Privacy Policy — EarthTeam App

Last updated: May 8, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how EarthTeam (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, and shares information when you use the EarthTeam mobile application (“the App”), available on Android and iOS.

EarthTeam is an open conservation platform. Users control what information they share publicly. Nothing is collected without your knowledge or consent.

1. Information You Provide

Everything you share is voluntary. You decide what to post:

• Account: When you register, you provide a username, email address, and password. This is required to create your account.
• Profile: You may optionally add your full name, bio, organization details, website, phone number, and profile picture.
• Posts (Solutions): When you submit a solution, you choose what to include — title, description, location, images, and videos. Posts are visible to all App users.
• Comments: Comments you post are publicly visible. You can delete your comments at any time.
• Organization Data: If you represent an organization, you may provide name, website, address, team size, and description.

2. Device Permissions

• Location (Precise & Approximate): Used to display your position on the map and show nearby conservation projects. We do not track or store your location history. You can revoke this in device settings at any time.
• Camera: Accessed only when you explicitly tap to take a photo for a post or profile. No background camera access.
• Photo Library: Accessed only when you explicitly choose to upload an image. We do not browse your photos.

3. Automatically Collected Data

• Authentication Tokens: When you log in, a secure JWT token is stored on your device to keep you signed in. This token contains no personal data and is deleted when you sign out.
• Anonymous Usage: We may collect anonymous data about which features are used to improve the App. This cannot identify you personally.

4. How We Use Your Data

• Authenticate your account and keep it secure
• Display user-submitted content (posts, profiles, comments) to the platform
• Show conservation projects on the interactive map
• Send you verification codes for account setup (email OTP)
• Manage EarthTeam stars earned on the platform and display on leaderboard and user reward history
• Improve the App based on anonymous usage patterns

5. Data Sharing & Third Parties

• Public Content: Posts, comments, and profile information you make public are visible to all App users and may appear on our web platform (map.earth-team.org).
• Mapbox: We use Mapbox for the interactive map. Mapbox receives location data necessary to render map tiles and geocode coordinates.
• Solana Blockchain: Stars earned through the platform are recorded on the Solana blockchain for transparency and verification purposes. Your wallet public key is associated with your account. No financial transactions or monetary value is involved — stars are a reputation and contribution metric only. No personal identifying information is stored on-chain.
• We do not sell, rent, or trade your data. No personal information is shared with advertisers or data brokers.
• Legal compliance: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the safety and rights of our users.

6. Data Storage & Security

• User data is stored on secure servers distributed across multiple geographic regions. Data may be transferred and processed in countries outside your own.
• All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections.
• Authentication tokens are stored in platform-native secure storage (iOS Keychain / Android Keystore).
• Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text.

7. Account Deletion & Data Retention

You control what happens to your data when you leave:

• Delete Account, Keep Posts: Your account and profile information are deleted. Your posts and comments remain on the platform, attributed to you.
• Delete Account & Posts: Your account, profile, posts, comments, and uploaded content are removed from public view.
• Temporary Suspension: You may request your account be temporarily suspended. Your data is preserved but your profile is hidden from public view until you return.

Deleted data is retained for 30 to 90 days following deletion to allow account recovery, resolve disputes, and comply with legal obligations. After this period, data is permanently erased. You may request earlier permanent deletion by contacting us.

8. Your Rights

• Access: View and edit your profile information within the App at any time.
• Delete: Delete your posts and comments at any time. Choose from the account deletion options described above.
• Revoke Permissions: Disable camera, photo, or location access through your device settings at any time.
• Skip Onboarding: You may skip the optional onboarding form entirely.
• Data Export: Request an export of your personal data by contacting us.

9. Children’s Privacy

The App is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted here with an updated date.

11. Contact

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.earth-team.org