routing server to calculate the route. These are processed in memory and not stored.
- When you search for a place, the text you type is sent to our address-search provider to return suggestions.
- If you submit a correction (“a shop was closed”, “a light is out”), we store the report type, an approximate location, and any note — anonymously. We do not store anything that identifies you.
- Usage counts. To know how many people use Lantern and whether it works, the app generates a random identifier on your device the first time it runs. It is not derived from you or your device, is sent only to our own server with the requests above, and is hashed before storage. We count things like “a route was planned at night”, “a walk was started”, “the app was opened today” — never where you were, what you searched for, or who you are. Clearing the app’s data resets the identifier. No third-party analytics service receives anything.
- No accounts, no advertising, no selling of data, no profiling. We do not build a picture of you, and nothing is shared with advertisers or data brokers.
- Standard server logs (e.g. IP address) are kept briefly for security and reliability.
Lawful basis
Core navigation uses your location because it is necessary to provide the service you asked for. Usage counts rely on our legitimate interest in running and improving a free service, kept to the minimum that can’t identify you. Any optional features that collect additional information will ask for your consent first, which you can withdraw at any time.
Who we share data with (processors)
- Our hosting provider, which runs the routing server.
- Photon (komoot) — address search.
- CARTO and OpenFreeMap — map tiles.
We are based outside the UK, so providing this service involves an international transfer of data; we keep the data involved to the minimum described above.
How long we keep it
Routes and searches are transient and not stored. Correction reports and their approximate locations are retained to improve the map and periodically reviewed and pruned. Usage counts (event type, date, hashed identifier) are kept in aggregate form. Server logs are kept only briefly.
Your rights
You have rights to access, correct, erase and object to the processing of your personal data, and to withdraw consent. Because we do not hold accounts, most data is transient; to ask about a correction report you submitted, contact us at [CONTACT EMAIL]. You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).
Children
Lantern is intended for adults (18+) and is not directed at children.
Not a safety service
Lantern is informational and does not track you or summon help. In an emergency, call 999. See also our route explanation, about page, and data licences.