Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 27, 2026

Wild Sightings helps people explore wildlife sightings and report observations. This policy explains the information involved when you use the service.

Information you provide

When you sign in with Google, we may receive and store:

Your Google account identifier
Your email address
Your display name and profile image

When you report a sighting, we store the selected animal, point of interest or submitted location, report date, and any quantity or notes you provide.

Location information

If you choose “Use My Current Location,” your browser asks for permission to access your device location. We use coordinates to center the map and find nearby points of interest. A location may be stored when you deliberately submit it as part of a sighting. You can deny location permission and select a location manually.

Public information

Sighting details may be displayed publicly, including the animal, location or point of interest, date, quantity, and notes. Do not include personal information or sensitive wildlife-location details in your notes. We do not currently display a reporter’s account identity with public sightings.

How we use information

Operate the map, account, and sighting-reporting features
Authenticate users and protect reporting features
Display and organize wildlife observations
Maintain security, prevent abuse, and troubleshoot problems
Comply with legal obligations

Service providers

Wild Sightings relies on third parties that may process information:

Google provides the Google sign-in process.
Supabase provides authentication and session services.
OpenStreetMap contributors and tile infrastructure provide map imagery.
Our hosting and database providers process data needed to run the service.

These providers process information under their own terms and privacy policies. Map and hosting requests may include technical information such as your IP address, browser type, and request time.

Cookies and browser storage

Wild Sightings uses essential local browser storage to maintain your Supabase sign-in session and remember that you dismissed the storage notice. Google and Supabase may use cookies or similar technologies on their domains while providing authentication. We do not currently use advertising or behavioral-analytics cookies.

Clearing your browser data may sign you out and cause the storage notice to appear again. Essential storage is necessary for the requested sign-in and session functionality.

Retention and security

We retain account and sighting information for as long as reasonably necessary to operate Wild Sightings, maintain the observation record, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and meet legal obligations. We use reasonable safeguards, but no online system can guarantee absolute security.

Your choices and rights

You may sign out, deny browser location permission, or clear locally stored session information. Depending on where you live, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction, or a copy of personal information. Some sighting information may be retained where necessary for legitimate recordkeeping or legal reasons.

Children’s privacy

Wild Sightings is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as Wild Sightings changes. The “Last updated” date will identify the current version. Material changes may also be announced within the service.

Contact

For privacy questions or requests, email [email protected].