Last updated: 18 May 2026
Germwatch is a public‑health intelligence project designed to help communities understand patterns of infectious illness. We take your privacy seriously. This notice explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the steps we take to protect your anonymity.
1. About Germwatch
Germwatch is operated by Premedical School Ltd, a UK‑registered company.
It is an anonymous symptom‑reporting platform that produces aggregated infection trends and heatmaps. It operates solely for public‑health and research purposes.Germwatch does not provide medical diagnosis or personalised clinical advice. If you are unwell or concerned about your symptoms, please seek medical help.
2. What Information We Collect
Germwatch collects only the minimum information required for population‑level surveillance.
2.1 Information you provide
- Symptoms you select
- Date of your report
- Approximate location (e.g., town, region, or fuzzed coordinates)
- Optional free‑text notes (automatically sanitised to remove personal identifiers)
2.2 Information we do not collect
Germwatch does not ask for or store:
- Your name
- Your address
- Email or phone number
- NHS number
- Exact GPS location
- Device identifiers
- Advertising or tracking cookies
- Any information that directly identifies you
Standard server logs (e.g., IP address) may be processed for security and abuse‑prevention purposes but are not linked to symptom reports.
3. How Your Data Is Used
Your anonymised data is used to:
- Update the public infection heatmap
- Monitor trends in symptoms and illness
- Support early detection of outbreaks
- Inform public‑health research and planning
- Improve the Germwatch service
Your data is never used for marketing, advertising, profiling, or sold to third parties.
4. Location Privacy
Protecting your location is a core design principle. Germwatch uses:
- Fuzzed coordinates (rounded or offset before storage)
- Regional aggregation (no individual points shown on the map)
- Minimum necessary precision
We never display or store exact locations.
5. Red‑Flag Symptoms and Safety
If you report symptoms that may indicate a medical emergency, Germwatch will:
- Display an urgent safety message
- Provide guidance on seeking appropriate care
- Not log the report as an infectious illness
- Not include the report in the heatmap or dataset
6. Legal Basis for Processing
Premedical School Ltd processes anonymous data under:
- Legitimate Interests (public‑health monitoring and research)
- Scientific and Statistical Research
- Public Task, where applicable in collaboration with public‑health bodies
Because Germwatch does not store identifiable data, many individual data‑protection rights (such as access or deletion of specific reports) cannot be applied.
7. Data Retention and Deletion
Germwatch stores no personal data and no information that can identify you.
Anonymous symptom reports are retained indefinitely because long‑term data is essential for tracking seasonal patterns and supporting public‑health research.
You may request deletion of any associated technical data (such as security‑related logs), and we will remove all information that can reasonably be identified within 30 days.
8. Sharing Your Data
Germwatch may share aggregated, anonymised data with:
- Public‑health bodies
- Academic researchers
- Local authorities
- NHS partners
- International health organisations
We do not share raw, individual‑level reports.
9. Security Measures
We use industry‑standard security practices, including:
- Encrypted connections
- Secure UK/EU‑based servers
- Strict access controls
- Regular privacy and security reviews
10. Children and Young People
Germwatch is suitable for people aged 13 and over.
11. Your Rights
Because Germwatch does not store identifiable information, we cannot retrieve, delete, or provide copies of individual reports.
You have the right to understand what we collect, how we use it, and to decline to submit a report.
12. Cookies
Germwatch does not use cookies for tracking or advertising.
Essential technical cookies may be used only for security or load‑balancing.13. Sub‑Processors
Premedical School Ltd may use trusted UK/EU‑based service providers for:
- Hosting
- Security
- Data processing
These providers cannot access or reconstruct identifiable data.
Contact Us
Germwatch is operated by:
Pre Medical School Ltd
Company Number: 12828996
Registered in: United Kingdom
Email (general enquiries): contactus@premedicalschool.co.uk
Email (privacy enquiries): contact@germwatch.co.ukHosting Location: Germany (EU/EEA)
Our servers are located in Germany to ensure secure, GDPR‑compliant data processing.If you have questions about this privacy notice or how we handle data, please contact us using the details above.