Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Earthlingz (“we,” “our,” or “us”), a nonprofit initiative dedicated to environmental stewardship and community-driven cleanup activities. We’re committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we collect, use, and share your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your data when you use our mobile application and related services (collectively, the “Service”). By using our Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Email address, display name, profile photo, and optional motto.
• Profile & Participation: Cleanup hours, training scores, completed learning modules, and achievements.
• Content: Photos, comments, posts, and reports you submit about cleanup activities and litter.
• Communications: Bug reports, feedback, and support messages you send to us.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Location Data: GPS coordinates during cleanup sessions to verify participation and map cleaned areas (you control when tracking starts/stops).
• Device Information: Device model, OS version, app version, and device identifiers.
• Usage Data: Features used, app interactions, session timestamps.
• Diagnostics: Crash logs and performance data.

3. How We Use Your Information

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Service.
• Track and verify cleanup activities and environmental impact.
• Connect you with community cleanup events and groups.
• Deliver educational content through learning modules.
• Enable social features (following, posting, sharing).
• Send notifications about events, group activities, and app updates.
• Improve our Service through analytics and user feedback.
• Promote safety, prevent misuse, and enforce our Terms of Service.
• Comply with legal obligations.

4. Information Sharing with Partner Organizations

4.1 What We Share

When you join a group or participate in an event organized by a partner organization, we may share:

• Your display name and profile photo.
• Your participation status in their events.
• Your cleanup activity data related to their events (e.g., hours contributed, areas cleaned).
• Your contact information (email) if you opt in to direct communication with the organization.

4.2 Who We Share With

• Event Organizers: Community groups, environmental nonprofits, and municipalities hosting events.
• Group Leaders: Administrators of groups (“crews”) you join in the app.
• Partner Organizations: Environmental nonprofits we collaborate with to coordinate regional efforts.

4.3 Purpose of Sharing

• Coordinate events and track participation.
• Recognize and thank volunteers.
• Facilitate group communication and collaboration.
• Generate impact reports for grants and community updates.
• Support safety and accountability.

4.4 Your Control

You control sharing by choosing which groups to join and events to attend. Manage visibility in app settings.

5. Data Sharing with Third Parties

We use vendors to help us run the Service. They must protect your data and use it only for our purposes.

• Firebase / Google Cloud: Authentication, database, storage, analytics, crash reporting.
• Messaging Services: Push notifications about events and updates.
• Analytics Providers: To understand how users interact with the Service (we prefer aggregated or de-identified data where possible).

We do not sell your personal information.

6. Payments & Donations

Earthlingz is a free community app. We may offer optional contributions (“donations”) through secure payment processors such as Stripe or PayPal. If you choose to contribute, we collect:

• Donor Info: Name, email (for receipts), contribution amount, date/time.
• Payment Metadata: Provided by the payment processor (e.g., transaction ID). We do not store full card numbers on our servers.

Earthlingz is organized as a nonprofit initiative but is not currently recognized as a 501(c)(3); contributions are not tax-deductible. Processor terms and privacy policies apply to your payment.

7. Your Privacy Rights

You have rights over your information. Depending on your location, these may include:

• Access: Get a copy of your personal data.
• Correction: Update or correct your information.
• Deletion: Delete your account and data (with some exceptions for legal/operational needs).
• Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format.
• Consent Controls: Withdraw location or notification permissions at any time.
• Opt-Out (CA/CPRA): We do not “sell” or “share” your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. You may still request opt-out confirmation.

To exercise rights, contact us at derek@teamearthlingz.org. We will verify your request and respond within 30 days (or as required by law).

8. Location Data

We use location to verify cleanup areas and show nearby events. Location tracking occurs only during active cleanup sessions you start. You can:

• Control app permissions in your device settings.
• Use in-app privacy controls to manage visibility of cleanup locations.
• Choose not to start tracking sessions.

9. Data Retention

We keep personal information only as long as needed to:

• Operate your account and provide the Service.
• Comply with legal obligations (e.g., nonprofit records, typically up to 7 years).
• Maintain anonymized/aggregated environmental impact statistics.
• Resolve disputes and enforce agreements.

When you delete your account, we delete or anonymize personal data within 30 days unless we must retain some information for legal or legitimate nonprofit purposes (e.g., de-identified impact stats).

10. Children’s Privacy

The Service is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn a child under 13 has provided personal data, we will delete it.

For users aged 13–17, we recommend parental consent before participating in events or sharing personal information.

11. Security

We use technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption in transit and at rest (where supported).
• Secure authentication via Firebase Authentication.
• Access controls and least-privilege practices.
• Regular updates and vulnerability remediation.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We work to safeguard data but cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be processed outside your state or country (e.g., on Google Cloud). Where applicable, we rely on appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) for cross-border transfers.

13. Cookies & Tracking

The app and site may use cookies or similar technologies (e.g., device identifiers, local storage) for authentication, preferences, analytics, and performance. You can control cookies through your browser or device settings. We do not use third-party ad networks for targeted advertising.

“Do Not Track” signals may not be recognized by our systems, but you can control tracking via your settings and the choices described in this policy.

14. Legal Bases (EEA/UK Users)

Where GDPR/UK GDPR applies, we process your data on the following bases:

• Contract: To provide the Service you requested.
• Consent: For optional features like location and notifications (you can withdraw anytime).
• Legitimate Interests: Safety, fraud prevention, analytics, and improving the Service (balanced against your rights).
• Legal Obligation: To comply with laws and respond to lawful requests.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you by:

• Updating the “Last Updated” date above, and
• Sending a push notification or showing an in-app notice for material changes.

Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

16. Nonprofit Status & Data Use

Earthlingz operates as a nonprofit initiative. We do not sell your personal information, use it for commercial advertising, or share it for profit. Data sharing with partner organizations is solely to coordinate events and further environmental goals, as described above.

While we are organized as a nonprofit entity, we are not yet recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are not tax-deductible.