Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective date: 14 September 2026 • Last reviewed: 14 September 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Fishplate collects and uses personal data when you use our website, mobile applications and services.

On this page
Who we are What we collect Why we use it Legal bases Cookies Sharing International transfers Retention Your rights Third-party services Children Changes Contact

1) Who we are (controller)

SVRZ Ltd
Company number: 12714356
Email: system@fishplatedb.com

2) What we collect

Account data

  • Email address and account details you provide
  • Password (stored as a secure hash, never in plain text)

Your activity and contributions

  • Metadata edits, confirmations, comments, and other contributions you submit
  • Profile information you choose to add
  • Train sightings, including the location, date, time, stock number, headcode and notes you enter
  • Train photographs you choose to take or select and upload with a sighting

Technical & security data

  • IP address, browser/device information, timestamps, pages requested
  • Security logs used for abuse prevention, rate limiting, debugging, and keeping the Service reliable
  • Mobile authentication tokens stored securely on your device and as a secure hash on our servers

Analytics data (only if you accept analytics cookies)

  • Page views and navigation
  • Approximate location (derived from IP)
  • Device/browser type
  • Interactions/events within the site

3) Why we use your data

  • Provide and operate Fishplate (including login sessions and core functionality)
  • Display your contributions and run community features
  • Analyse uploaded train photographs to identify relevant operators, stock, locations and headcodes
  • Secure the Service and prevent abuse
  • Diagnose issues and improve performance
  • Understand usage trends and improve the Service (analytics only if enabled)
  • Contact you about important service or security matters

4) Legal bases

  • Contract: to provide the Service you request (e.g., account access)
  • Legitimate interests: to secure and maintain the Service (e.g., preventing abuse, troubleshooting)
  • Consent: for non-essential cookies and analytics (Google Analytics is only enabled if you accept)

5) Cookies

Essential session cookie (always on)

  • Purpose: keeps you logged in and maintains your session
  • Duration: expires at the end of your browsing session

Google Analytics cookies (optional)

  • Purpose: helps us understand how Fishplate is used so we can improve it
  • Set only if: you click Accept analytics
  • If you reject analytics: analytics cookies are not set and Google Analytics is not loaded
  • Change your choice: clear site data in your browser (or use any cookie settings link we provide)

6) Who we share data with

We may share data with service providers that help us run Fishplate (for example hosting, email delivery, error logging/monitoring).

Uploaded sighting photographs may be processed by Digitals, an internal image-analysis service operated by the same company as Fishplate, SVRZ Ltd. This processing is used only to identify railway information in the photograph and support the sighting you submitted.

If you accept analytics cookies, analytics data may also be processed by Google as part of Google Analytics.

7) International transfers

Some providers (including Google, if enabled) may process data outside the UK. Where that happens, we use appropriate safeguards designed to protect personal data.

8) How long we keep your data

We keep personal data only for as long as needed for the purposes described above. Typical retention includes:

  • Account data: while your account is active; after account deletion, copies may remain temporarily in backups or security logs
  • Contributions: active records directly owned by your account are deleted with it, but copies may remain temporarily in backups/logs and non-identifying aggregated or derived information may remain
  • Uploaded sighting photographs: retained with the sighting until you delete it or delete your account, subject to temporary backup copies
  • Security logs: kept for a limited period for security and troubleshooting

9) Your rights

You may have rights to access your personal data, correct inaccurate data, request deletion, object to or restrict certain processing, and withdraw consent (for analytics cookies).

To make a request, contact system@fishplatedb.com. You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

10) Third-party services (e.g., YouTube)

Fishplate may link to or embed third-party content (such as YouTube videos). If you interact with those services, their own privacy policies and cookies apply. We do not control third-party practices.

11) Children

Fishplate is not intended for children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal data, contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

12) Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last reviewed” date above shows when it was last updated.

13) Contact

Email: system@fishplatedb.com

© Fishplate · SVRZ Ltd · 12714356