EarthFinds / Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
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How EarthFinds handles website visits, support email, identification photos, app providers and locally saved field journal data.
Privacy at a glance
This policy covers the EarthFinds website at earthfinds.app and the EarthFinds Android app. Questions or privacy requests can be sent to [email protected]. The website uses no analytics or advertising trackers. The app needs no account, stores its field journal locally, and sends photos to identification providers when you request species identification.
Information from website visits
The website itself does not use analytics, advertising pixels, tracking scripts, cookies, local storage or visitor accounts. Loading a website necessarily sends connection information, such as your IP address and browser request, to its hosting service. Hosting or security providers may keep operational logs containing requested URLs, timestamps, browser information and IP addresses for delivery, troubleshooting and protection. These operational records are separate from website analytics.
Photos and identification in the app
When you take or select a photo, the app prepares a resized JPEG and stores a copy in its private local storage. Re-encoding removes embedded location metadata from the identification copy. The app does not request GPS location. Visible details in a photo can still reveal personal information, so avoid uploading faces, documents or other private content.
Auto category routing runs on your device. When an identification request proceeds, the processed photo is sent over HTTPS directly to Kindwise for plants, insects or mushrooms, or to Pl@ntNet when Trees is selected. The provider receives the image and ordinary network connection information, including your IP address. Removing photo metadata does not hide your network address.
Identification providers
Third-party providers process identification requests under their applicable service terms and privacy practices. Their storage, reuse and retention rules can differ from local app storage. Removing a local journal entry does not remove a previously submitted image from a provider. Contact EarthFinds support about provider-related privacy requests; we cannot promise deletion of records controlled by another organization. The app does not provide an in-app control for provider-side deletion.
Local journal, retention and deletion
Saved discoveries include the photo reference, suggested species, provider results and available descriptions, confidence scores and edibility information. This information is kept in the app’s private storage and can be viewed offline. There is no EarthFinds account or journal cloud-sync feature, and Android app backup is disabled in the current app.
Use Remove from journal to remove a saved entry. In the current app, this removes the journal record but does not erase the underlying photo file from app storage. Local files may remain until the app’s storage is cleared or the app is uninstalled. Those Android actions permanently remove your local journal and app data; preserve anything you need first. Original photos stored outside the app are separate. Local deletion does not delete copies already sent to identification providers.
Support email and retention
If you email us, we receive your email address, message, attachments and associated email metadata. We use this information to respond, troubleshoot and handle privacy requests. Email services process messages to deliver and store them. Please send only information needed for your request; do not send passwords or other secrets.
Support correspondence is retained as needed to handle the request, maintain relevant records and satisfy applicable obligations. Hosting logs and provider records follow the applicable service’s retention practices. This policy does not promise a fixed deletion period for independently managed provider records.
Purposes, sharing and legal requests
Information is used to provide requested identification, operate and protect the service, answer support requests and meet applicable legal obligations. Service providers may process information needed for these purposes, and information may be disclosed where legally required or necessary to address abuse or protect rights. The website has no advertising or data-sale integrations.
Where data protection law requires a legal basis, the applicable basis depends on the activity: providing a requested service, legitimate interests in security and support, complying with legal obligations, or consent where required. Service providers may process information in countries other than your own.
Your privacy choices
You can browse without creating an account, choose which photos to submit, decline to request an identification, and remove local journal entries. Depending on applicable law, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection or a copy of personal information, and to withdraw consent where processing relies on it. You may also have a right to complain to your local data protection authority. Send requests to [email protected]; we may need information to verify the request. We do not have remote access to your local journal.
Children and sensitive information
EarthFinds is a general nature-learning tool. Children should use the app with a parent or guardian and should not send personal information or photos of people. If you believe a child has submitted personal information, contact [email protected] so the request can be investigated. Photo matches must never be used to decide whether a mushroom or plant is safe to eat.
Security, links and changes
The app uses HTTPS for identification requests, but no method of storage or transmission is completely secure. Links opened outside EarthFinds are subject to the destination’s practices. We will update this page when our practices change and show the revised date. Material changes will be communicated where required by applicable law.