AreaWatchAccount
PRIVACY

Privacy Policy

This policy explains what personal data AreaWatch handles, why we use it and the choices and rights available to you.

Last updated 26 August 2026

1. Who controls your data

Alpha Beat Limited is the controller for personal data handled through AreaWatch. We are registered in England and Wales under company number 15037481, with a registered office at 8 Coventry Road, Beeston, Nottingham, England, NG9 2EG.

Privacy questions and rights requests can be sent to info@alphabeat.co.uk.

2. Information AreaWatch handles

  • Account data: a guest or account identifier, email address, authentication status and session information.
  • Area searches: the postcode, address, place or coordinates you choose to search, plus the selected radius and filters.
  • Device location: your browser-provided coordinates only when you actively choose “My location” and grant permission.
  • Purchases: postcode entitlement, Stripe Checkout and payment status identifiers, purchase email and transaction records. Stripe handles full card details; AreaWatch does not receive them.
  • Usage data: pages and features used, device/browser information, analytics client and session identifiers, referrer and interaction events when optional analytics is allowed.
  • Technical data: IP address, request metadata, security logs, errors and rate-limit information processed by our hosting and service providers.
  • Communications: information you include when contacting us for support, privacy or purchase enquiries.

3. Why we use it and our lawful bases

Provide searches, maps and secure sessionsLegitimate interests in operating the requested free service and keeping it secure.
Create accounts and fulfil paid reportsTaking steps at your request and performing our contract with you.
Process payments, prevent fraud and keep transaction recordsContract, legitimate interests and legal obligations.
Use your chosen device locationYour affirmative request and browser permission; you can withdraw permission in your device settings.
Measure use and improve AreaWatchYour consent for optional Firebase and Google Analytics storage and collection.
Respond to enquiries and exercise legal rightsLegitimate interests, contract and legal obligations as applicable.

4. Cookies, browser storage and analytics

AreaWatch uses essential browser storage to maintain the guest or signed-in Supabase session, protect paid access and remember your analytics choice. Blocking essential storage can prevent account, search or report features from working correctly.

Optional Firebase and Google Analytics helps us understand feature use, journeys and completed purchases. It does not run unless you choose “Allow analytics”. You can change that choice below at any time; doing so stops future analytics collection on this browser but does not delete information already collected.

Current choiceYou have not made an analytics choice on this browser yet.

5. Who we share data with

We use service providers only where needed to operate AreaWatch:

  • Supabase: authentication, database, report entitlements and Edge Functions.
  • Stripe: checkout, payment verification, fraud prevention and receipts.
  • Google Firebase: static website hosting and, with your consent, Analytics.
  • Mapbox: map display and place/address search.
  • OpenStreetMap and Nominatim: map attribution and area-boundary lookup.
  • Police.uk: the source of public recorded-crime data requested through our server-side service.

We may also disclose information where required by law, to establish or defend legal rights, or to protect users and the service. We do not sell your personal data.

6. Crime data and searched locations

Police.uk records displayed by AreaWatch are public street-level records with deliberately anonymised, approximate locations. A marker does not identify an exact incident address, victim, offender or property. Your search is used to return information recorded near the location you chose; it must not be used to infer sensitive information about an identifiable person.

7. International processing

Some providers may process data outside the United Kingdom. Where personal data is transferred internationally, we rely on applicable adequacy regulations or contractual and organisational safeguards required by UK data-protection law. Contact us if you would like more information about relevant safeguards.

8. How long we keep data

We keep personal data only for as long as needed for the purposes above. Account and entitlement records are retained while needed to provide access and resolve account or purchase issues. Transaction records may be kept longer where required for tax, accounting, fraud prevention or legal claims. Security logs and support correspondence are retained according to operational and legal need. Optional analytics data follows the retention settings applied in Google Analytics.

Anonymous crime warehouse records are public-source records and are not stored as profiles of AreaWatch users.

9. Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law may give you rights to access, correct, erase, restrict or object to processing of your personal data, and to receive portable data. Where processing relies on consent, you can withdraw it without affecting earlier lawful processing.

Email info@alphabeat.co.uk to make a request. We may need to verify your identity. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

10. Security, children and changes

We use proportionate technical and organisational safeguards, including authenticated access and server-side handling of privileged credentials. No internet service can guarantee absolute security. AreaWatch is a general location-research service and is not designed to collect information from children.

We may update this policy when AreaWatch, our providers or the law changes. The date above identifies the current version, and material changes will be highlighted where appropriate.