Privacy Notice
Please read the Privacy Notice and the General Terms and Conditions governing your access as a user of the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service. By sending a message to the service, you confirm that you understand and accept these terms and conditions. During your first interaction with the service, you will be explicitly asked to accept these terms and conditions and, by confirming your acceptance when prompted through the WhatsApp interface, you will enter into a legally binding agreement with UNHCR.
1. Who We Are
UNHCR is the United Nations Refugee Agency that provides protection and assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless persons, and internally displaced persons.
UNHCR collects and uses personal data in accordance with the UNHCR General Policy on Personal Data Protection and Privacy (2022) and the Policy on the Protection of Personal Data of Persons of Concern to UNHCR (2015).
This Privacy Notice explains how our organization uses the personal data we collect when you use our self-service platform (“UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service”) and your rights regarding our use of your personal data.
2. How and Why We Collect Data When Providing the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service
When you interact with the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service, UNHCR processes certain personal data under its mandate that are necessary for the application to function and respond to your messages and questions.
Your data will be processed by UNHCR and by Twilio and Ciptex, technology partners contracted by UNHCR that support the management of this service through the Twilio Flex platform. Messages will be securely stored by UNHCR and may be viewed by Ciptex, the company that provides IT support and maintenance for the platform.
We will process the following personal data when providing the service:
- Phone number
- Profile name
- Message content
We will use this data to directly follow up on your inquiries. Your contact details will be shared with relevant service providers or other UNHCR teams when necessary to ensure the most appropriate response and to provide you with relevant and timely information and support services that you request through the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service.
The following personal data must be shared with or processed by UNHCR’s technology partners, which is essential for the effective delivery of the service through the platform, routing messages between users and UNHCR, and enabling automated message delivery based on the content of received messages.
| What Data? | How collected | Shared with |
| Phone number | Automatically captured from the user’s profile | WhatsApp, Twilio, UNHCR, Ciptex |
| Profile name | Automatically captured from the user’s profile | WhatsApp, Twilio, UNHCR, Ciptex |
| Connection metadata (IMEI, MAC address, IP address) | Automatically collected from the user’s mobile device and connection in use | WhatsApp, Twilio |
| Message content | Information sent by the user, including photos, videos, and audio files | UNHCR, Ciptex |
Your personal data will not be used for commercial purposes or for any purposes incompatible with the specific purposes described above.
As the service uses the WhatsApp channel, WhatsApp will also collect certain data depending on your account and your device settings for the WhatsApp application, in accordance with its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. However, this is in no way related to the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service.
Your data will be stored for a maximum period of 365 days from your last interaction with the service, after which it will be deleted.
There is no automated decision-making when you use the service.
3. Confidentiality
UNHCR and its technology partners, Twilio and Ciptex, will keep your personal data secure and confidential, including through WhatsApp’s encryption and secure storage within UNHCR’s private cloud hosting environment.
For the service to function, your data will be transmitted to WhatsApp and processed through Twilio when you interact with the service, but they will not view the message content. The content will be accessible to designated UNHCR personnel for responding to your inquiries or ensuring that automated responses function properly. UNHCR’s support and maintenance service provider, Ciptex, may also have access to your content in order to provide and maintain the WhatsApp Service, but only on behalf of and under the supervision of UNHCR.
Under no circumstances will we share your personal data with the government of your country of origin or with any third party other than our technology partners.
If it becomes necessary to share your data with UNHCR partners to follow up on your inquiry or case, you will be informed and given the opportunity to opt out.
4. Data Processing to Prevent Harm, Report Missing Persons, or Comply with International Law
UNHCR may retain your information and share it with third parties if the organization believes in good faith that doing so is necessary to prevent imminent death or bodily harm to you or others, help locate refugees or other forcibly displaced persons who have been reported missing, or prevent violations of international law. If we do so, it will be in accordance with our privacy and personal data protection framework.
5. What Are Your Rights and How Can You Exercise Them?
You have the following rights regarding our use of your personal data:
Access: You may access your personal data by inquiring about the personal data we process by emailing us at [email protected].
Correction: If you notice that your personal data is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request its correction by emailing us at [email protected].
Objection and Deletion: To stop receiving messages from the service, simply send a message containing the word “STOP” to the service.
To opt out and request the deletion of your data from the platform, including all messages exchanged with UNHCR, send the word “ELIMINAR”. It may take us up to 10 days to process this request and delete your data, but we will make every effort to do so as quickly as possible.
6. Raising Concerns
UNHCR is committed to working with you to achieve a fair resolution of any concerns arising from the use of the service, including privacy-related concerns.
If you believe we have been unable to address your concern through the communication channel established in Section 5 above, or if you have any other complaint, comment, or concern, you have the right to submit a complaint through our internal complaints mechanism. For information about this mechanism, please visit Reports and suggestions box – UNHCR Mexico
7. Notification of Changes
UNHCR reserves the right to modify this Privacy Notice at any time. Whenever changes are made, you will be notified and required to accept the new terms in order to continue using the service.
General Terms and Conditions
Please read the Privacy Notice and the General Terms and Conditions governing your access as a user of the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service. By sending a message to the service, you confirm that you understand and accept these terms and conditions. During your first interaction with the service, you will be explicitly asked to accept these terms and conditions and, by confirming your acceptance when prompted through the WhatsApp interface, you will enter into a legally binding agreement with UNHCR.
1. Use of the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service
By using the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service, you agree to the following terms, in addition to the applicable WhatsApp Terms of Service.
- Do not provide false information about your relationship with another user.
- Do not share any personal data about yourself or others unless specifically requested.
- When messaging operators request information to determine what services may be available to you, and you choose to share that information, ensure that it is as accurate as possible.
- Do not use obscene, discriminatory, or abusive language with messaging operators.
- You may not sell information obtained through the service to others or charge people for using it through your mobile device.
- Do not use the application to violate the intellectual property rights of other individuals or entities (that is, rights protecting creative and intellectual efforts, including copyrights, designs, patents, trademarks, and confidential information that may form part of content).
By using the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service, which operates through the Twilio Flex platform, you will be considered an end user of Twilio. Therefore, you also agree to comply with the Twilio Acceptable Use Policy, including the following rules:
- Do not use the Service to transmit or store any content that is illegal, harmful, unsolicited, inappropriate, or objectionable.
- Do not share false and/or inaccurate content; content that is hateful or promotes hatred or violence against individuals or groups; or content that could endanger public safety.
- Do not use the Service to engage in or encourage any activity that is illegal, deceptive, harmful, infringes upon the rights of others, or harms Twilio’s business operations or reputation.
2. Denial of Access
UNHCR may, at its sole discretion:
a) Refuse to respond to users and suspend access to the service if they are abusive or fail to comply with the applicable rules set out above; and/or
b) Deny access to the service if doing so is necessary to protect any individual from risk.
3. Disclaimer
UNHCR aims to ensure that the content provided through the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Service is as accurate as possible. However, information changes regularly, and there may be slight delays in updating information within the service. UNHCR is also not in a position to provide relevant information for countries other than the declared country of operation.
While UNHCR cannot guarantee that the information provided is free of errors, it strives to correct any errors brought to its attention. The content of the application is provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind. Specifically, UNHCR makes no warranties regarding the suitability, quality, timeliness, accuracy, or completeness of the information and services offered through the application.
By providing this service, UNHCR does not endorse WhatsApp or any other messaging application provided by third parties. Use of the service does not guarantee access to any particular information or services.
The use of specific country or territory designations does not imply any judgment by UNHCR regarding the legal status of such countries or territories, their authorities and institutions, or the delimitation of their boundaries.
4. Information Outside UNHCR
The service may direct you to information provided by service providers or parties outside UNHCR, including content providers, third parties supplying information within the application, users of the application, or any other person or entity. In addition, other parties may provide information relating to UNHCR.
UNHCR does not control information provided by external parties. Therefore, UNHCR cannot determine whether such external information is accurate and accepts no responsibility for that information or for any resulting outcomes, including losses or damages. UNHCR provides no warranty and expressly disclaims any liability for loss or damage arising in connection with the use of such services.
5. Security Measures
UNHCR will implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure that your data remains secure and cannot be accessed or used by unauthorized parties. However, complete security cannot be guaranteed due to the inherent security risks associated with digital tools.
Use of WhatsApp also means that certain data and usage information may be collected by Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, independently of your use of this service. UNHCR is not responsible for any issues or other uses of your data by third-party service providers, nor for any risks associated with the use of third-party mobile applications.
6. Changes to the WhatsApp Service
UNHCR will periodically review the operation of the service and make improvements whenever possible.
By using the service, you authorize UNHCR to review conversations and interactions anonymously to determine what changes or improvements may be needed. If changes are made that affect you, your personal data, or any aspect of these terms, UNHCR will inform you.
UNHCR may also need to modify the service based on available resources or changing circumstances without prior notice, but you will be informed of such changes afterward.
7. Contact
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the service or these terms, please email:
8. Intellectual Property
All intellectual property rights related to materials owned by UNHCR and provided through the application shall remain the property of UNHCR unless otherwise stated.
Extracts from materials and other information provided through the application may be viewed, downloaded, and printed solely for personal and non-commercial use, with no right to sell, resell, or create derivative works.
Any use other than for personal purposes, including the reproduction or translation of substantial portions of UNHCR-owned materials, requires UNHCR’s prior express written permission.
Furthermore, UNHCR reserves the right to pursue all remedies available under law for violations of these terms and conditions, including violations relating to the UNHCR name and emblem and its rights concerning information, artwork, text, video, audio, or images made available through the application.
9. UNHCR Name and Emblem
The UNHCR name and emblem are the exclusive property of UNHCR and are protected under international law.
Unauthorized use is prohibited. They may not be copied or reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of UNHCR.
10. Notification of Changes
The content of the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Information Service is selected according to UNHCR’s own criteria and at its sole discretion and may change without notice.
UNHCR reserves the right to modify or discontinue any aspect or feature of the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Information Service at any time, including, but not limited to, these terms and conditions and service availability.
11. Special Status of UNHCR
UNHCR has a special status as a United Nations organization and, as such, benefits from certain safeguards related to the independence and neutrality of its activities, including the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Information Service.
Accordingly, nothing in, or related to, this notice or the UNHCR Mexico WhatsApp Information Service shall be deemed a waiver of any of UNHCR’s privileges and immunities as an integral part of the United Nations under applicable national and international legal instruments.
12. Raising Concerns
UNHCR is committed to working with you to achieve a fair resolution of concerns arising from the use of the service.
If you believe that we have been unable to address your concern through the communication channel established in Section 7 above, or if you have any other concern or complaint, you have the right to submit it through our internal complaints mechanism.
For information about this mechanism, please visit: Reports and suggestions box – UNHCR Mexico
13. Discontinuation of the Service
UNHCR may modify or discontinue this WhatsApp information service at any time without prior notice.
UNHCR shall not be held responsible for any adverse impacts or other consequences resulting from such changes or from the discontinuation of the service.