Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to ACB Connect, the official citizen reporting application of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Malawi ("we", "us", or "our"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that any information you share with us is handled safely, responsibly, and in accordance with our public interest mandate to prevent and investigate corruption.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use the ACB Connect mobile application ("App").

Information We Collect

a. Personal Information

We may collect the following personal information if you choose to provide it when submitting a complaint:

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Address

You may also choose to submit complaints or use chat anonymously, in which case we do not require or collect personally identifiable information.

b. Complaint and Chat Content

We collect the content of your complaints and chat messages to facilitate communication, support, and investigation of issues raised. Anonymous complaints and chats are stored without any direct identifiers.

c. Attachments

If you upload files, images, or other attachments as part of your complaint or chat, these files are stored securely and linked to your submission.

d. Device and Usage Information

We may automatically collect certain non-personal information, such as:

• App usage data (e.g., features accessed, frequency, and duration of use)
• Crash logs and diagnostic information

e. Permissions

The App may request permission to access your device's:

• Storage (for file uploads)
• Audio Recorder
• Notifications (to send updates)

All permissions are strictly for App functionality and require your explicit consent.

How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Process, investigate, and resolve complaints
• Provide and support chat functionality (anonymous or not)
• Respond to your inquiries and requests
• Improve and personalize the App experience
• Monitor and analyze usage and trends to improve our services
• Ensure App security and integrity
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on:

• Our legitimate interests in investigating and resolving complaints, ensuring security, and improving services
• Compliance with legal obligations

Sharing and Disclosure of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

We may share your information:

• With authorized staff or personnel involved in investigating and resolving complaints
• With government authorities or law enforcement if required by law, regulation, or legal process. Anonymous submissions and chats are stored without links to your identity and cannot be traced back to you.

Data Retention

We retain your information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Anonymous submissions are retained in a manner that cannot identify individual users.

Data Security

We implement reasonable physical, electronic, and administrative security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

User Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access: You may request access to your personal information, subject to applicable laws and investigation requirements.
• Correction: If you believe your personal data is inaccurate, you may request correction.
• Deletion: In most cases, data submitted to the ACB for investigation cannot be deleted, as we are required by law to retain records for audit, legal, or investigative purposes.
• Objection and Restrictions: Requests to restrict or object to processing will be reviewed in accordance with statutory duties and may not always be possible.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information below.

Children's Privacy

ACB Connect is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

Third-Party Services

The App may use third-party services (such as analytics providers or cloud storage). These services may collect information in accordance with their own privacy policies. We recommend reviewing those policies as applicable.

Cookies and Analytics

We do not use cookies for tracking in the App. If analytics services are used, only non-personal usage data is collected for the purpose of improving App performance.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted within the App and/or on our website, with the updated effective date.

Contact Us