The short version
- Your photos stay yours. Spotzo identifies animals using AI that runs on your device — your photos are not uploaded to us just to recognize a species.
- We collect very little. Your email (to sign in), an optional approximate location when you choose to log a sighting, and basic app-usage data to keep the app working.
- We never sell your personal data. Ever.
- You're in control. Camera and location are only used with your permission, and you can request access to or deletion of your data at any time.
This summary is for convenience only — the full policy below is what governs your use of Spotzo.
This Privacy Policy explains how Spotzo ("Spotzo", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use the Spotzo mobile application (the "App") and the website at spotzo.app (the "Site"), together the "Services". Spotzo is a game in which you photograph real animals, an on-device AI identifies the species, and you earn collectible cards.
By using the Services, you agree to this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.
Contents
1. Who we are
Spotzo is an independent mobile game developed for Android (with other platforms planned). For the purposes of the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the data controller is the operator of Spotzo, reachable at spotzoapp@gmail.com. The Services are intended for users in Europe and North America, but may be available elsewhere.
2. Information we collect
We collect only what we need to run the game. The table below summarizes it; details follow.
| Category | Examples | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Account info | Email address; a display name you choose | To create your account and sign you in |
| Photos you capture | Pictures you take of animals in the App | To identify the species and create your card. Stored on your device; see §3 and §6. |
| Approximate location | Coarse location at the moment you log a sighting (only with permission) | To verify a sighting is plausible and power map/region features |
| Gameplay data | Cards collected, species sighted, streaks, quests, badges | To save your collection and progress |
| App & usage data | App version, device type/OS, basic interaction and diagnostic events, crash logs | To keep the App stable and improve it |
Account information
To sign in, you provide an email address, which is used to send you a one-time verification code. You may also set a display name. You can use parts of the App without an account (as a guest), with data stored locally on your device.
Photos you capture
When you spot an animal, the App uses your camera to take a photo. The photo becomes the artwork on your collectible card and is stored locally on your device. Today, photos are not uploaded to our servers. If we later add optional cloud backup or sharing of your collection, we will ask for your consent and update this Policy before any photo leaves your device.
Approximate location
If you grant location permission, the App may read an approximate (coarse) location at the moment you log a sighting, to check that the sighting is plausible and to enable region-based features. We do not track your location in the background or continuously. You can deny or revoke this permission at any time in your device settings — the core game still works without it.
App & usage data
Like most apps, we collect limited technical data — app version, device model and OS version, anonymous interaction events, and crash diagnostics — to keep Spotzo running well. This data is not used to identify you personally.
What we do not collect
- We do not collect your contacts, your photo library (only photos you take in the App), your precise/continuous location, or your microphone audio.
- We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13 (see §12).
- We do not sell your personal information.
3. How on-device AI works
Your photos are processed on your device. Spotzo's species-identification AI model runs locally on your phone. A photo does not need to be sent to us or any third party in order to recognize the animal in it. This is a core design choice for your privacy.
If, in the future, we introduce an optional feature that benefits from server-side processing (for example, manual review of a rare find, or cloud backup), it will be clearly described, optional, and covered by an updated version of this Policy.
4. How we use your information
- To provide the game: identify species, create cards, and save your collection, streaks, quests, and badges.
- To create and secure your account and sign you in.
- To verify that sightings are plausible (anti-cheat) and enable region features.
- To maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the Services, and to fix crashes and bugs.
- To communicate with you about the Service (for example, your verification code or important notices).
- To comply with law and enforce our terms.
We do not use your personal data for automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on you.
5. Legal bases for processing (GDPR)
If you are in the European Economic Area or the UK, we rely on the following legal bases:
- Performance of a contract — to provide the game and your account.
- Consent — for camera access, location access, and (if added later) push notifications or cloud upload of photos. You can withdraw consent at any time.
- Legitimate interests — to keep the Services secure and stable, prevent cheating and abuse, and improve the App, balanced against your rights.
- Legal obligation — where we must process data to comply with applicable law.
6. How we share information
We do not sell your personal data and do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We share limited data only with service providers who help us run Spotzo, under contracts that require them to protect it:
| Provider | Purpose | Data involved |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase (backend & authentication) | Account sign-in, and storing your account & gameplay data | Email, display name, gameplay/collection data |
| Email delivery provider | Sending your sign-in verification codes | Email address |
| Hosting / CDN | Serving this website | Standard server logs (e.g., IP address) |
Planned, not yet active: we expect to add subscriptions/in-app purchases (via RevenueCat and the app store) and, for free users, advertising. These are not active today. When they are introduced, this Policy will be updated to describe what those partners receive, and any required consent will be requested in-app.
We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect the rights, safety, or property of Spotzo or others, or as part of a business transfer (e.g., merger or acquisition), in which case we will notify you.
7. Device permissions
- Camera — required to photograph animals. Used only while you are actively spotting.
- Location (approximate) — optional; used only at the moment you log a sighting, if you allow it.
- Notifications — optional (if/when enabled); used for reminders such as streaks.
You can grant or revoke any permission at any time in your device's system settings.
8. Data retention
We keep your account and gameplay data for as long as your account is active. Photos and guest data stored on your device remain until you delete them or uninstall the App. Diagnostic data is kept only as long as needed to keep the Services reliable. When you ask us to delete your account, we delete or anonymize your personal data within a reasonable period, except where we must retain it to comply with law.
9. Data security
We use industry-standard safeguards — including encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS), access controls, and a reputable backend provider — to protect your information. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect your data and to address vulnerabilities promptly.
10. Your privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you;
- Correct inaccurate data;
- Delete your data ("right to be forgotten");
- Port your data to another service;
- Object to or restrict certain processing; and
- Withdraw consent at any time, without affecting prior processing.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at spotzoapp@gmail.com. We will respond within the time required by applicable law (generally within 30 days). You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
11. California privacy notice (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect (see §2), to request access to and deletion of it (see §10), and to not be sold or have your data "shared" for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not sell or share your personal information, and we do not knowingly do so for any consumer under 16. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights. To make a request, contact spotzoapp@gmail.com.
12. Children's privacy
Spotzo is intended for users aged 13 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or the minimum age of digital consent in your country, where higher). If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact spotzoapp@gmail.com and we will delete it. We do not direct the Services to children and do not serve behavioral advertising to them.
13. International data transfers
Your information may be processed in countries other than where you live, including the United States, where our service providers operate. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards (such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses) to protect your data when it is transferred internationally.
14. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above and, for material changes, provide a more prominent notice (such as in the App). Your continued use of the Services after an update means you accept the revised Policy.
15. Contact us
Questions or requests about this Policy or your data? Contact us at:
Email: spotzoapp@gmail.com
Web: spotzo.app