Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 30, 2025

Seashell Hunter ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Shell Photos: Photos you take within the app for shell identification
• Collection Data: Information about shells you save to your collection, including species names and notes
• User Account: Email address and basic profile information (if you create an account)

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Location Data: GPS coordinates when you use location features to find nearby beaches or save shell collection locations (only when you grant permission)
• Device Information: Device type, operating system version, and app version for analytics and bug fixes
• Usage Data: How you interact with the app (pages viewed, features used) to improve our service

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for:

• Shell Identification: Processing photos through AI to identify shell species
• Beach Discovery: Showing nearby shelling beaches based on your location
• Collection Management: Storing and displaying your saved shell collection
• App Improvement: Analyzing usage patterns to enhance features and fix bugs
• Communication: Sending important updates about the app (with your consent)

3. Data Storage and Security

• Secure Storage: Your data is stored securely using industry-standard encryption
• Cloud Database: Collection data is stored in a secure PostgreSQL database
• Photo Storage: Shell photos are processed for identification but not permanently stored on our servers unless you save them to your collection
• Third-Party Services: We use OpenAI's API for shell identification. Photos sent for identification are processed according to OpenAI's privacy policy

4. Location Data

• Permission-Based: We only access your location when you explicitly grant permission
• Usage: Location is used to show nearby beaches and save GPS coordinates with your shell collections
• Control: You can disable location access anytime in your device settings
• No Tracking: We do not track your location in the background or share it with third parties

5. Camera and Photo Access

• Camera: Required for taking photos of shells for identification
• Photo Library: Allows you to select existing photos for identification or save identified shells
• Privacy: We only access photos you explicitly select; we do not scan your entire photo library

6. AI Shell Identification

• Processing: Photos are sent to OpenAI's GPT-4 Vision API for species identification
• Data Handling: OpenAI processes images according to their privacy policy and does not use your data for model training
• Deletion: Photos sent for identification are not permanently stored unless you save them to your collection

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We may share information only in these circumstances:

• Service Providers: With trusted third parties (like OpenAI) who help us operate the app
• Legal Requirements: If required by law or to protect our rights
• With Your Consent: When you explicitly agree to share information

8. Your Rights and Choices

• Access: View all data we have stored about you
• Delete: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Export: Download a copy of your collection data
• Opt-Out: Disable location services or decline photo access in device settings

9. Children's Privacy

Seashell Hunter is suitable for all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

10. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• OpenAI: For AI-powered shell identification (Privacy Policy)
• Supabase: For secure data storage (Privacy Policy)
• Expo/React Native: Mobile app framework (Privacy Policy)

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by updating the "Effective Date" and, where appropriate, through in-app notifications.

12. Contact Us

← Back to Home