Your location, when it really matters

Here's everything you need to know about how The Weather Network app can keep you safe and informed.

The Weather Network app keeps you safe and informed about changing weather conditions while you’re on the go, alerting or warning when potentially dangerous weather is approaching.

Advancements in location technology have helped add precision to weather forecasting. By enabling ‘Always Allow’ for location services on your Weather Network app, we can send you real-time weather notifications no matter where you are.

"Think of what you do in the summer or winter,” says Weather Network chief meteorologist Chris Scott. “Maybe in the summer, you go to a beach you don’t normally go to. In the winter you’re going skiing. When we know where you are, we can send you important weather alerts keeping you safe. That’s really the value we can deliver with our forecasts."

HOW IT WORKS

When severe weather is detected for a specific location or an alert is issued by the government, The Weather Network app proactively notifies users who are in, or heading toward, extreme weather.

In the summer, thunderstorms or tornadoes can develop quickly. In the winter, there could be a sudden snow squall during your morning commute. We have the latest technology that allows us to alert users who may be located where a storm is brewing if they opt to keep location permissions always on.

CONCERNS ABOUT LOCATION PRIVACY

Sometimes, the lack of understanding of how companies use data makes people uncomfortable about sharing their information to receive better services. At The Weather Network, we believe in being fully transparent with users about how we use data.

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“Location data that we collect from our users is anonymous, collected in a bucket and analyzed in aggregate to identify trends in consumer behaviour,” says Celeste Normington, head of data and technology platforms at Pelmorex Corp., the parent company of The Weather Network. “We don’t link the location data to a user’s email address, name, phone number or any other identifying information.”

In addition to helping us provide our users with targeted extreme weather alerts, it also helps us deliver local and relevant advertising on our platforms, which allows us to keep our products and content cost-free to users. And when this macro, aggregated information is shared with trusted third parties, it helps companies gather insights to develop personalized, better-targeted products and services.

KEEPING YOU SAFE

“Trust with our 60 million users across the world is The Weather Network's most important asset as a company,” says Pelmorex Corp. CEO Sam Sebastian. "The user has full control over whether and how they share location information with us. We then operate, based on what they’ve given their consent for."

In isolation, the usage of location may be a sensitive subject -- but people are more positive about its practical applications when they are educated about its benefits.