Privacy Policy

Last updated: 22 June 2026  ·  Applies to the Whistle mobile and web app (package org.thalapathy.whistle)

Whistle (“Whistle”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) is a civic engagement platform that lets residents of Tamil Nadu report civic and emergency issues, support and track their resolution, connect with elected representatives and government departments, and participate in their community. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have.

By creating an account or using Whistle, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.

1. Who we are

Whistle is operated by the Whistle team based in Tamil Nadu, India. For any privacy question or request you can reach us at bala@thalapathy.org. See our Contact page for more ways to reach us.

2. Information we collect

a) Information you provide

• Account information — your mobile phone number (used to sign in via one-time password), your name, and your preferred language.
• Issue reports — the description, category, photos or media you attach, and the location of the issue you report.
• Community content — posts, comments, reactions, and reports you create in the community feed.
• Warrior (volunteer) details — if you register as a volunteer (“Warrior”), the verification (KYC) information you submit and your availability status.

b) Information collected automatically

• Location data — with your permission, we use your device’s precise (GPS) or approximate location to tag the issues you report, find issues and tasks near you, route reports to the correct ward/constituency, and—if you are an assigned Warrior—share your live location with the issue reporter while you are actively working on their task. You can turn off location access in your device settings at any time; some features will then be limited.
• Device & push token — a Firebase Cloud Messaging token so we can send you notifications, plus basic technical data (app version, device type) needed to operate the service.
• Usage & activity — your civic-score actions, supported issues, and similar in-app activity.

Sensitive permissions used: Location (fine/coarse), Notifications, Internet/Network. We request these only for the purposes described above.

3. How we use your information

• To create and secure your account and sign you in.
• To accept, route, assign, track, and resolve the civic issues you report.
• To show you nearby issues, your local representative, and relevant announcements.
• To enable community posts, comments, and the civic-score/gamification features.
• To send you notifications about your reports, assignments, and official announcements.
• To operate, maintain, secure, and improve the service and prevent abuse.
• To comply with applicable law.

4. How your information is shared

Whistle is a civic platform, so some information is shared by design to get your issues resolved:

• Government officials, departments, ward officers and elected representatives (MLAs) receive the issue reports, location, media, and status updates relevant to their area so they can act on them.
• Assigned Warriors (volunteers) receive the details and location of issues assigned to them; the reporter can see the Warrior’s live location while the task is in progress.
• Other users can see your public community posts, comments, display name, and public issue activity.
• Service providers that help us run the app — cloud hosting, media/file storage, push notifications (Google Firebase), and SMS/OTP delivery — process data on our behalf under appropriate safeguards.
• Legal & safety — we may disclose information where required by law or to protect the rights, safety, or property of users and the public.

We do not sell your personal information.

5. Data retention

We keep your account and content while your account is active. Because Whistle is a public-accountability tool, resolved issue records and their status history may be retained as part of the civic record even after individual accounts are closed; where retained, they are dissociated from or minimised to your personal identifiers where reasonable. You can request deletion of your account and personal data at any time — see Account & Data Deletion.

6. Security

We protect your data with measures including encrypted transport (HTTPS), secure credential storage on your device, token-based authentication, and access controls. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect your information.

7. Your rights and choices

• Access & correction — view and update your profile in the app, or contact us.
• Deletion — request deletion of your account and data via the Account & Data Deletion page.
• Permissions — control location and notification access from your device settings.

8. Children

Whistle is intended for users aged 18 and older and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will revise the “Last updated” date above and, for significant changes, notify you in the app. Continued use of Whistle after changes means you accept the updated policy.

10. Contact us