PRIVACY POLICY

1. WHO WE ARE

BirdCatch is a mobile game developed by The Clarks, operated by Philip Clark ("we," "us," or "our"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the BirdCatch app.

If you have questions, contact us at: birdcatchsupport@gmail.com

2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect the following information when you use BirdCatch:

• Account information: Email address, display name, and username provided during sign-up (via email/password or Apple Sign-In)
• Photos: Bird photos you take or upload within the app, which are stored in our cloud storage
• Location data: GPS coordinates or manually entered location when you log a bird catch. Location is used to calculate bonuses and populate your BirdDex
• Gameplay data: Bird catches, scores, streaks, milestones, leaderboard entries, Catch Wish List, EarthDex contributions, chirps (comments on catches), and user notes
• Feedback and corrections: Score feedback, catch reports, and Wrong Bird corrections you submit to help improve our AI
• Device information: Push notification tokens (if you enable notifications), platform (iOS/Android)
• Analytics: Anonymized usage events within the catch flow (e.g., photo taken, catch saved) to improve the app experience
• Content reports: When you report another user's content, we store the report details (reason, notes, target content ID, your user ID) in our /reports collection for moderation review
• Block list: When you block another user, their user ID is stored in your account's blockedUsers field. Blocked users are not notified.
• Moderation flags: Content that receives multiple reports may be automatically hidden. Hidden content is flagged with hidden, hiddenReason, and hiddenAt fields on the relevant catch or chirp document.

3. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

• To provide and operate the BirdCatch game
• To identify birds in your photos using AI (Anthropic Claude Vision API)
• To display your catches, scores, and stats on leaderboards and your BirdDex
• To power community features: BirdFeed, chirps, EarthDex, and other-user BirdDex views
• To send streak reminders and other notifications you opt into
• To resolve disputes, enforce our Terms of Service, and prevent abuse

4. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

BirdCatch uses the following third-party services which may process your data:

• Firebase (Google): Authentication, database storage (Firestore), and cloud storage of photos. Firebase Privacy Policy
• Anthropic: AI-powered bird identification and photo grading. Photos are sent to Anthropic's API for analysis. Anthropic's data retention is governed by their privacy policy. Anthropic Privacy Policy
• Google Places API: Location autocomplete when you search for a catch location. Google Privacy Policy
• Nominatim (OpenStreetMap): Geocoding for free-text location entries. OpenStreetMap Privacy Policy
• Open-Meteo: Weather data used for day/night mode detection. No personal data is sent; only GPS coordinates for weather lookup. Open-Meteo Terms
• Expo / EAS: App delivery and push notification infrastructure. Expo Privacy Policy

5. DATA SHARING

Your username, display name, bird catches, scores, and photos are visible to other BirdCatch users on leaderboards, the BirdFeed, and public BirdDex views. Your email address is never shown publicly.

You can hide your Places and Map from other users via the privacy toggle in Profile settings.

We do not share your personal information with third parties except as described in Section 4 or as required by law.

6. DATA RETENTION

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your catches, photos, and personal information will be permanently deleted within 30 days.

7. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

BirdCatch is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

8. YOUR RIGHTS

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Opt out of push notifications at any time via app settings

To exercise these rights, contact us at birdcatchsupport@gmail.com.

9. SECURITY

We use industry-standard security measures including Firebase Authentication and encrypted data storage. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via the app. Continued use of BirdCatch after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. CONTACT

Questions about this Privacy Policy? Reach us at:

birdcatchsupport@gmail.com