Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

FieldEco collects the following types of information to enable ecological field data collection:

1.1 Personal Information (from Google Sign-In)

Data Type	What We Collect	Purpose
Email Address	Your Google account email	User authentication and account identification
Name	Your full name from Google account	Personalizing the app experience
Profile Photo	Your Google profile picture URL	User identification in the app interface
User ID	Unique identifier from Google	Linking your data to your account

1.2 Location Data

FieldEco collects precise GPS location data for ecological research purposes:

Latitude and Longitude: Precise geographic coordinates of observation locations
Altitude: Elevation data for observations
Location Accuracy: GPS accuracy measurements in meters
Reverse Geocoded Address: Human-readable address derived from GPS coordinates
Timestamps: Date and time when GPS coordinates were captured

Types of Location Tracking:

One-Time GPS Acquisition: Single GPS reading for individual observations
Continuous GPS Tracking: Active tracking during transect surveys to record your walking path
GPS Optimization: The app may take 15-30 seconds to achieve optimal GPS accuracy

Important: GPS coordinates are embedded in photos and audio recordings you create. Location data is attached to all observations and stored in your project database.

1.3 Photos and Images

When you use the camera features:

Photos Taken: Images captured using your device camera for field observations
Gallery Photos: Images selected from your device photo gallery
Photo Metadata: File size, dimensions, timestamp, GPS coordinates
EXIF Data: GPS coordinates and timestamp embedded in photo file metadata
Photo Notes: Optional text descriptions you add to photos
Watermarked Photos: Photos branded with timestamp and GPS coordinates for documentation

1.4 Audio Recordings

Audio Files: Recordings captured using your device microphone
Audio Metadata: Duration, format, sample rate, bit rate, file size
GPS Location: Coordinates where recording was made
Audio Notes: Optional text descriptions
Timestamps: When recording was created

Audio Recording Purposes:

Sound level measurements for acoustic ecology
Bird call documentation
Animal vocalizations (mammals, amphibians, insects)
Ambient soundscape recordings

1.5 Ecological Field Data

Data you enter during field observations:

Project Information: Project names, descriptions, dates, locations
Species Data: Scientific names, common names, taxonomic groups, counts
Observation Data: Behavior, abundance, phenology stages, measurements
Survey Metadata: Surveyor name, survey duration, methods used
Environmental Conditions: Weather data, habitat characteristics
Transect Data: Distance measurements, GPS tracks, waypoints
Trap Data: Trap types, capture information, bait used

1.6 Weather Data

We fetch weather data from Open-Meteo (a free, third-party weather API):

Data Sent to Open-Meteo: Your GPS coordinates (latitude/longitude)
Data Received: Temperature, wind speed/direction, humidity, cloud cover, precipitation, barometric pressure, UV index
Purpose: Recording environmental conditions at time of observation

1.7 Device Information

File Paths: Local storage paths for photos and audio files
App Permissions: Record of permissions granted (camera, location, microphone, storage)
App Version: Version of FieldEco you're using

1.8 What We DO NOT Collect

Browsing history or app usage analytics
Device identifiers (IMEI, MAC address, etc.)
Contacts, calendar, or other personal device data
Payment information (handled by Google Play Store)
Background location when app is closed
Sensitive personal data (health, religion, political views, etc.)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information solely for the following purposes:

Data Type	How We Use It
Google Account Info	User authentication, displaying your name/photo in the app
GPS Location	Recording observation locations, creating GPS tracks, geocoding addresses, fetching weather data
Photos	Visual documentation, canopy cover analysis, species identification
Audio	Sound level measurements, animal vocalization documentation
Field Data	Storing your ecological observations, generating exports, providing data analysis
Weather Data	Recording environmental conditions alongside observations

Data Processing Location

All data processing happens locally on your device. We do not:

Upload your data to our servers (we don't have any)
Transmit your data to third parties (except Google for login, Open-Meteo for weather)
Use your data for advertising, marketing, or profiling
Sell or rent your data to anyone
Analyze your data for any purpose other than providing app functionality

3. Data Storage and Security

3.1 Local Storage

All your data is stored locally on your device:

SQLite Database: Contains all project data, observations, species info, user profile
Photos Folder: Original and watermarked photos in app documents directory
Audio Folder: Audio recordings in M4A format
Secure Storage: Google OAuth tokens stored securely

3.2 Security Measures

HTTPS Only: All network communications use encrypted HTTPS connections
OAuth 2.0: Industry-standard authentication protocol for Google Sign-In
Sandboxed Storage: App data isolated from other apps by Android/iOS security
No Cloud Exposure: Data never leaves your device (except when you export and share)

3.3 Data Encryption

Note: The local SQLite database is currently not encrypted at the application level. Your device's built-in security (lock screen, encryption) protects app data. We rely on Android/iOS system-level security. Enable device encryption and use a strong lock screen password.

4. Third-Party Services

FieldEco integrates with the following third-party services:

4.1 Google OAuth (Sign-In)

Service Provider: Google LLC
Purpose: User authentication
Data Shared: None initiated by us. You authorize Google to share your email, name, and profile photo with FieldEco
Data Retention: Access tokens stored locally on your device
Google's Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

4.2 Open-Meteo Weather API

Service Provider: Open-Meteo (open-source weather service)
Purpose: Fetching current weather conditions for observation locations
Data Shared: GPS coordinates (latitude/longitude) only
No API Key Required: Free, public service with no user tracking
Open-Meteo Terms: https://open-meteo.com/en/terms

4.3 Google Play Services (Maps)

Service Provider: Google LLC
Purpose: Displaying maps for location selection and visualization
Data Shared: Your location when using map features
Maps Privacy: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/

4.4 Future Services (Premium Features)

When you subscribe to FieldEco Premium, we will use:

RevenueCat: Subscription management (email, subscription status)
Firebase (Google): Cloud backup and sync (all your field data if you enable cloud sync)

This Privacy Policy will be updated before premium features are enabled.

5. Your Data Rights

You have full control over your data:

5.1 Right to Access

View Your Data: All data is visible within the app (projects, observations, photos, audio)
Export Your Data: Use "Export" feature in Settings to download all your information in Excel + ZIP format

5.2 Right to Delete

Delete Individual Observations: Swipe to delete from any data collection screen
Delete Projects: Delete entire projects (removes all associated data)
Delete Account: Use "Delete My Account" in Privacy Settings to permanently remove all data

5.3 Right to Portability

Export data in standard formats: Excel (.xlsx), with organized photos and audio files
Share exports via email, cloud storage, or any app you choose
Future premium: Advanced export formats (GeoJSON, KML, CSV, Shapefile)

5.4 Right to Revoke Permissions

Revoke camera, microphone, location, or storage permissions anytime in device Settings
Logout to disconnect Google account
App will request permissions again when needed

5.5 Right to Object

You can refuse to provide data (GPS, photos, audio) - though some features require it
Opt out of weather data fetching (can enter conditions manually)

6. Children's Privacy

FieldEco is rated "Everyone" and is suitable for users of all ages, including children.

For Parents and Guardians

Age Requirement: Users under 13 should use the app with parental supervision
Google Account: Google requires users to be 13+ to create accounts. Children under 13 may use supervised Google accounts (Family Link) or parent accounts
Data Collection: Same data is collected for all users (GPS, photos, audio, field data)
No Social Features: App does not include chat, social sharing, or user-to-user communication
Educational Use: Designed for science education and youth environmental programs

Parental Controls

Monitor app permissions in device settings
Review exported data to see what your child is collecting
Delete account anytime

Compliance

FieldEco complies with:

COPPA (USA): Children's Online Privacy Protection Act - No collection of children's personal information for marketing
GDPR (EU): Parental consent required for children under 16 in applicable regions

7. Data Retention and Deletion

7.1 How Long We Keep Data

Data Type	Retention Period
Field Observations	Until you delete the project or observation
Photos & Audio	Until you delete the observation or account
Google OAuth Tokens	Until you logout or delete account
User Profile	Until you delete your account
App Uninstall	All data permanently deleted by OS

7.2 Automatic Deletion

App Uninstall: Android/iOS automatically deletes all app data (database, photos, audio, tokens)
Export Cache: Temporary export files deleted after sharing

7.3 No Backups (Currently)

Important: FieldEco does not automatically back up your data to the cloud. If you uninstall the app or lose your device, all data is permanently lost unless you have exported it. Export your projects regularly!

8. International Users

8.1 India Users

Data stored locally on your device in India
Google OAuth may transfer data to Google servers globally
Open-Meteo weather API requests may be routed internationally
Compliance with Information Technology Act, 2000 and IT Rules 2011

8.2 European Union (GDPR)

If you are in the EU, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

Legal Basis: Your consent and our legitimate interest in providing field research tools
Data Protection Officer: Contact us at info@thegreenconcept.co.in
Right to Complain: You may file a complaint with your local data protection authority
Data Transfers: Google services may transfer data to the US under standard contractual clauses

8.3 Other Regions

FieldEco complies with applicable data protection laws in all jurisdictions where it operates.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect new features (e.g., cloud sync, collaboration)
Material changes will be notified via in-app notification
Continued use after changes indicates acceptance
Version history available at the top (Last Updated date)

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data:

Email: info@thegreenconcept.co.in
Subject Line: "FieldEco Privacy Inquiry"
Data Requests: We will respond within 30 days
Website: https://fieldeco.app

FieldEco - Ecological Field Data Collection
Empowering researchers and conservationists worldwide
Your data, your device, your research.

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