LOCATE and your personal information

We use LOCATE to assist British nationals during a major crisis overseas. Information you provide through LOCATE is not used for any other purposes.

How we use your information

We may use the information you provide through LOCATE to:

• e-mail you with travel advice updates or other important information either in advance of a possible crisis that could affect British nationals (for example, a hurricane) or during an actual crisis in which British nationals could possibly affected
• contact you if we have reason to believe, either from your registration details or from calls from friends and family, that you may need our assistance.
  

In some circumstances we may share your information but only if it is strictly necessary. For example, we may share your information with the following if we believe that by doing so it will minimise the risk to your safety or save lives:

• your next of kin
• host country authorities who may be involved in providing assistance to British nationals in a crisis
• Wardens and Honorary Consuls overseas - volunteers who work with us to help British nationals if they need it
• the British Police (who sometimes accompany our staff when when we respond to major incidents overseas)
• a protecting power (i.e. a third country) in countries where the UK is not represented.
  

The Data Protection Act

We are bound by the Data Protection Act (DPA) Our Data Protection Charter outlines our commitment to protecting your personal information according to the data protection principles in the DPA. This means that:

• we do not share the information you provide in LOCATE with any third parties without your permission and will not make your information available for commercial use
• the information you provide is stored securely and access to our LOCATE system by our staff is strictly controlled and monitored. Our staff only access your data when they need it to assist you in a crisis. Once your registration expires, we will delete your details from the system.
  

As policy, we do not offer to share registrant data with other Government Departments and we would only do so in exceptional circumstances. However, the DPA recognises that there may be circumstances when compliance with one or more of the Act's data protection principles may prejudice other interests such as national security, crime or taxation, or disclosures required by law or made in connection with legal proceedings.

Under such circumstances, the FCO may have to share personal data with law enforcement/police, other government departments or an agency or court concerned. However, any such release would comply with the remaining data protection principles.

Register with LOCATE

Go a query? Email the LOCATE team.