Privacy Policy

Effective date: 6 February 2026
Responsible Party: Safari Spotter App (“Safari Spotter”, “we”, “us”, “our”)
Contact: safarispotterapp@gmail.comSafari Spotter is designed to help you record wildlife sightings and create a personalised safari experience on your device.

We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa. We collect and process as little personal information as possible, and only where necessary for the functioning and improvement of the app.

1. Information You Create (Stored Locally on Your Device)

Safari Spotter stores the content you create locally on your device, including:

• Wildlife sightings (animal name, notes, date/time, location)

• Photos attached to sightings or places

• Seen animals and visited places

• Safari recap (“Safari Wrapped”) data

We do not upload your sightings or photos to our servers.
We do not store this content in the cloud.

You remain in control of this data at all times.

2. Location Information

Safari Spotter may request access to your device location while the app is in use to:

• Tag sightings accurately

• Support “Use My Location” features

• Improve map-based functionality

We do not track your location in the background.
We do not store historical location data on our servers.

You may decline location access at any time in your device settings. Some features may be limited without it.

3. Notifications

Safari Spotter uses local notifications scheduled directly on your device.

• We do not send remote push notifications from a server.

• Notification data is not transmitted to us.

• You can disable notifications in your device settings at any time.

4. Analytics

Safari Spotter uses Firebase Analytics (Google) to understand app usage and improve performance and features.

Analytics may collect:

• App interactions and usage patterns

• Device type and operating system

• App version

• Session information

• Anonymous app instance identifiers

Analytics data is processed by Google/Firebase as our service provider.

We:

• Do not use analytics for targeted advertising

• Do not sell personal information

• Do not combine analytics data with your sightings or photos

Google processes data in accordance with its own privacy policies.

5. Crash Reporting

Safari Spotter uses Firebase Crashlytics (Google) to identify and fix technical issues.

Crash reports may include:

• Error logs and stack traces

• Device/OS information

• App version

• Session identifiers

This information helps us maintain stability and improve performance. It is processed by Google as a service provider.

6. Maps and Third-Party Services

Safari Spotter uses map data from OpenStreetMap.

When map tiles are loaded, your device may communicate with third-party servers to retrieve map content. As part of standard internet communication, these services may process technical information such as:

• IP address

• Device/browser type

• Date and time of request

This processing is necessary to deliver map content and is handled by the respective service providers under their own privacy terms.

7. Children’s Privacy

Safari Spotter is intended for families. Children under 13 may use the app with parental or guardian guidance.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children.
If you believe personal information has been provided to us by a child in a manner inconsistent with this policy, please contact us so we can investigate and address the matter promptly.

8. Lawful Basis for Processing (POPIA Compliance)

Where personal information is processed (such as analytics or crash data), it is done on the basis of:

• Your consent (by using the app and granting permissions), and/or

• Our legitimate interest in maintaining, improving, and securing the app

We process information only for specific, lawful purposes and retain it only as long as necessary.

9. Data Security

Your safari content is stored locally on your device.

Security of that data depends largely on:

• Your device passcode or biometric security

• Operating system updates

• Backup settings

We recommend keeping your device updated and protected with a secure passcode.

Third-party service providers (such as Google/Firebase) apply their own technical and organisational safeguards to protect data they process.

10. Data Retention

Because your safari data is stored locally:

• It remains on your device until you delete it

• Deleting sightings or photos removes them permanently from the app

• Uninstalling the app may delete stored data (depending on your device settings)

Analytics and crash data are retained by Google in accordance with their retention policies.

11. Your Rights Under South African Law

In accordance with POPIA, you have the right to:

• Request access to personal information processed about you

• Request correction or deletion of personal information

• Object to certain types of processing

• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise your rights, contact us at:
safarispotterapp@gmail.com

12. International Data Transfers

Because we use Google Firebase services, limited technical data (such as analytics and crash information) may be processed outside South Africa.

Where this occurs, such transfers are subject to appropriate safeguards in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

If material changes are made, we will update the effective date above. Continued use of the app after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact

If you have any questions about privacy or data protection, please contact:

Safari Spotter App
Email: safarispotterapp@gmail.com