Privacy & Security

Every page on Swindon Together is served over HTTPS, which encrypts the connection between your browser and the website. This means that when you submit a form, log in, or upload a photo, the data is encrypted in transit and cannot be read by someone intercepting the network connection.

If you ever see a browser warning saying "Not encrypted" or "Not secure", it may mean:

• You typed an http:// address instead of https://. Always use https://swindon-together.co.uk.
• A specific resource (an image, script, or font) failed to load over HTTPS. If you see this, please contact us so we can fix it.
• Your browser is warning about a third-party element (such as the Google Translate widget) that loads from an external service.

HTTP requests are automatically redirected to HTTPS by the hosting platform.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) can provide additional network privacy by encrypting your internet connection and masking your IP address from the websites and services you visit. However, a VPN does not make you completely invisible online.

Even when using a VPN, the website can still receive:

• The VPN server's IP address (instead of your real one)
• Browser and device type (user agent string)
• Information you voluntarily enter into forms, reports, or messages
• Authentication cookies if you are logged in

We do not use the term "anonymous" to describe VPN users. A VPN improves privacy but does not provide total anonymity.

We do not attempt to detect, defeat, or interfere with VPNs.

When you visit Swindon Together, the following information is received by the platform to operate the site:

We do not sell or share your data with third parties for advertising purposes.

Photo metadata (EXIF)

When you take or upload a photo through Snap & Map, the platform automatically strips EXIF metadata — including any GPS coordinates your camera may have embedded — before the image is stored or displayed. This is done by re-encoding the image, which removes all embedded metadata.

Location

Snap & Map may request your GPS location to help place your report on the map. This is optional — you can decline the location permission and set the location manually by searching for an address or dragging the pin on the map.

If you do share your GPS location:

• Precise coordinates are stored securely and only visible to administrators.
• Other residents see a generalised area, not your exact spot or home address.
• You can use an approximate location or describe the location in words instead.

What accompanies your report

A Snap & Map report includes: the photo (with metadata removed), the title and description you write, the category, the location you set, and your display name (unless you choose to submit anonymously where supported). Please consider what is visible in the photo before submitting — avoid including children, private documents, or anything that could identify a private individual.

The AI assistant is built directly into the Swindon Together website. When you ask a question:

• The text of your question is sent to the AI to generate a response.
• Relevant community data (events, organisations, businesses) from the platform is included as context so the AI can give specific answers.
• For questions about external information (e.g. council services), the AI may use web search to find current, accurate answers.
• Your questions are not permanently stored or shared with other users.

AI responses are suggestions only and may not always be accurate. Do not rely on AI for emergency assistance — call 999 in an emergency.

Swindon Together is a website, not a native App Store or Google Play app. However, you can install it as a web app / shortcut on supported devices:

• iPhone / iPad (Safari): Open swindon-together.co.uk → tap the Share button → "Add to Home Screen".
• Android (Chrome): Open the site → tap the menu (⋮) → "Install app" or "Add to Home screen".
• Desktop (Chrome / Edge): Click the install icon (⊕) in the address bar, or use the browser menu → "Install Swindon Together".

This creates an icon on your device that opens Swindon Together directly — it is still the website, not a downloaded native app.

The hosting platform provides the following protections:

• HTTPS encryption on all pages, with automatic HTTP → HTTPS redirects
• Frame embedding protection (prevents other sites from embedding Swindon Together in a frame)
• Browser feature restrictions (limits which device capabilities pages can access)
• Secure authentication with encrypted session tokens

Some advanced security headers (such as Content-Security-Policy and HSTS) are managed at the platform level and are not configurable per-app. The platform applies these where appropriate.

• Avoid submitting unnecessary personal information (such as your full address, date of birth, or medical details) in public reports or posts.
• Consider what is visible in photos before uploading — avoid children, private documents, and anything that could identify a private individual.
• Use a strong, unique password for your account.
• Log out when using a shared or public device.
• If you see content that concerns you, use the report/safety features or contact us.
• For emergencies, call 999. Swindon Together is not an emergency service.