How we protect information
Last updated: August 2026
Missing From Ethiopia operates a public registry of missing persons. We take the safety of the families who use it as seriously as the mission itself. This page describes how information is handled: what we collect, what we deliberately do not, and who is responsible for it.
What we collect, and what we don't
Searching the registry requires no account and no personal information. We do not track who searches, and we do not require anyone to identify themselves to view a case.
When a family reports a case, we collect only what is needed to document the missing person and to stay in contact with the family. The public record shows the missing person's information, never the family's contact details. Information given to us directly is never published.
When someone submits a tip about a case, it is passed to the family through our secure system. The tipster does not see the family's details, and the family does not see the tipster's unless the tipster chooses to share them.
How records are stored
Case records are held on professionally managed cloud infrastructure, encrypted in transit and at rest. Access is restricted to authorised reviewers, and every action taken on a case is recorded in an auditable log.
We do not publish the physical locations of our infrastructure. This is itself a deliberate security measure.
Who is responsible
Missing From Ethiopia is part of Voices of the Missing, an Australian organisation. Records are held under Australian organisational responsibility.
Families stay in control
A family may ask us to correct, update, or remove a record at any time, and we will act promptly. A published record always reflects what the family wants it to say. Where a case is documented from a family's own public appeal, we show only what the family themselves already made public, and they can ask us to remove it at any time.
Verification
Our security practices are available for review by partner organisations. Questions about anything on this page are welcome through our contact form.