Last updated: June 28, 2026
Privacy Policy
Down To Earth is a plant identification and nature exploration app. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your choices.
1. What We Collect
We follow a principle of minimum data collection — we collect only what gameplay requires. There are no behavioral profiling, third-party advertising, or passive tracking technologies in the app.
Account data
When you create an account, we store:
- Email address (for authentication)
- Display name (chosen by you)
- Age confirmation
Gameplay data stored on our servers
| Data | Notes |
|---|---|
| Sighting records (photo, species, timestamp) | Location stored only if you grant location permission |
| XP, level, and game progress | |
| Expert annotations | Anonymized in any training data exports |
| Push notification token | Deleted on logout |
| Subscription status | No personal data or photos shared with provider |
Photos
Your photos stay on your device by default. We never upload your photos to a server unless you explicitly agree. There are no pre-checked boxes or hidden opt-out menus — you must actively choose to share.
Location
We use location data to improve prediction accuracy. Location data is stored along with your sightings and is used to improve future results. Location data is never shared externally or used for advertising. You can revoke location permission at any time through your device settings.
2. How We Use Your Data
We use collected data to:
- Power core gameplay (identification, quests, progression)
- Improve plant identification accuracy (only with photos you explicitly choose to share)
- Understand regional classifier performance (aggregated, anonymized location data)
- Send push notifications you have opted in to
- Maintain account security
We do not:
- Sell your data to third parties
- Use your data for advertising
- Build behavioral profiles
- Share your personal information with third-party advertisers
3. Photo Sharing and Training Data
If you choose to share your sighting photos to help improve our plant identification, the following data is uploaded alongside each photo:
- The photo itself (JPEG/PNG)
- Classification results (predicted species and confidence scores for the top candidates)
- Model version (which model produced the prediction)
- Your confirmed species (if you confirmed or corrected the identification)
- Device metadata (OS version, device model, camera sensor — used for performance analysis)
- Location (only if you have granted location permission)
- Timestamp
Shared photos are stored in private storage and are never publicly accessible. They are used solely for training and improving plant identification.
You can withdraw your consent to photo sharing at any time in Settings. When you withdraw consent, no new photos will be uploaded and any photos you previously shared are deleted.
4. Data Retention and Deletion
- Account deletion: When you delete your account, all server-side personal data — including your profile, sightings, quest progress, and annotations — is deleted within 30 days.
- Photo deletion: If you delete a sighting or your account, any associated uploaded photos are deleted within 24 hours.
- On-device data: Selecting "Clear local data" under your profile in-app or deleting your account will remove all local app data from your device.
- Training data snapshots: Previously exported training datasets may retain anonymized data from photos shared before deletion. This is disclosed in the consent dialog.
5. Data Security
- Encryption in transit: All data transmitted between the app and our servers is encrypted using TLS (HTTPS).
- Encryption at rest: Server-side data and storage volumes are encrypted at rest using AES-256.
- Uploaded photos are stored in private storage buckets and are not publicly accessible via URL.
- We use row-level security policies controlling data access.
6. Children's Privacy
Down To Earth requires users to be at least 13 years old to create an account. This is enforced by a date-of-birth check at sign-up. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.
7. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services:
| Service | Purpose | Data shared |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Backend infrastructure, authentication, storage | Account data, gameplay data, uploaded photos |
| RevenueCat | Subscription management | Subscription status; no personal data or photos |
8. Your Rights and Choices
- Opt out of photo sharing at any time in Settings.
- Revoke location permission through your device settings.
- Delete your account in Settings to remove all server-side personal data.
- Request your data by contacting us at the address below.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes through the app or by other means before they take effect.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at:
Email: support@downtoearth-app.com