This page has two parts. The first explains what data the YouSentinel app ("the app") processes, why, and for how long. The second, "House rules", explains how the app works and what can be posted. The service is run by Antonio Picciau, the data controller ("the operator"), who can be reached at yousentinel@gmail.com.
Location is detected only while the app is open and in use. We do not record a history of your movements: only the location of the reports you choose to post is saved. When you confirm a report, your location is used only to check the distance and is not saved.
We use technical providers that process data on our behalf, only to run the service:
For sign-in with a Google account and for the maps service (Google Maps), Google instead acts as an independent controller, under its own privacy policy: see the section "Cookies and similar technologies".
User data is handed over only to judicial authorities or law enforcement, upon formal request. Never to private parties.
You can delete your account and all the content you have posted at any time, without contacting us.
How:
Deletion is immediate and cannot be undone.
We delete the account, the profile with its names, the email address, all reports with their locations, comments, votes, confirmations, abuse reports made, personal messages, warnings and suspensions.
After deletion no data remains that could identify you, with only two exceptions: if the account was banned for breaking the rules, the encrypted and non-reversible email fingerprint described above, kept only to prevent re-entry; and technical backup copies of the database, which are deleted within 30 days. In the moderation log the actions remain, but no longer linked to the person.
If you cannot access the app, you can request deletion by writing to yousentinel@gmail.com from your account's email address.
You can delete your reports and your comments at any time and keep your account.
A report:
You can also do it from the report's card on the map, with the trash icon at the top right.
A comment:
A vote: tap the same thumb again and the vote is removed.
Deletion is immediate. Deleting a report also deletes the votes, comments and confirmations it received. Deleted content disappears from the database backups within 30 days.
You can ask to see your data, correct it, delete it or receive a copy of it, and you can object to processing based on legitimate interest, by writing to yousentinel@gmail.com. We reply within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your data protection authority (in Italy, the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, garanteprivacy.it).
Communication between the app and the servers is encrypted (HTTPS). Access to data is governed by controls in the database: each user can edit or delete only their own content, and moderation data is visible only to the operator.
YouSentinel applies a zero-tolerance policy towards child sexual abuse material and any form of child sexual abuse or exploitation (CSAE).
YouSentinel is a service reserved exclusively for adult users. The app is not intended for people under 18 and does not encourage their use of it. Accounts found to belong to minors are removed.
It is strictly forbidden to use YouSentinel to publish, share, solicit or promote:
Please note that the app does not allow photographs, videos or files to be uploaded in any way: reports are text only. There are also no private messages between users and no direct contact features.
Any content published in the app can be flagged by any user through the flag button on the report card. Flagged content is immediately hidden from the person who flagged it and, once three flags from distinct users are reached, it is automatically hidden from everyone pending review.
To report content relating to child sexual abuse or exploitation directly to the operator, write to yousentinel@gmail.com with CSAE REPORT in the subject line, so the message is recognised and routed immediately. Reports of this kind have the highest priority and are reviewed urgently. Reports sent without that subject line are still read and acted upon.
Where a report is well founded, the operator:
YouSentinel operates in compliance with applicable child protection law, including the relevant Italian and European provisions, and with Google Play's policies on child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The point of contact for matters relating to child safety and CSAM compliance is: yousentinel@gmail.com, subject line CSAE REPORT.
The website and the app do not use profiling cookies or third-party cookies, and they do not use external analytics tools. Your device stores only information needed to make them work the way you chose:
You can delete them by clearing your browser data or uninstalling the app.
Who receives data and why:
The map is loaded from Google's servers and is an essential feature of the app: that is why Google receives the IP address of whoever opens the map.
We may update this page over time. Changes are published here with the date of the update. "From the Sentinel" messages may remind you of these rules but never introduce new ones.
YouSentinel is a map of people who look out for each other: where not to go and where not to miss, right now. It works when those who post say things that are true and useful to whoever passes by.
The two maps never mix. Each report stays visible for a time that depends on the category, then disappears on its own.
On the red side you appear with your Sentinel number: readers do not know who you are. On the green side you choose whether to appear with a nickname or with your Google profile name. A nickname can be changed at most once every two months; a nickname rejected by moderation cannot be used again.
Anonymity is a protection for those who report, not a shield for those who abuse it, and whoever abuses it takes it away from everyone.
The service is for adults only: by using YouSentinel you declare that you are at least 18 years old. Post only reports that are true and of public interest. It is forbidden to:
An automatic filter stops some texts that break these rules before they are posted.
Any content can be flagged, choosing a reason. Flagged content disappears right away for whoever flagged it; with three flags from different people it is hidden from everyone pending review. The exception is official danger zones added by the system, for example those set by the authorities: they are not hidden automatically, the operator reviews them. Content is checked both by an automatic system and by the app's operator, depending on the case.
Some markers are added automatically by the system from public sources: they have a dashed border and the label "Added automatically by the system, not verified", with the source.
The rules exist to defend everyone's protection. That is why:
If you think a decision is wrong, write to yousentinel@gmail.com: we will review it.
Reports are posted by users and are not verified by the operator. YouSentinel is not an emergency service: in case of immediate danger always call your local emergency number (112 in Europe) or the competent authorities, and do not rely on the app for your personal safety. The operator is not liable for damage arising from inaccurate, incomplete, false or outdated reports, nor from the absence of reports in a given area. The app is provided "as is", without guarantees of continuity, accuracy or availability of the service.
For privacy matters, to challenge a decision or to report abuse: yousentinel@gmail.com