Plain-English summary
Critter Finder lets you photograph creatures, have them identified by AI, and collect them in a personal “Critter-Dex” with maps, badges, and a community feed. To do that we collect the account details you provide, the photos you capture, and — only if you allow it — the location where you made each find. We don't sell your data or use it for third-party advertising. You can delete your account and data at any time (see Delete your account).
This Privacy Policy explains how Critter Finder (“Critter Finder,” “the app,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and shares information when you use the Critter Finder mobile app and related services. By using the app you agree to this policy.
| Account & profile | Email, password (stored encrypted), and any name, username, bio, or profile photo you add. Optionally Apple or Google Sign-In. |
|---|---|
| Photos | Pictures you take or choose to identify, plus your profile photo. Stored on our servers so your Dex syncs. |
| Location | Precise GPS coordinates for sightings — only if you grant permission. Optional; the app works without it. |
| Your content | Sightings, species, notes, likes, badges, points, and public/private settings. |
| Technical & log data | IP address, device/browser type, and timestamps, kept for security and abuse prevention. |
| Used for advertising? | No. We don't sell your data or use it for third-party ads. |
| Key third parties | Anthropic (AI image identification), Apple/Google (only if you use their sign-in), and our cloud hosting provider. |
| Delete your data? | Yes — anytime. See Delete your account. |
We use the information above to:
When you ask Critter Finder to identify a photo, that image is sent to our AI provider, Anthropic (Claude Vision), which returns a structured identification (such as common and scientific name, category, rarity, a description, and a venomous-or-not safety flag). The AI's guess is a suggestion — it is never saved automatically, and you review or edit it before adding it to your Dex. Anthropic processes images to provide this result under its own terms; Anthropic does not use submissions through its API to train its models. Learn more in Anthropic's Privacy Policy.
Location is optional. Critter Finder requests “When In Use” location access so it can tag where you found each critter and place it on the map. If you decline, you can still photograph and identify critters and use the rest of the app — those sightings simply won't have a location.
We collect precise location only at the moment you create a sighting, not continuously in the background. You can change or revoke location access at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Critter Finder. If you mark a sighting as private, its location is not shown to other users.
We do not sell your personal information or use it for third-party advertising. We share information only as described here:
Critter Finder has social features — an explore feed, a map, and a leaderboard. By default, your profile is public and your sightings can appear to other users. You control this:
Please avoid including sensitive personal information in fields that may be public, such as usernames, bios, notes, or photos.
We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. We retain certain limited records (such as security logs) for a reasonable period for fraud prevention, legal compliance, and to protect our service. When you delete your account, we delete or de-identify your personal data as described below, except where we are required to retain it by law.
You can delete your account at any time.
Email eprosenhan@gmail.com from the address on your account (or include your account email and username) with the subject “Account deletion request.” We will verify the request and permanently delete your account and associated personal data — including your profile, photos, sightings, and location data — typically within 30 days, except for any limited records we must retain to comply with legal obligations.
If an in-app account-deletion option is available in your version of the app, you can also use that. Deleting the app from your device alone does not delete your account data from our servers.
Depending on where you live (for example, the EEA/UK or certain U.S. states such as California), you may have additional rights to access, correct, delete, or port your personal data, or to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at eprosenhan@gmail.com and we will respond consistent with applicable law. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
We protect your information with industry-standard measures: passwords are stored hashed, data is transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS), and access to production systems is restricted. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to safeguard your information and to address vulnerabilities promptly.
Critter Finder is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your region). If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
We operate the service from the United States, and your information may be processed and stored in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. By using the app, you understand that your information may be transferred to and processed in countries with different data-protection laws than your own.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we'll revise the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, provide additional notice. Your continued use of the app after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Critter Finder is developed and operated by EBR Technology
(app bundle identifier com.eprosenhan.critterfinder). For any
privacy question, data request, or account deletion, reach out: