🔒 Privacy Policy
Last Updated: December 10, 2025
This Privacy Policy explains how Youth Voices KE (“we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, shares, and protects information submitted through the Platform. By using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to this Policy. Youth Voices KE is committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the Kenyan Data Protection Act, 2019.
1. Definitions
For the purposes of this Policy:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Community Voting | The Platform’s public evaluation process for selecting submissions. |
| Community Engagement & Volunteering | Refers to optional civic engagement activities facilitated by Youth Voices KE, including participation in WhatsApp groups, volunteering initiatives, discussions, and related youth engagement programs that require the processing of personal contact information. |
| Content | Means all user-generated solutions that may be in the form of text, images, data, or material. |
| Personal Identifier | Means any personal data that identifies a user, including the user’s name and contact information. Personal identification is entirely optional. That is why it must not be included in the submission and should be provided only on a voluntary basis in the Platform section. We may request identity verification under and for the purposes of Term 3.2 of the Terms of Use and Submission. |
| Platform | Means the Youth Voices KE website, mobile interface, and related digital services. |
| Policy Challenge | Means any topic, question, or issue posted by Youth Voices KE that invites youth solutions. |
| Stakeholders | Means government bodies, civil society, development partners, donors, or institutions that contribute to and/or receive policy briefs or insights. |
| Submission | Means any non-identifying idea, proposal, comment, response, or content submitted through the Platform. A submission must not contain any personal identifier that can identify a user. |
| User | Means any person who accesses or interacts with the Platform. |
2. Information We Collect
2.1. Submission Information
We collect non-identifying Policy Solution text in the challenge area.
2.2. Personal Identifiers
We collect Optional contact details you voluntarily provide. We may request identity verification where necessary, including when— recognition, prizes, or awards are involved; and follow-up engagement requires confirmation of identity.
Where a User voluntarily opts into Community Engagement & Volunteering activities, we may collect and process:
- phone number;
- name or alias used in community platforms;
- participation metadata related to engagement or volunteering activities.
This information is collected only upon explicit consent and is not required to use the core Platform features.
2.3 Voting Information
We record your votes to ensure integrity, typically linking votes to an anonymous session ID or a non-identifying user hash.
2.4. Technical Information
We collect standard technical and security logs, including: IP address, Browser type and device information, cookies, Access timestamps and Security/event logs used to detect or prevent misuse for security and site maintenance.
3. How We Use Your Information
3.1 Policy Development: Your Submission content is used to evaluate ideas, develop policy briefs and present solutions to stakeholders.
3.2 Transparency: Policy briefs published to stakeholders will acknowledge the source of the idea (e.g., "From Youth Solutions Platform"), but will not publicly disclose your optional contact information unless you grant explicit, separate written permission where applicable.
3.3 Communication: If you choose to provide contact information, we may use it only to seek clarification on submissions.
3.4. Security & Maintenance: Technical data helps us to secure the Platform, prevent abuse, fraud, and vote manipulation and troubleshoot operational issues. Personal data collected for Community Engagement & Volunteering is used solely to: facilitate participation in WhatsApp or similar community forums; coordinate volunteering opportunities; share civic engagement updates relevant to Youth Voices KE initiatives; and ensure community safety and moderation.
4. Consent for Community Engagement
Participation in Community Engagement & Volunteering activities requires explicit consent, which is obtained through a clear consent statement prior to joining.
Consent is: freely given; specific to community engagement purposes; revocable at any time by contacting info@youthvoiceske.org.
Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to withdrawal.
5. No Emergency Reporting
6. Sharing of Information and Disclosure
We do not sell personal data. Your submission ideas (not your personal identifiers) may be shared with:
- Stakeholders: (only the content of the policy brief, not your personal contact details).
- Research Partners: Think tanks and academic partners for validation and analysis (under strict non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements regarding personal identifiers where they are involved).
- Service Providers: Third-party technical providers (e.g., Supabase) help us host, store, or secure data. They may only process data under strict confidentiality and for the purposes we specify.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, by court order, or to comply with lawful requests from enforcement or regulatory agencies. We will always evaluate such requests for legality and proportionality.
Personal identifiers (if provided) are never shared without your explicit written consent.
7. Third-Party Services
The Platform may rely on third-party hosting, analytics, identity tools, or links. These third parties process data under their own privacy policies. Youth Voices KE is not responsible for their practices.
Where community engagement occurs on third-party platforms such as WhatsApp, Users acknowledge that personal data will also be processed by those platforms under their own privacy policies. Youth Voices KE does not control and is not responsible for third-party data practices.
8. Data Retention & Security
8.1. Retention
Non-identifying Submissions and resulting policy briefs may be retained indefinitely in a public policy archive for historical research and public interest purposes, in accordance with the Data Protection Act's provisions on processing for archiving in the public interest.
Technical logs (IP, security events) are retained for approximately 90 days.
Optional contact information is retained only as long as necessary for communication or verification.
Community engagement contact data is retained only for as long as the User remains an active participant or until consent is withdrawn.
8.2. Security Measures
We use industry-standard security measures, including HTTPS and secure database configuration (Supabase), to protect the data under our control.
While we take reasonable steps to protect data, no system is completely secure.
You acknowledge that submissions and votes are provided at your own risk, that unauthorised access may occur despite reasonable security measures, and that Youth Voices KE is not liable for security breaches beyond our reasonable control.
If required by law, we will notify affected users and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
Users must ensure that submitted information is accurate and up to date.
9. Platform Availability
The Platform may be unavailable due to maintenance or outages. We do not guarantee uninterrupted service.
10. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and analytics tools for, among other things, session management, performance optimisation, fraud prevention, and usage analysis.
Users may disable cookies, though some features may not work.
11. Surveys, Rewards & Recognition
Participation in recognition or reward programs is voluntary and not guaranteed. We will request consent before publicly attributing personal information.
12. Your Rights Under Kenyan Law
Under the Data Protection Act 2019, you may request:
- access to your personal data;
- correction of inaccurate data; and
- deletion of optional personal information.
Submit rights requests to: info@youthvoiceske.org
Users may withdraw consent for community engagement processing at any time without affecting access to other Platform features.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Continued use of the Platform indicates acceptance of any revised policy.
14. Contact
For questions about privacy or your data rights, contact:
info@youthvoiceske.org