Child-friendly privacy notice
Note, this is the child-friendly summary of (and not a substitute for) the adult version of our privacy notice. It has been written so that most children aged 13 and over can understand it.
This page is about how the Met uses and looks after the information we've got about you. We also explain your rights about the information we hold about you.
What is personal data?
Personal data is information about you that can help someone know who you are.
This is the kind of information the MPS might hold about you.For example, it could be:
- your name
- a picture or video of you
- your phone number or email address
- your social media username
Information we must be extra careful with
Some information about you is very private, so we must take extra care of it. This includes things like your religion or what you believe in, how you describe your background, your health, or your fingerprints.
Why do we use your personal data?
The Met uses your personal data so we can understand who you are and help keep you safe.
We may use your personal data to:
- help you if you need support
- protect you or others from harm
- look into crimes and help stop them happening again
We only use your personal data:
- when we are allowed to by law, and
- when it is really needed to do our job properly.
We do not use your personal data more than we have to, and we always have to follow strict rules to protect you. We do not make important decisions about you using computers alone without people checking them.
Whose personal data do we handle?
We may use your personal data in certain situations, for example if you are:
- someone who has been hurt or affected by a crime (a victim)
- someone who has seen or heard something important (a witness)
- someone we are looking into as part of an investigation
- someone who contacts us to ask a question or make a complaint
How do we get and use personal data?
We collect and use personal data in different ways, including:
- when you talk to us on the phone, like calling 999 or 101
- when you send us emails, messages, or forms online
- in written case files (records of situations the police are looking into)
- from cameras, such as CCTV or body worn cameras
We also read comments left on the Met's official social media pages (such as X/Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube) to understand what people think and how we can improve.
We only use this information to help us do our job and follow the rules.
Can we use your personal data for anything?
No. Just because the Met has your personal information does not mean we can use it however we want. We must follow strict rules.
Sometimes we need to ask your permission before using your information. If you say “No”, we will respect that.
Most of the time, however, we use personal data because we need to do our police work. In these situations, the law says we can use your information without asking first, but only when it is really needed.
If you contact the Met, for example by phone, email, letter, or through our website, we may look at that contact to:
- understand what you need
- make sure we handle things properly
- help keep people safe
We only share your personal data:
- if you say it’s OK, or
- if sharing it will help protect you or others from harm, or
- if the law says we must.
For example, we may share your information with other police forces, courts, social services, or other emergency services. We never share your information without a good reason, and we always have to protect it, we use secure systems, trained staff, and strict rules to keep your information safe.
How long do we keep your data?
We only keep your personal data for as long as we really need it to do our police work and keep people safe. Some information we keep for a short time, and some for longer depending on the situation, for example, serious investigations may be kept for longer. There are strict rules that tell us when we must delete it. We always make sure we follow those rules.
If you or a parent or carer want more detail, you can read the adult version of our privacy notice, which explains this in more depth.
What can you do about the data we hold on you?
The law gives you rights over your personal information. This means you can:
- ask us questions about what information we collect about you and why we use it
- ask to see a copy of the information we have about you
- ask us to fix it if you think something is wrong
- ask us to delete it if the law says we do not need to keep it
- ask us to stop using it, for example if you think we don’t need it
It is always OK to ask us about your information.
How to contact us about your personal data (and if you are worried or unhappy)
If you would like to use any of your information rights, or if you are worried or unhappy about how we use your information, you can contact us in any of these ways:
- Email: MPS Data Rights team
- Write to us:
MPS Data Rights
PO Box 313
Sidcup
DA15 0HH - Visit any police station and ask in person
If you contact us to use your information rights, it can help to have a parent, carer, or another trusted adult with you, because we may need to check your identity. Once you make a rights request, the law says we must reply within one month.
If you contact us to share a worry about how we use your information, you can also ask a parent, carer, or another trusted adult to help you explain what has happened. We will listen and try to put things right.
If you are still not happy, you can also talk to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) - They make sure organisations follow the law.
Last updated 21 August 2026.