WildLife Privacy Policy

1. Data Controller

The data controller is Starlyware di Gianluca Grasso, Chieti (CH), Italy. For any privacy question or to exercise your rights, write to info@starlyware.com.

2. At a Glance

• You can use WildLife without an account: in that case we do not ask for your name or email.
• Your precise location is sent to our servers only when you tap "I'm here" to record a visit. The app does not track your movements in the background.
• Your journal, its photos and your trip plans are private: only you can see them.
• The app is free and shows ads through Google AdMob. Personalised ads are shown only with your consent.
• We do not sell your data.
• You can delete your account and all the data linked to it at any time, in the app or by email (instructions).

3. Data We Process

3.1 Using the app without an account

The catalogue of places, the map, the weather, the compass and the other tools work without an account. The catalogue is downloaded and stored on your phone. Advertising and the statistics described in sections 3.9 and 3.10 still apply.

3.2 Account

If you create an account we process:

• your email address and password (the password is handled by Google Firebase Authentication and we never see it), or the data we receive from Google if you sign in with Google (name, email, profile photo);
• the name you choose and your profile photo, if you add one;
• a unique account identifier (UID).

3.3 Location

• Check-in ("I'm here"): when you record a visit, the app sends the server your GPS position, its accuracy and whether the position is simulated. The server compares it with the position of the place to confirm the visit. We keep the list of visited places with their dates and the position of your last check-in, which is used to block impossible visits (for example hundreds of kilometres away within a few minutes).
• Map, compass and "Near you": your location is used only on your phone and is not sent to our servers.
• Weather: to show the forecast for your position, the app sends rounded coordinates (about 1 km) to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, MET Norway (api.met.no), without any account data.

You can refuse or withdraw the location permission at any time in the Android settings. Check-ins are then not available.

3.4 Content you create

• Journal: texts, dates, linked places and photos of your adventures. Photos are resized on your phone before upload.
• Trip plans: places, date, packing list and notes.
• Suggestions and rating: the messages you send to the team and the rating you give the app.

Journal and plans are not visible to other users.

3.5 Badges, points and statistics

Based on your visits, journal entries and completed trips, the server calculates your points, level and badges. If you declare that you have a WWF membership card, only this information (yes/no) is stored on the server: the card itself stays on your phone.

3.6 Nature recognition

When you use "Recognise nature", the photo you take or choose is resized and sent to our servers, which have it analysed by Google's Gemini artificial intelligence model (Google Cloud Vertex AI). The photo is used only to answer your request and is not stored by us. Google processes it on our behalf as a cloud service provider. We only keep the number of daily requests, to apply the usage limit.

If you use "Report" on an answer, we receive the text of the answer, the reason you choose, the note you write (optional), the language of the app and your account identifier, so that we can check the answer and improve the service. The photo is not sent.

3.7 "Supporter" purchase

Payment is handled entirely by Google Play: we never receive your card or payment method details. To verify the purchase and award the badge, we receive from Google Play the order ID, the date, the product and a purchase token, which we store in hashed form. We periodically check with Google Play whether a purchase has been refunded.

3.8 External content

WWF news is read from the public feed of wwf.it, and external links (websites of places, WWF, Wikipedia) open in your browser. In these cases your device connects directly to those websites, which receive your IP address under their own privacy policies.

3.9 Advertising

The app shows ads through Google AdMob. AdMob collects your device's advertising ID, your IP address (from which it derives an approximate location), your interactions with the ads and diagnostic data, in order to show and measure ads and to prevent fraud. In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland we ask for your consent through Google's consent form (UMP): without consent, only non-personalised ads are shown. You can change your choice at any time in Settings → Ad preferences, and you can reset or delete your advertising ID in the Android settings. More information: how Google uses information from partner apps.

3.10 Statistics, security and technical data

• Google Analytics for Firebase: aggregated statistics on how the app is used (screens opened, session length, device model, Android version, country or approximate area derived from the IP address), through an installation identifier.
• Server technical logs: IP address, date and time of requests and any errors, kept for security and troubleshooting.

4. Purposes and Legal Bases

• Performance of the service you request (Art. 6(1)(b)): account, check-ins, badges, journal, plans, nature recognition, purchase verification, replies to suggestions.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): device location and camera permissions, personalised ads. You can withdraw it at any time.
• Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)): security of the services, prevention of abuse and fake visits, aggregated statistics to improve the app, non-personalised ads that allow us to offer the app for free. You can object by writing to info@starlyware.com.
• Legal obligations (Art. 6(1)(c)): tax obligations and requests from authorities.

5. Recipients and Service Providers

We do not sell or transfer your data. For the purposes above, your data may be processed by:

• Google (Google Ireland Ltd and Google LLC): Firebase (authentication, database, file storage, server functions, Analytics), Google Cloud Vertex AI, Google Play (payments and distribution), Google Maps. Google acts as a processor on our behalf.
• Google AdMob, for advertising. For personalised ads Google acts as an independent controller.
• MET Norway, only for the approximate coordinates needed for the weather forecast.
• Aruba S.p.A., which hosts the website and the management panel used by the controller to administer the app.
• Public authorities, only when required by law.

6. Where Your Data Is Stored

The WildLife database and server functions are located in the European Union (europe-west1 region, Belgium). Some Google services (for example Analytics, AdMob and the artificial intelligence model) may also process data outside the European Union, in particular in the United States. Such transfers are based on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and on the Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.

7. Retention

• Account and content: as long as the account exists. When you delete your account we immediately delete your profile, photos, visits, badges, statistics, journal, plans, suggestions, rating and purchase data.
• Recognition photos: not stored. The daily request counter is deleted with the account.
• Reports of recognition answers: kept as long as needed to review them. When you delete your account, the link to your account is removed and the report stays without any identifier.
• Accounts suspended for violations: email, name, date and reason of the suspension may be kept after deletion, to prevent further abuse.
• Log of administrative operations: up to 24 months, for security and accountability.
• Internal moderation notes: kept as long as needed to protect the community and to handle disputes, and deleted when no longer needed.
• Server technical logs: normally 30 days.
• Analytics statistics: according to the retention period set in Google Analytics, at most 14 months.
• Google Play orders: kept by Google according to its legal obligations.

8. Account Deletion and Your Choices

• Delete your account in the app from Profile → Settings → Delete account, or follow the account deletion instructions.
• You can delete single journal entries and single plans without deleting your account, and change your profile name and photo.
• You can withdraw the location and camera permissions in the Android settings.
• You can change your ad consent in Settings → Ad preferences.

9. Your Rights

Under Articles 15-22 of the GDPR you have the right to:

• access your data and receive a copy;
• ask for its rectification or erasure;
• ask for the restriction of processing or object to it;
• receive the data you provided in a structured format (portability);
• withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting processing already carried out;
• lodge a complaint with the Italian Data Protection Authority (www.garanteprivacy.it) or with the supervisory authority of your country.

To exercise your rights, write to info@starlyware.com from the email address of your account. We reply within one month.

10. Children

WildLife is not intended for children under 14, who may create an account only with the consent of a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has given us data without consent, write to us and we will delete it.

11. Security

All communication between the app and the servers is encrypted (HTTPS/TLS). Access to data is protected by rules that let each user read only their own private data, and sensitive operations (visits, badges, purchases) are performed and verified only by the server.

12. Changes

We may update this policy for new features of the app or changes in the law. The date of the last update is shown at the top. In case of important changes we will let you know in advance, by email (if you have an account) and in the notes of the app update on Google Play.