Privacy Policy

1. Reporting anonymously

You do not need an account, a name, or an email address to file a report. Most reports on SolveHFX are anonymous. Sharing your name or email is entirely optional, and you should only do it if you want the city or your councillor to be able to follow up, or you want status updates by email.

2. Information we collect

• Report content. The title, description, category, photo, and the location you select.
• Optional contact details. Your name and email, only if you choose to enter them.
• Location data.The coordinates of the point you place on the map, or your device location if you use the “use my location” button and grant permission.
• IP address. Recorded with each submission to enforce rate limits and prevent spam and abuse.
• Consent record. The time you accepted the terms and public visibility notice, and which version of that wording you saw.
• Account data. If you create an optional account, your email address and authentication data.
• Usage data. Basic, aggregated page analytics and performance metrics.

3. Photo metadata

Photos are resized and re-encoded in your browser before they are uploaded. That process strips embedded EXIF metadata, including any GPS coordinates your camera recorded. The only location associated with your report is the one shown on the map when you submit it.

4. How we use information

• To generate a draft report from your photo and route it to the right authority.
• To email reports to HRM 311, Nova Scotia Public Works, or Halifax Transit.
• To copy your district councillor so your elected representative can see it.
• To send you status updates, if you provided an email address.
• To display reports publicly on the map, reports feed, and scorecards.
• To prevent spam, duplicates, and platform abuse.
• To understand overall usage and keep the service reliable.

5. AI processing of your photo

When you upload a photo, it is sent to Anthropic's Claude API, a third-party AI service, which analyses the image and produces a draft title, category, and description. Your name, email, and IP address are not sent with it. Anthropic processes the image to return that result and, per their commercial terms, does not use API inputs to train their models. If you would rather not have a photo processed this way, you can skip the photo step and write your report manually.

6. Consent, and withdrawing it

We rely on your consent, given when you submit a report, to process this information. You can withdraw consent at any time by emailing support@solvehfx.ca and asking us to remove your report or your contact details. Withdrawal does not affect processing already carried out, and cannot recall an email already delivered to a public body.

7. Who we share information with

Public bodies. Report content is emailed to the relevant authority and, where applicable, your district councillor. If you provided a name or email, it is included so they can follow up with you. Once delivered, that email is under their control and is subject to their own retention and access-to-information rules.

Service providers. We use Vercel (hosting and analytics), Supabase (database, file storage, and authentication), Anthropic (AI photo analysis), Resend (email delivery), and Mapbox (maps and geocoding). These providers process data on our behalf and may store it on servers outside Canada, including in the United States, where local authorities may be able to compel access under their own laws.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising or share it with data brokers.

8. Public report visibility

Report content may appear on public pages for civic transparency. Do not include sensitive personal information in report text or images.

Report content — the photo, description, issue category, and general location — may also be shared publicly beyond this website, including on SolveHFX social media accounts or with news media, to raise awareness of civic issues in Halifax.

Your personal details are never part of that. Names, email addresses, and IP addresses are never published on this site, posted to social media, shared with media, or included in public data exports. If you want a report you submitted removed from public display, email support@solvehfx.ca.

9. Cookies and analytics

SolveHFX does not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. We use Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights, which collect aggregated, anonymized page and performance data without cookie-based tracking of individuals. If you sign in to an optional account, Supabase sets a cookie needed to keep you logged in.

10. How long we keep information

• Reports. Kept indefinitely as a public record of what was reported and whether it was fixed, which is central to the transparency purpose of the service.
• Contact details. Kept with the report so follow-up remains possible. Removed on request.
• IP addresses. Retained for abuse prevention and rate limiting.
• Account data. Kept until you ask us to delete the account.

11. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards, including access controls that keep contact details and IP addresses off public pages and out of public data exports. No system can guarantee absolute security. If a breach occurs that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected people and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as required by law.

12. Your rights

You can ask what personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, ask us to delete it, withdraw consent, or ask that a report be removed from public display. Email support@solvehfx.ca and we will respond within a reasonable time, normally 30 days. There is no charge. We may need to keep limited information where required by law or to resolve disputes.

13. Children's privacy

SolveHFX is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, email support@solvehfx.ca and we will delete it.

14. Accountability and complaints

SolveHFX is operated by an individual in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who is responsible for privacy questions and can be reached at support@solvehfx.ca. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Updates are posted on this page with a revised effective date. Material changes affecting how we use information already collected will be described clearly.