Draft / October 2026
Privacy policy.
Who we are
Kerbside is a UK app for car spotters and collectors. In this policy, "we" means Kerbside, the data controller for the information described here. Our full contact details will be published here before launch.
The short version
- Your collection, spots, photos and plates are private to you.
- We never keep a record of who looked up which number plate.
- Locations are saved only if you give permission, and are never shown to anyone else.
- Location details are removed from every photo you upload.
- Deleting a photo, a spot or your account deletes the stored files as well.
- We do not sell your personal information.
What we collect and why
| Information | Why we use it | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Account details: an identifier from your sign-in provider (Apple, Google or email) and your email address | To create your account and let you sign in | Contract |
| Your spots: when you saw a car, notes, and the details you record about each car | To build and show your collection | Contract |
| Number plates you enter | To recognise the same car if you spot it again, and to look up its make, model and recent mileage | Contract |
| Photos you upload | To show them in your collection | Contract |
| The location of a spot, only if you allow it | To show your spots on your own map | Consent |
| Your spots, in anonymous area totals, only if you allow it | To produce statistics about where cars are spotted (see below) | Consent |
| Daily usage counts, such as photo uploads and plate lookups | To keep the service fair and within the limits of the data sources we rely on | Legitimate interests |
| Your consent choices and when you made them | To prove what you agreed to | Legal obligation |
Number plate lookups
When you look up a plate, we ask the DVSA MOT History service for that vehicle's make, model, colour, fuel type, year and recent odometer readings. We keep only what Kerbside needs: the vehicle details and the latest two mileage readings. We drop MOT test results, defects, advisories and recall information as soon as they arrive.
We keep a short-lived copy of each lookup, by plate, so the same plate is not requested again and again. That copy holds no information about who asked for it. Mileage is shown only to the person who looked the plate up.
Location
Kerbside works fully without location. If you turn location on, each spot records where it happened so you can see it on your own map. Nobody else can see your locations. You can turn location off at any time; spots you save afterwards will not have one.
If you separately choose to contribute to area statistics, your spots may be counted in totals for a region or local authority area. These totals never include exact locations, plates or times, and any area with too few contributors is left out so that nobody can be singled out. The figures describe where cars are spotted by our users, not where cars are kept. You can withdraw at any time, and your spots will be left out of future statistics.
Photos
We remove GPS and other location details from every photo before storing it. Your photos are visible only to you, through links that expire after a short time.
Who else handles your information
We use carefully chosen service providers who process information only on our instructions:
- Amazon Web Services, which hosts the app, its database and stored photos in London.
- Bunny.net, which delivers your photos to your device.
- Apple and Google, if you use them to sign in.
- DVSA, which receives the plates you look up, but not who you are.
If the free version of the app shows adverts, we will name the advertising provider here and explain your choices before launch.
How long we keep information
We keep your account and collection until you delete them. When you delete a photo, a spot or your account, the information and stored files are removed. Copies in our backups are overwritten within a short period. Cached plate lookups expire automatically, and plates that are not found are kept for one day only.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you can ask to see, correct, export or delete your information, object to how we use it, or withdraw consent at any time. You can export your data and delete your account from within the app. If you are unhappy with how we handle your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
Children
Our policy on the minimum age for using Kerbside will be confirmed here before launch.
Changes to this policy
If we make important changes, we will tell you in the app before they take effect.