Privacy Policy (Prototype)

This page describes how the Community Bluetooth Signal Mapping Tool prototype handles data. This is an experimental research and demonstration tool, not a commercial product or official law‑enforcement system.

1. What This Tool Does

When you use the Bluetooth scanner in a supported browser, the page can:

• Ask your browser to show nearby Bluetooth devices (via the Web Bluetooth API).
• Let you choose a single device from that list.
• Record the chosen device's identifier and name, along with signal strength and your approximate location (when available).
• Send this information to a demo backend for analysis and visualization.

2. Data Collected

Depending on your choices and browser support, the following data may be collected:

• Timestamp of the scan.
• Bluetooth device identifier (a UUID assigned by the browser; not a raw MAC address).
• Bluetooth device name, if present.
• Signal strength (RSSI), when available.
• Approximate location (latitude, longitude, accuracy) if you grant location permission.
• Basic browser and platform information (e.g., user agent string).

We do not intentionally collect names, phone numbers, account credentials, or message content through this tool. However, Bluetooth identifiers may still be considered personal or sensitive in some contexts because they can sometimes be linked to devices people own or carry.

3. How Data Is Used

Data from this prototype may be used to:

• Explore how community volunteers could help map Bluetooth activity in an area.
• Evaluate the feasibility and limitations of Bluetooth‑based search concepts.
• Generate anonymized or aggregated statistics for presentations or research discussions.

Data is not automatically shared with law enforcement. In rare cases, if a participant explicitly requests that their scan data be shared with an authorized public safety agency, such sharing would only occur with their additional consent and under clearly defined conditions.

4. Data Retention

Because this is a prototype, retention policies may change as the project evolves. The intent is to:

• Retain raw logs only as long as needed for technical evaluation and debugging.
• Prefer aggregated or anonymized forms of the data for any longer‑term analysis.

5. Your Choices & Controls

• You can choose not to use the scanner at all.
• You can decline location permission; scans will then be recorded without coordinates.
• You can close the page or stop scanning at any time.

6. No Guarantees & Research Context

This prototype is provided "as is" for research and demonstration. It may contain bugs and is not suitable for life‑safety or time‑critical use. The operator of this site does not guarantee accuracy, availability, or fitness for any particular purpose.

7. Contact

If you have questions about this prototype or how data is handled, please contact the site operator using the information provided on the main site or associated outreach materials.