TfL Go

TfL Go is a travel app created by us to help Londoners better plan easy, accessible journeys on public transport and to help customers avoid the busiest times.

In July 2021 an update resulted in information being added to the app to provide customers with near real-time information on how busy London Underground stations are throughout the day. This uses aggregated and depersonalised data from TfL's Wi-Fi network. Please see our Wi-Fi data collection privacy notice to find out how and why TfL collects Wi-Fi connection data from mobile devices.

Personal information we process

If you use TfL Go and have given us permission, we will access your location data (e.g. latitude and longitude) to deliver some of the app features. The location data is provided by Apple's Location Services or Google's Location Services (depending on your device's operating system). For more information visit Apple's page on Location Services & Privacy and Google's page on how it uses location information.

If you use the TfL Journey Planner in this app, we will collect the "from" and "to" location (latitude and longitude) in your searches, including your current location if planning a journey from there. We also collect any journey planning preferences you select (e.g. 'step-free' mode, choice of transport, fewest changes or least walking, time of arrival or departure).

Where you have given permission, the app displays your previous search history under both the 'where to' function and the journey planner. You can change your permission at any point in the app settings. You can also select an option to clear this below any search history displayed or swipe left on individual queries to clear. Your full history can also be cleared within the app settings.

If you use the 'Bus Stops Near You' feature in this app, we will collect the latitude and longitude of your current location.

You can also request to display a widget on your device's home or lock screen, to show the status of lines. This is set by you on your device, not from within the app, and TfL do not maintain a record of widgets set by you.

In August 2022 a new feature was added to TfL Go. In the 'Where to?' search feature you can see content related to 'promoted places'. This is not targeted to you as an individual, instead all app users see the same content. The content may include links to plan a journey to a given place from your current location and tell you how far away you are, but this will only work if you have allowed TfL Go to access your location. Content may also include links to external websites for which we hold no responsibility. You should check the relevant third-party website for more information and to access their privacy statement.

The 'Journey planning', 'Bus Stops Near You', widgets and promoted places features described above are delivered via API calls. In addition, the app makes other API calls when various actions are taken by you - such as searching for stations, displaying crowding information and line status updates, sharing details about our stations, etc.

An API call involves a data exchange between your device and TfL's data systems, and results in collection of data. Data collected includes details of the request (e.g. latitude, longitude and preferences noted above, where applicable) and some data about the device making the request - including the device type and provider, IP address and country associated with the IP address. We collect this information to provide information to you and respond to your actions in the app, but all API calls must be security assessed also. TfL use tools to protect and monitor the security of our external connections (including API calls).

If you have given consent, we will use analytics (a similar technology to cookies) to capture information about your use of the app (we call this "usage data"), including:

• Device type, model and Operating system
• Details of accessibility settings used on a device (e.g. whether screen readers, reduced motion, or voice control, etc, is active)
• Unique ID - pseudonymised from the device ID / MAC address, but providing the ability to track usage on a specific device over time
• Session information - number (count of visits), duration, time/date, location (mapped to a region, for example, London Borough)
• When and where accessed (this is based on IP address and is not taken from device GPS data)
• Screens viewed and interaction on screens, for example, zooming and panning on the map
• App interaction - including stations tapped on and stations entered into the 'to' and 'from' fields in Journey Planner, interaction with 'promoted places' (including links clicked on and journeys planned)
• Behaviour flows (journeys through the app - for example, where someone exits)
• Number and type of widgets installed
• App crashes

We do not use this usage data to identify you, but it provides us with the ability to see usage on a specific device over time.

If you email us from the feedback section in this app, we will receive and process your emails.

Legal basis for using your information

Under data protection legislation, TfL is only allowed to use personal information if we have a proper reason or 'legal basis' to do so. In the case of TfL Go, there are a number of these legal grounds we rely on, which are:

• We process your location, preference and device data and feedback emails to perform tasks in support of our statutory functions:
  
  - To undertake activities to promote and encourage safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport facilities and services, and to deliver the Mayor's Transport Strategy
  - To provide you with control over the use of your location data, we ask for your permission to access your location data when the app is first launched. If you haven't given your permission, we will ask again when you try to use a feature that requires access to your location data, such as tapping a station on the map and planning a journey. You can change your permission for this app via Location Services in your device settings at any time. Some users can also control the accuracy level of location data TfL Go is allowed to use. iOS users (iOS 14 and 14+) can do so by managing their preference for Precise Location when we ask for their permission to access location data and in their device settings. Android users can do so by managing their preference for Location Accuracy (Android 9 and 9+) or Mode (Android 8) in their device settings
   
• We process your usage data based on consent. We ask for your consent to share your usage data with us when the app is first launched and you can withdraw or change your consent in the app settings at any time

If you are under 13, we ask you to get your parents or guardians to decide whether to give us consent to process your personal data. Your use of the app is also subject to Apple or Google's rules and policies (including age requirements). If there is anything you don't understand or aren't sure about in this notice or in Apple or Google's rules and policies, talk to a trusted adult (such as your parent or guardian) and ask them to help.

Obtaining and using your information

If you allow TfL Go to access your location data, we will use it to provide you with location-based features, such as to:

• Show you where you are on the Tube map
• Show you where you are and walking directions on the geographic map
• Make it easier for you to use the Journey Planner. For example, we will use your current location as the "from" location and you can tap on a station to get the best routes from your current location
• Show you bus stops nearby. For example, you can tap on 'Bus Stops Near You' on the home screen to show a list and map of bus stops near your current location. If you tap on a bus stop, it will show you the full stop view with all buses and where you are on the geographic map. 

If you choose not to allow TfL Go to access your location data, you are still able to use the app but you won't see where you are on the maps and bus stops nearby. You will also need to enter your "from" and "to" location manually when using the Journey Planner.

If you turn off Precise Location in the iOS app, turn off Location Accuracy or select Mode options other than High Accuracy in the Android app, you can still use these features but it may impact the accuracy of location data.

If you use the Journey Planner in this app, we will collect your "from" and "to" location in your searches and any preferences you submit to process your search requests. If you use the 'Bus Stops Near You' feature in this app, we will collect the latitude and longitude of your current location.

If you give consent to share your usage data with us, we will use your usage data to help us understand how this app is used and measure its performance. For example, to find out the most useful sections, spot bugs and identify things we can improve.

If you email us from the feedback section in this app, we will use your email to fix problems you reported and reply to your communications. We will also use your feedback to identify areas for improvement.

Length of time we keep your information

TfL will retain personal information in line with its data retention policies. This means that we will not hold information for longer than is necessary for the purposes we obtained it for.

• Your most recent location data is held in your device's memory by the app for a very short period of time for you to use location-based features.
• Your usage data is kept for 3 years. You can withdraw your consent to process this within the app settings. Once consent is withdrawn, we will no longer collect this data. 
• Your feedback emails are kept for 3 years.

Keeping your information secure

We take the privacy of our customers very seriously, and a range of robust policies, processes and technical measures are in place to control and safeguard access to, and use of, your personal information.

Anyone with access to personal information held in TfL's systems is required to complete TfL's privacy and data protection training on an annual basis.

We also publish guidance on the steps you can also take to protect your personal information.

Sharing of your information

We share information only in limited circumstances.

If you use the Journey Planner in this app, we will share the latitude and longitude for the "from" and "to" location in your searches, and any preferences submitted, with our Journey Planner engine provider to process your search requests, this is required for the engine to return accurate directions.

If you give consent to share your usage data with us, we will use analytics to collect your usage data to understand how the app is used and measure its performance. Your usage data will be processed on our analytics service provider's platform.

We use the Google Places API in TfL Go to provide predictions for the search terms you enter into the Journey Planner and your search terms will be passed to Google with a session token ID. The session token ID is a random string which is only linked to one complete search and is not reused if you use the same device to carry out a new search. Google collect your search terms and may use this data to provide and improve Google products and services. For more information about how Google handles your personal information, please see Google's privacy policy.

In some circumstances we may disclose personal information in response to valid requests from the police. Before any such disclosure takes place, the police are required to demonstrate that the personal information concerned will assist them in the prevention or detection of a specific crime, or in the apprehension or prosecution of an offender. Each request from the police is dealt with on a strictly case-by-case basis to ensure that any such disclosure is lawful and in accordance with data protection legislation.

Overseas processing

TfL and its service providers may process your personal information in the UK and countries within the European Economic Area (EEA). Any such processing will be carried out in strict accordance with UK and EU data protection legislation and the appropriate contractual safeguards which TfL has put in place.

Your information rights

Under data protection legislation you are entitled to ask to see any personal information that we hold about you.

To request access to personal information held by TfL, please see our page on how to access your data.

If you would like to withdraw your consent for TfL to process your usage data or manage how TfL processes your location data, you can do so in your app settings and your device's location services settings.

You also have a number of other information rights which include:

• The right to question any information we have about you that you think is wrong or incomplete
• The right to object to how we use your information or to ask us to delete or restrict how we use it
• In some cases, the right to receive a copy of your information in a format that you can easily re-use
• The right to complain to the regulator - the Information Commissioner's Office

The TfL Privacy and Data Protection team considers and coordinates responses to requests and complaints from people whose personal data is processed by TfL and its subsidiary companies. You can contact the Data Protection Officer by email at dpo@tfl.gov.uk.