Privacy Policy

Introduction

WildflowerFinder™ ("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 and website (collectively, the "Service").

WildflowerFinder™ is operated by Shades of April, based in Australia.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you sign in using Google, we receive:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Your Google profile picture

User-Generated Content

When you use our Service, you may provide:

• Photos of wildflowers you upload
• Comments and notes on photos
• Location information (optional, for sighting maps)
• Flower suggestions and feedback

Location Data

With your permission, we may collect approximate location data when you upload photos to help other users find wildflowers. This data is:

• Only collected when you explicitly enable GPS
• Rounded to approximately 1km for privacy
• Used solely to display sighting locations on maps

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain our Service
• Display your name and photo on community contributions
• Show wildflower sighting locations on maps
• Moderate content for community safety
• Respond to your inquiries and support requests
• Improve our Service and develop new features

Photo License & Usage

By uploading photos to our community gallery, you grant WildflowerFinder™ and Shades of April a perpetual, royalty-free license to use your photos for:

• Display on our platform and social media
• Prints, calendars, books, and publications
• Merchandise and commercial products
• Marketing and promotional materials

You must accept this license agreement before uploading. You retain ownership of your original photos.

Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/SSL
• Encryption at Rest: Data stored in our database is encrypted
• Secure Authentication: We use Google's secure OAuth2 for sign-in (we never see or store your Google password)
• Payment Security: Donations are processed entirely by PayPal; we never receive or store your payment card information

Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information only in these circumstances:

• Public Content: Photos and comments you post are visible to other users
• Service Providers: We use trusted third parties (Google for authentication, PayPal for donations) who have their own privacy policies
• Legal Requirements: If required by law or to protect our rights

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Withdraw Consent: Disable location sharing at any time

To exercise these rights, contact us at the email below.

Children's Privacy

Our Service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.