Privacy

SafetyNet is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information transparently, responsibly and in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.

This Privacy Statement explains what personal information we collect, how we use and protect it, when we may share it, and
how you can access, correct or ask questions about your information.

The terms of this Privacy Statement may change from time to time.

What personal information we collect

We collect personal information only where we need it for our services, functions or legal obligations.

The types of personal information we may collect include:

• contact details such as name, email address and phone number
• information you provide through our services or when you contact us
• information required to meet our statutory or regulatory obligations.

Where appropriate, we will tell you why we are collecting your information and how we will use it.

How we collect personal information

Where possible, we collect personal information directly from you.

We may also collect information:

• when you interact with our website or services
• from third parties who are authorised to provide it
• from publicly available sources
• from service providers acting on our behalf.

When we collect information from another source, we take reasonable steps to make sure you know this where required.

How we use personal information

We use personal information for the purpose we collected it, or for a related purpose you would reasonably expect. This may include:

• delivering and improving our services
• carrying out our statutory functions
• communicating with you
• meeting legal and regulatory requirements.

We will not use your personal information for unrelated purposes unless the law allows it or you agree.

When we disclose personal information

We may share personal information where we need to carry out our functions, or where the law requires or allows it.

This may include disclosure to:

• government agencies
• service providers who support our operations
• other organisations where required under legislation.

We only share personal information where it is appropriate and lawful.

How we use third parties

If we engage third parties to process personal information on our behalf, we take reasonable steps to ensure they:

• protect information to a standard consistent with the Privacy Act
• only use information for authorised purposes
• have appropriate security safeguards in place
• notify us of any privacy breaches.

Overseas disclosure
We only disclose personal information outside New Zealand where the law allows it.

If we disclose personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

How we protect personal information

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from loss, unauthorised access, use, disclosure, modification or other misuse. This includes personal information held or processed on our behalf, such as in a cloud environment.

Retention of information

We keep personal information only for as long as it is required for business or legal purposes and securely dispose of it when no longer needed.

Cookies and digital technologies

We use cookies and similar digital technologies to operate our website, improve its performance, understand how it is used and help protect it from unauthorised activity.

We may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• ensure the website functions as intended
• improve the performance and usability of the website
• understand how visitors use our website, such as pages visited and time spent on the site
• support security and protect against unauthorised use.

Cookies used by SafetyNet do not typically identify you directly. However, in some cases, information collected through cookies may be associated with other information you provide.

Analytics and managing cookies

We use Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors use our website and to improve its performance, usability and content. Google Analytics may collect information such as pages visited, time spent on the site, browser and device information, approximate location information and interactions with website content.

Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect and process this information. Information about your use of our website may be transmitted to, and processed by, Google in accordance with its privacy policy and applicable terms.

We do not use Google Analytics to identify you personally, and we do not intentionally send information to Google Analytics that directly identifies you, such as your name, email address or phone number.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. You may also be able to limit Google Analytics tracking using tools made available by Google or through your browser or device settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality.

Privacy breaches

We take reasonable steps to reduce the risk of privacy breaches and to respond promptly if one occurs.

If a privacy breach is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Privacy Commissioner where required by law.

Rights of access and correction

You may ask to access or correct any personal information we hold about you by contacting us at [email protected]

Privacy complaints

If you have a complaint or concern about how we handle your personal information, please contact us at [email protected]

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz/tuhono-connect/contact-us/(external link)

Location Information Services privacy statement

Last updated: 05/06/2025

1. The Emergency Location Information Service (the Service) enables emergency call takers to receive automatically generated geographical information about emergency callers and provides location information for emergency response and search and rescue situations beyond the 111 system. This benefits the public by saving lives and limiting harm to individuals.
2. All parties involved in the provision of the Service respect your privacy rights and are committed to protecting these rights in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Telecommunications Information Privacy Code 2020 (TIPC).
3. This Privacy Statement provides information about the collection, use, disclosure and retention of Device Location Information (DLI) and Emergency Caller Location Information (ECLI) in accordance with Schedule 4 of the TIPC. In summary:
   1. ECLI is collected when a 111 call is made from a cellular device. ECLI may be used to enable an emergency service provider to facilitate a response to an emergency call.
   2. DLI is collected directly from a cellular device and does not require a 111 call to take place. DLI may be used to enable an emergency service provider to prevent or lessen a serious threat to the life or health of the individual concerned or another individual.
   3. The collection, use, disclosure and retention of ECLI and DLI is authorised by Schedule 4 of the TIPC.
4. Under the TIPC, ECLI and DLI may also be used to:
   1. maintain records of the information used to establish the location of an emergency caller; and
   2. help monitor and audit the operation of the Service.
5. Before collecting, using or disclosing DLI, reasonable steps are taken to ensure that the cellular device relates to the individual whose location is necessary for the purpose of responding to a serious threat. DLI may be disclosed to another location agency (as defined in the TIPC) if the agency believes on reasonable grounds that disclosure is necessary to fulfil the purpose for which DLI is collected. The Service maintains a log of all disclosures of DLI.
6. Each party involved in the operation and provision of the Service has their own retention requirements to meet their legal obligations. In most cases, ECLI and DLI will be automatically purged after a defined period of time.
7. You have the right to request access to and/or correction of your personal information directly from the applicable Emergency Service Providers at the links listed below, or from SafetyNet Critical Communications Limited (SafetyNet) who oversees the provision of the Service:
   1. NZ Police(external link)
   2. Fire and Emergency New Zealand(external link)
   3. Hato Hone St John(external link)
   4. Wellington Free Ambulance(external link)
   5. Maritime NZ(external link)
      
      
8. Any access and/or correction requests will be dealt with in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. Should you make an access and/or correction request to SafetyNet, it may be appropriate for SafetyNet to transfer the access and/or correction request to another agency.
9. If you have any questions, concerns or complaints regarding the collection and use of DLI and/or ECLI, or the Service in general, please contact the applicable Emergency Service Provider listed above, your mobile network operator, or SafetyNet. Should you make an enquiry to SafetyNet, it may be appropriate for SafetyNet to refer the enquiry to another agency.
10. You can also make a complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner(external link) if you are unsatisfied with any response you receive.