Privacy policy

Who is responsible

OnlyCanals is operated by Sam Shields, the controller of personal data used to provide the app. Contact sam@globalmaximum.com with privacy questions or requests. This policy covers the OnlyCanals app and its account and community services.

Using the app without an account

You can explore waterways and plan routes without registering. Saved guest trips, favourites, notes, settings and queued edits are stored on your device. Creating or signing into an account can move your guest records into your account and synchronise them to our backend. Uninstalling or resetting the app can erase local records; neither action deletes a cloud account.

Accounts and private records

If you register, we process your email address, authentication details, account identifier, display name, handle and acceptance records. Our authentication provider handles your password. We store the trips, routes, boats, favourites, notes and logbook entries you choose to save to your account. These can include places, coordinates and times. They are not shared with other members as community reports are. We use them to authenticate you, restore your records and synchronise your devices.

Location, maps and weather

Location permission is optional and used while the app is in use to show your position and cruising progress. We do not request background location tracking. In live Cruise Mode, coordinates are sent to Open-Meteo to request wind forecasts. Online map providers receive your IP address and requests for the map areas you view, which may reveal your area. A Live Report uploads the selected waterway location when you choose to post it. Denying location permission still lets you browse and plan manually.

Community reports and photos

When you post a Live Report, its text, category, selected coordinates, times, photo and reporter identity can be viewed by signed-in members. Only choose content you have permission to share. Photos are resized and re-encoded before upload to remove original photo metadata; visible faces, names and landmarks can still reveal personal information. Confirmations, flags, blocks and moderation actions are also processed to operate and protect the community. Moderators can review flagged content.

Service providers and network information

Supabase provides account, database and photo storage services. OpenFreeMap supplies the default online basemap, Open-Meteo supplies wind forecasts, and Expo supplies app updates. These network services receive technical request information, such as IP addresses, and the data necessary for the requested feature. Authentication emails and support correspondence pass through email providers. We do not sell personal data or include advertising trackers. This build sends no product analytics; the analytics preference is reserved for a future service.

Why we process information

We use account and saved-record data to provide the services you request, on the basis of performing our agreement with you. We rely on legitimate interests in operating a reliable service, preventing abuse, moderating reports and answering support requests, while considering your rights. Where consent is required for optional processing, we ask for it and you can withdraw it. A device permission can be revoked in Android settings. We may process information to meet legal obligations. We do not make automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects about you.

Security and international processing

Account and service requests use encrypted connections. Access controls restrict private account records and uploaded photos. Local records remain on your device and are not a separately encrypted vault. No storage or transmission system is completely secure. Our providers may process data outside the UK; where required, appropriate contractual safeguards or an applicable adequacy decision must support those transfers. Contact us for information about the safeguards applicable to your data.

Retention and deletion

Local records remain until removed or reset on the device. Account records are retained while your account exists; deleting an individual synced item may leave a deletion marker or record needed for synchronisation until account deletion. Reports can become archived rather than erased when they expire. Account deletion removes your authentication account, profile, owned synced records, reports and uploaded evidence from the active service. Contribution audit records can retain historic content and identifiers, and moderation history can survive with the moderator identity removed. Security logs, backups and support correspondence may also remain under provider or operational retention arrangements, or where needed to meet legal obligations or resolve disputes. Contact us to request review or erasure of retained personal information.

Your choices and rights

You can use guest mode, refuse location access, choose whether to upload a photo and delete your account. You may have rights to access, correct, erase, restrict or object to processing, and to receive a portable copy of your information. Email sam@globalmaximum.com; we may need to verify your identity. You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk. Account deletion instructions are available in the app and on our account-deletion page.

Children and changes

OnlyCanals is intended for adult boaters and is not directed at children. Contact us if you believe a child has provided personal information. We will update this policy when the app's data practices change and identify the revision date. Material changes requiring consent will be presented before the relevant processing begins.