Privacy Policy

Overview

Missing Persons Network ("we", "us", or "our") operates https://www.missingpersonsnetwork.org (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices available to you.

Our mission is to help locate missing persons across the United States by maintaining a publicly accessible database of active missing persons cases. We take the privacy of both site visitors and the individuals whose cases appear on our platform seriously.

Information Sources & Case Data

All missing persons cases published on this Site are sourced exclusively from official United States law enforcement agencies, including:

• Police departments — municipal and city police forces across the United States
• Sheriff's offices — county sheriff departments and their official missing persons reports
• State law enforcement agencies — state police and highway patrol bureaus
• Federal sources — the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC)

Information included in case listings

Case records published on this Site may include the following details, all of which are drawn directly from official law enforcement reports:

• Full name, age, sex, and physical description of the missing person
• Last known location (city, state, address)
• Date and circumstances of disappearance
• Photographs provided by or approved by the reporting law enforcement agency
• Case reference numbers (police reference, NCMEC number)
• Contact information for the relevant law enforcement agency or family liaison

Case removal & updates

When a missing person is located — whether found safe, deceased, or otherwise resolved — we aim to update or remove the relevant case record promptly. If you are a law enforcement officer, family member of a listed individual, or legal representative and wish to request a correction or removal, please contact us directly.

Data We Collect From Visitors

This is a public-facing, read-only directory. We do not require visitors to register, log in, or submit any personal information to browse case listings.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, our web server may automatically log standard technical information, including:

• Your IP address (used for server security and fraud prevention only)
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• The page you visited and the time of your visit
• The referring URL (the page you came from, if any)

This server log data is retained for a maximum of 30 days for security purposes and is not used for profiling or marketing.

Information you provide voluntarily

If you contact us by email or through any contact form, we will retain your name, email address, and the content of your message in order to respond to your enquiry. We do not add you to any mailing list without your explicit consent.

Cookies

We use a minimal set of cookies. No cookies are placed on your device without your knowledge, and analytics cookies are only set after you explicitly accept them via the cookie banner.

You can change your cookie preference at any time by clicking Cookie Preferences in the footer of any page. Withdrawing consent will prevent any further analytics data from being collected on subsequent page views, though it does not delete data already collected prior to withdrawal.

Google Analytics

With your consent, we use Google Analytics 4 (operated by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA) to collect anonymous information about how visitors use the Site.

What Google Analytics collects

• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• How you arrived at the Site (search engine, direct link, social media etc.)
• General geographic location (country and region — not precise location)
• Device type, browser, and operating system
• Whether this is your first visit or a return visit

How we use this data

Analytics data is used solely to understand which pages are most visited, how people find the Site, and how we can improve the user experience. We do not use analytics data to identify individuals, build profiles, or target advertising.

Google's data processing

When analytics are enabled, data is transmitted to and stored on Google's servers, which may be located in the United States or other countries. Google processes this data as a data processor on our behalf. For more information on how Google handles data, see:

• Google Privacy Policy
• Google Analytics data safeguarding
• Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on

Your choices

You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting data about your visit by:

• Clicking Reject on our cookie banner
• Updating your preference via Cookie Preferences in the footer
• Installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on

Data Sharing & Third Parties

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party. We do not display advertising on this Site, and no advertiser or data broker receives information about your visit.

Third-party services we use

Legal disclosures

We may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or government authority, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of any person or to prevent illegal activity.

Data Retention

• Server logs — retained for a maximum of 30 days, then automatically deleted
• Contact enquiries — retained for as long as necessary to respond and resolve the enquiry, then deleted
• Google Analytics data — retained for 14 months within Google Analytics, as per our configuration. You can request deletion via the Google Analytics opt-out tools.
• Cookie consent preference — stored in your browser's local storage for up to 1 year, or until you clear your browser data
• Case records — retained for as long as the case is active. Records are updated or removed when a case is resolved, upon request from the relevant law enforcement agency, or upon verified request from a legal representative

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

• Right of access — to request a copy of any personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — to request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure — to request deletion of your personal data where we have no legitimate basis to retain it
• Right to object — to object to processing based on our legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent — you can withdraw your cookie consent at any time via the Cookie Preferences link in the footer

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in the Contact Us section. We will respond within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

This Site is intended for a general adult audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Please note that this Site does publish case information about missing children. Such information is sourced exclusively from official law enforcement reports and is published in the public interest to assist in locating those children. The publication of this information is covered under public interest exemptions and is consistent with NCMEC guidelines.

Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the Site and any data held on it, including:

• HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
• Password hashing using bcrypt with a minimum cost factor of 12 for all admin accounts
• Access controls limiting admin functionality to authenticated staff only
• Restrictions preventing execution of scripts in the file upload directory

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the Site following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or want to request a case correction or removal, please contact us:

For urgent matters relating to a missing person, please contact your local law enforcement agency or call the NCMEC 24-hour hotline: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).