PRIVACY POLICY

This Privacy Policy describes how BirdWatch ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you use the BirdWatch iOS application (the "App") and the birdwatchonline.com website (the "Site").

BirdWatch is operated by Joseph Raymond, an individual developer based in Bainbridge Island, Washington, United States. For questions, contact birdwatch@joeraymond.dev.

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address — used to authenticate you and communicate about your account.
• Apple ID identifier (if you use Sign in with Apple) — used to link your sessions across devices.
• Display name (optional) — derived from your email by default; you can change it in the app.

User-Generated Content

When you use the App, we collect:

• Photos you upload or capture — stored in our secure storage bucket and associated with your account.
• AI classification results — species names, confidence scores, and generated descriptive text associated with each photo.
• Field notes — any text notes you attach to captures.
• Usage metadata — timestamps of captures, device camera used (if specified), and in-app actions (such as VS comparison outcomes).

Information We Do NOT Collect

• We do not collect precise location data (GPS coordinates).
• We do not track your browsing outside the App.
• We do not use third-party analytics or advertising SDKs.
• We do not collect device identifiers beyond what Apple provides for receipt validation.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Authenticate you and maintain your session.
• Process your photos through AI classification services to identify bird species.
• Store your capture history so you can view your personal bird catalog.
• Generate species dossiers, analytics, and clearance tier progression for your personal use.
• Respond to support inquiries you send us.

3. Third-Party Services

BirdWatch uses the following third-party services to operate. Your data may be processed by these services:

Supabase (Database, Authentication, Storage)

Supabase, Inc. hosts our database, authentication system, file storage, and backend functions. Your email, photos, and capture data are stored on Supabase infrastructure located in the United States (us-west-1 region). Supabase's privacy policy: supabase.com/privacy

Anthropic (AI Classification)

When you upload or capture a photo, the image is sent to Anthropic's Claude AI model for species identification. Anthropic processes the image to generate the classification and does not use API data to train their models, per their commercial terms. Photos are not retained by Anthropic beyond the processing request.

Google (AI Classification, Backup)

If the primary AI provider is unavailable, photos may be sent to Google's Gemini AI model as a fallback. Google's privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy

Apple (Authentication)

If you use Sign in with Apple, Apple handles authentication. We receive only a unique identifier and (optionally) your email address. Apple's privacy policy: apple.com/legal/privacy

4. Data Retention

We retain your account data and captures for as long as your account exists. You can delete your account at any time from within the app (Settings → Account → Delete Account), which permanently removes:

• Your email and profile information
• All captures and photos you uploaded
• All species records, field notes, and verdict history
• All analytics and tier progression

Deletion is immediate and irreversible. Backups are retained for 30 days before being permanently purged.

5. Your Rights (GDPR / CCPA)

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

• Access the data we hold about you (use the in-app Settings → Account → Export feature when available, or email us).
• Correct inaccurate information (edit in the app or email us).
• Delete your data (use in-app deletion or email us).
• Object to processing and request restrictions.
• Data portability — request a machine-readable copy of your data.

To exercise any of these rights, email birdwatch@joeraymond.dev.

6. Children's Privacy

BirdWatch is rated 4+ in the App Store and is suitable for all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data:

• All connections to our backend use HTTPS/TLS encryption.
• Database access is restricted by row-level security policies scoped to your user ID.
• Secrets and API keys are stored in secure environment variables, never in client code.
• Authentication uses industry-standard JWT tokens with automatic rotation.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach affecting your information, we will notify you within 72 hours as required by law.

8. International Data Transfers

Your data is stored and processed in the United States. If you access BirdWatch from outside the United States, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your country.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced in the App and will take effect 30 days after the update date shown at the top of this page. Continued use of BirdWatch after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

For questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy, contact:

• Email: birdwatch@joeraymond.dev
• Subject line: "Privacy Policy Inquiry"

END OF DOCUMENT — FILED 2026-04-10 — AUTHORIZED BY FIELD STATION ALPHA