Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 30, 2026
Jurisdiction: Victoria, Australia

Welcome to NICKD ("we", "us", or "our"). We provide a Community-Powered Vehicle Intelligence Network designed to assist in the recovery of stolen property. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our users and the community.

This policy outlines how we collect, use, and strictly protect your data. It complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

1. Information We Collect

We collect distinct types of information depending on your interactions with the App:

A. Automated Sensor Data (The App)

To function as a detection tool, the App requires access to specific device sensors:

Camera (Optical Analysis): We use the camera to scan vehicle license plates in real-time. We do NOT record continuous video footage. We do not capture faces or pedestrians. The camera feed is analyzed locally on your device using Google ML Kit.
Location & Telemetry: Precise GPS coordinates, speed, and heading are collected only when a "Detection Event" (a match with a stolen vehicle) occurs.

B. Verification Data (Sensitive Information)

To receive intelligence on a stolen vehicle, users must become "Verified Owners." We collect:

Identity Data: Name and Email address.
Proof of Ownership: Registration papers, Police Report numbers, or Insurance documents.

2. Handling of Sensitive Verification Data

🔒 SECURITY PROTOCOL:
We recognize that ownership documents contain sensitive personal information. We handle this data with the highest level of security.

Purpose: This data is collected solely to verify your identity and prevent the platform from being used for stalking, harassment, or vigilantism. We must ensure that the person requesting location data is the legal owner of the vehicle.
Storage & Security: Documents are uploaded via a secure, encrypted connection (SSL/TLS) and stored in a restricted environment accessible only to authorized NICKD Administrators.
No Third-Party Sharing: We do not sell, trade, or share verification documents with advertisers, data brokers, or commercial partners.

3. The "Double-Blind" Safety System

NICKD operates under a strict architecture to prevent stalking and ensure safety:

No Personal Tracking: Users cannot search for specific people or arbitrary license plates. You cannot use this app to track a partner, employee, or neighbor.
The Spotter (Driver): Sees only the vehicle description (Plate, Make, Model). They never see the identity of the vehicle owner.
The Owner: Receives the location data of their vehicle but never knows the identity of the user who spotted it.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

To Provide Service: Enabling the automatic scanning and alerting functions.
To Notify Owners: If a vehicle registered to a Verified Owner is detected, we use the data to inform them of the vehicle's location and status.
Service Sustainability & Commercialization: We may use aggregated or specific Vehicle Intelligence Data (sightings of stolen assets) to maintain the financial viability of the platform (see Section 5).
To Improve Technology: Using anonymized detection data to train and improve the accuracy of our AI recognition algorithms.

5. Commercial Partnerships & Data Disclosure

To ensure the long-term sustainability of the NICKD network and cover infrastructure costs, we differentiate between Personal Identity Data (Who you are) and Vehicle Intelligence Data (What was found).

🛡️ PART A: Strict Protection of Personal Identity
We DO NOT sell, trade, or rent your personal identity (Name, Email, Phone Number, Password, or Verification Documents) to advertisers, marketing agencies, or data brokers. Your identity as a user/spotter remains strictly confidential.

💼 PART B: Commercial Use of Vehicle Intelligence
We reserve the right to provide paid access to Vehicle Intelligence Data to vetted Commercial Partners (such as Insurance Companies, Repossession Agencies, and Fleet Managers).

What is shared? Only data related to the Asset (The Vehicle). This includes License Plate, GPS Location of the sighting, Time of sighting, and Vehicle Condition/Photo.

Why? This allows Insurance companies to recover assets faster, reducing premiums for the community, and provides the necessary funding to keep the NICKD servers free for public use.

C. Law Enforcement Disclosure

We may voluntarily provide data to Victoria Police (or other relevant authorities) if we reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent a serious threat to public safety or assist in the immediate recovery of a stolen vehicle. We will also disclose data if required by law (e.g., a warrant).

6. Data Retention

"Clean" Scans: Data regarding vehicles that are not reported stolen is discarded immediately after processing. We do not build a history of general traffic movements.
"Stolen" Hits: Data regarding confirmed stolen vehicles is retained until the vehicle is recovered or the case is archived.
Account Data: Retained as long as your account is active.

7. Data Storage & Security

We use industry-standard services to process and store data securely:

Google Firebase (Firestore & Auth): Used for secure user authentication and database storage.
Encryption: All data is transmitted via SSL/TLS encryption.

8. Account Deletion

We respect your right to completely remove your data from our systems. If you wish to delete your NICKD account and all associated data, please follow these steps:

Email Request: Send an email to contact@nickd.com.au with the subject line "Account Deletion Request".
Processing Time: We will verify your identity to prevent malicious deletion and permanently remove your account, authentication credentials, and personal logs within 30 days.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions about this policy, wish to verify how your data is handled, or need assistance, please contact us at:

contact@nickd.com.au