Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 18, 2026  |  Last Updated: October 18, 2026

Welcome to WildSeen (application identifier com.helson.wildseen, referred to as "WildSeen", "we", "us", or "our"). WildSeen is a wildlife identification, personal nature journal, and community discovery mobile application for iOS and Android.

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how it is stored and shared, and how you can exercise your privacy rights (including instant in-app account and data deletion).

1. Data Controller & Contact Information

WildSeen is operated by an independent developer:

• Operator / Data Controller: Zijian Zhao (operating as Helson)
• Application: WildSeen (com.helson.wildseen)
• Contact & Privacy Inquiries: [email protected]

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Guest Mode vs. Registered Accounts

You can use core features of WildSeen in Guest Mode without creating an account. In Guest Mode, your species collection and observation records are stored locally on your device in an on-device SQLite database. When you choose to create or sign in to a WildSeen account, we collect account and cloud sync data as described below.

2.2 Account & Profile Information

• Authentication Data: When you register or sign in using Email & Password, Email Verification Code (OTP), Sign in with Apple, or Google Sign-In, we collect your email address, unique user identifier, authentication provider tokens, and (for password accounts) a securely hashed password.
• Profile Information: Your display nickname, selected default or custom profile avatar image, language preference, unlocked nature achievements, and equipped naturalist title.

2.3 Wildlife Photos & AI Species Identification Data

• Photos for Identification: When you take a photo with the in-app camera or select an image from your photo library and tap Identify, the prepared image is transmitted securely over HTTPS to our backend server and processed via the Google Gemini API (Google Cloud) solely to perform AI species recognition and generate taxonomic information (common name, scientific name, category, confidence score, and species dossier).
• AI Data Minimization: Only the wildlife image itself (and requested output language) is transmitted to the AI provider. Your account email address, user ID, and personal identity are never attached to AI identification requests, and your photos are not used by third parties for advertising or cross-app profiling.
• Separation of Identification & Saving: Performing an AI identification does not automatically publish your photo or save it to your permanent cloud collection. Observations are saved to your collection or shared to the community only when you explicitly choose to save or share them.

2.4 Collection, Observations & Cloud Photo Backup

• Observation Metadata: Species names, taxonomic category (Plants, Birds, Insects, Fish, Aquatic, Wildlife), observation date and time, place name, GPS coordinates (if provided), and cover photo selection.
• Cloud Sync & Photo Backup: For signed-in users, observation records synchronize with our cloud database so your archive stays safe across devices. Standard accounts include up to 1 GB of manual cloud photo storage, while WildSeen+ subscribers receive up to 10 GB of cloud storage with optional automatic Wi-Fi photo backup and original-quality photo preservation.

2.5 Location Information & Photo EXIF Metadata

• Device Location (When in Use): With your permission, we collect your foreground GPS coordinates when you capture an observation, resolve a place name, view your observations on My Map, or browse public observations within 5 km in Explore → Discover. We do not track your location in the background.
• Photo Location Metadata (EXIF): When you import a photo from your library and grant photo location access, WildSeen reads the latitude, longitude, and capture timestamp embedded in the photo's EXIF metadata so your observation can be mapped accurately to where the photo was taken.

2.6 Community Content ("Discoveries")

• When you choose to publish an observation to the public Discoveries feed, your post—including the photo, species name, caption, observation date, optional location/locality, and your public profile (nickname, avatar, and title)—becomes visible to other WildSeen users.
• We also store your community interactions, including likes, saved bookmarks, comments (including optional comment photos and replies), and content moderation reports submitted via Report Discovery.

2.7 Subscriptions & Purchase Information ("WildSeen+")

• All WildSeen+ subscriptions (Monthly and Annual plans) are billed and processed directly by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play).
• We use RevenueCat to validate purchase receipts and manage cross-platform subscription entitlements (wildseen_plus). We receive only non-sensitive transaction metadata (anonymous/linked app user ID, product identifier, subscription status, purchase and renewal timestamps, and store type). We never collect, view, or store your credit card number, bank account, or billing address.

2.8 Technical, Quota & Security Logs

• To enforce daily free AI identification quotas, prevent automated abuse, and maintain service reliability, our backend records request timestamps, API execution status, rate-limit counters, and basic network request metadata (such as IP address in transient server logs).
• No Third-Party Advertising or Cross-App Tracking: WildSeen does not display third-party behavioral ads, does not use advertising IDs (IDFA / AAID), and does not track you across third-party apps or websites.

3. Device Permissions We Request

WildSeen requests the following system permissions only when needed for features you actively use:

You may revoke any of these permissions at any time in your iOS or Android device Settings. Core manual collection browsing remains available even if permissions are declined.

4. How We Use Your Information & Legal Bases (GDPR)

We process your information for the following purposes and under the corresponding legal bases under the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Providing the Service (Contractual Necessity — Art. 6(1)(b)): Creating and authenticating your account, performing AI species identification, syncing your species collection and cloud photo backups, displaying public Discoveries, and fulfilling WildSeen+ subscription benefits.
• User-Initiated Features (Consent — Art. 6(1)(a)): Accessing your camera, photo library, device GPS location, and photo EXIF location only when you grant permission, and publishing observations to the community only when you explicitly choose to share.
• Safety, Moderation & Abuse Prevention (Legitimate Interests — Art. 6(1)(f)): Enforcing fair-use rate limits on AI services, reviewing community reports in Discoveries, removing spam or inappropriate content, and securing our backend infrastructure.
• Legal Compliance (Legal Obligation — Art. 6(1)(c)): Complying with applicable tax, accounting, data protection, and law enforcement obligations.

5. Data Sharing & Third-Party Service Providers

We never sell or rent your personal data to third parties. We share data only with essential infrastructure and service providers ("sub-processors") strictly necessary to operate WildSeen:

6. Data Storage, Security & International Transfers

• Encryption in Transit & at Rest: All network communication between the WildSeen app, our backend servers, object storage, and third-party APIs is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS. Passwords are stored using industry-standard cryptographic hashing.
• Untrusted Client Architecture: Sensitive data mutations, quota checks, subscription verifications, and account deletions are executed exclusively through authenticated server-side functions with strict access controls.
• International Transfers: Our primary application servers are hosted in Helsinki, Finland (EU). Where third-party sub-processors (such as RevenueCat or Google Cloud/AI services) process data outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or the UK, transfers are protected by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent adequacy safeguards.

7. Data Retention & Account Deletion

• Active Accounts: We retain your account profile, synced collection, cloud-backed photos, and published discoveries for as long as your account remains active.
• Deleting Individual Items: You can delete individual observations, cloud photo copies, published discoveries, or comments at any time directly inside the app.
• Permanent Account Deletion: You can permanently delete your WildSeen account at any time directly in the app by navigating to Profile (Me) → Settings → Account → Delete account, typing DELETE, and tapping Delete account permanently.
• Immediate Erasure: Deleting your account immediately and permanently erases your profile, personal species collection, observations, cloud-backed photos, published community discoveries, comments, and achievements from our active databases and cloud storage.
• Alternative Deletion Request: If you have uninstalled the app or cannot sign in, you may request account deletion via email at [email protected]. For complete instructions, please see our dedicated Account & Data Deletion page.

8. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction (including the EEA, United Kingdom, Switzerland, California, and other regions with applicable privacy laws), you have the right to:

• Access & Portability: Request access to or a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction (Rectification): Update your nickname, avatar, observation details, or species records directly in the app.
• Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Delete specific observations/posts or permanently delete your entire account and associated data.
• Withdraw Consent: Revoke camera, photo library, or location permissions in your device settings at any time, or unpublish community posts.
• Non-Discrimination (CCPA/CPRA): California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected, request deletion, and not be discriminated against for exercising privacy rights. As stated above, we do not "sell" or "share" personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days (or sooner where required by law).

9. Children's Privacy

WildSeen is a general-audience nature and educational application and is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in jurisdictions requiring higher digital consent ages, such as certain EEA member states) without parental consent. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has created an account or provided personal data without parental consent, please contact us at [email protected] and we will promptly delete the account and associated data.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect new features, legal requirements, or operational changes. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you within the app. Your continued use of WildSeen after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

11. Contact Us