Tipline Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies exclusively to the Bay Tides Secure Tipline , an anonymous reporting platform operated by Bay Tides for receiving information about environmental concerns affecting the San Francisco Bay Area.

This policy is separate from our main website Privacy Policy, which governs your use of baytides.org and its associated services. If you are browsing our main website, please refer to that policy instead.

Bay Tides is a qualified tax-exempt nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We operate the tipline as part of our mission to protect and preserve the San Francisco Bay's environment.

The tipline collects only what you voluntarily provide in your submission. This may include:

• Text descriptions of environmental concerns
• Uploaded files or documents you choose to attach
• Any follow-up messages you send using your receipt code

We do not require or request any personally identifying information. You are not asked to provide your name, email address, phone number, or any other contact information.

If you choose to include personal details in your submission, that is your decision. We recommend against including identifying information unless it is essential to your report.

Information submitted through the tipline is used solely for the following purposes:

• Reviewing and evaluating environmental concerns reported to Bay Tides
• Investigating potential environmental violations or threats to the San Francisco Bay Area
• Supporting Bay Tides' advocacy and conservation efforts related to reported issues
• Communicating with you through the platform's anonymous messaging system (if you use your receipt code)

We never use submitted information for marketing, profiling, advertising, fundraising, or any purpose unrelated to our environmental mission.

The tipline is designed with privacy by default. We explicitly do not collect:

• IP addresses — The tipline is accessible via Tor, and the platform does not log connection metadata
• Browser fingerprints — No scripts that identify your browser, device, or operating system
• Cookies — Zero cookies of any kind (no session cookies, no tracking cookies, no analytics cookies)
• Analytics or telemetry — No page views, no click tracking, no usage statistics on the tipline
• Geolocation data — No GPS, no IP-based location, no timezone detection
• Referrer information — We do not track how you arrived at the tipline

This is by design. We cannot share what we do not have.

The tipline platform implements multiple layers of security to protect submitted information:

We retain submitted reports only for as long as necessary to review and act on the reported environmental concern. Our retention practices include:

• Active reports are retained while under review or investigation
• Resolved reports are deleted within a reasonable timeframe after the matter is concluded
• Submitter-requested deletion: If you retained your receipt code, you may request that your submission be deleted at any time by contacting us through the platform's messaging system

When data is deleted, it is permanently removed from our systems. We do not maintain backup copies of deleted submissions.

Bay Tides does not sell, rent, trade, or voluntarily share information submitted through the tipline with any third party. This includes:

• Law enforcement agencies
• Government bodies or regulators
• Other nonprofit organizations
• Media outlets
• Data brokers or advertisers

The only exceptions are:

• Valid legal process: If we receive a valid subpoena, court order, or warrant from a court of competent jurisdiction, we may be legally required to disclose information. In such cases, we will provide only what is specifically and narrowly required, challenge overly broad requests, and notify affected submitters when legally permitted to do so.
• With your consent: If you explicitly ask us to share specific information with a named third party through the platform's messaging system.

For more information about how we handle law enforcement requests, see our Law Enforcement Procedures page.

Because the tipline is designed for anonymous use, traditional identity-based access rights work differently. Your rights include:

The tipline is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Because the tipline is anonymous, we generally cannot determine the age of submitters. If we become aware that a submission was made by a child under 13 and contains personal information, we will handle the matter with additional care and delete any personal information as appropriate.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has submitted personal information through the tipline, please contact us and we will work to address your concerns.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws.

• Material changes: We will provide at least 30 days' notice before any material changes take effect by posting the updated policy with a new effective date on this page
• Minor changes: Non-material changes (such as formatting or clarification) may be made without advance notice
• Version tracking: The version number and effective date at the top of this policy will always reflect the current version

Your continued use of the tipline after any changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, you can reach us through:

• Our contact page: baytides.org/contact
• The tipline messaging system: Use your receipt code to send us a message directly through the platform

We will respond to privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.