Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy ("Policy") governs the collection, use, disclosure, retention, and protection of personal information obtained from users ("Users" or "you") of the FishDex mobile application, web application, and related services (collectively, the "Service" or "Application"), which are operated by FishDex ("FishDex", "we", "us", or "our"). By downloading, accessing, registering for, or otherwise using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and consented to the data practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree with the terms set forth herein, you must discontinue use of the Service immediately.

This Policy is intended to comply with applicable data protection laws and regulations, including but not limited to the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"), the California Online Privacy Protection Act ("CalOPPA"), the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") with respect to Users residing in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA").

FishDex collects and processes several categories of personal information, as described below. The specific data collected depends on the features you use and the permissions you grant to the Application.

1.1 Account and Registration Information

When you create a FishDex account, we collect your email address, which serves as your unique account identifier and is used for authentication, account verification, password recovery, and service communications. You may also provide a display username, which is visible to other Users and used for identification within the Service. If you choose to authenticate through a third-party provider (such as Apple or Google), we receive the email address and limited profile information that the provider shares with us in accordance with your authorization.

1.2 Catch and Fishing Activity Data

The primary function of FishDex is to enable Users to log and track their fishing catches. When you create a catch record, we collect and store the following information as provided by you: the species of fish caught, weight, length, location (including GPS coordinates if you elect to include them), date and time of the catch, any written notes or observations, and any photographs you upload. You retain full control over the visibility of each catch record, and may designate each catch as private, shared with selected friends, or shared publicly within the Service.

1.3 Social and Interaction Data

FishDex includes social features that allow Users to connect with one another. When you send or accept a friend request, like a catch, or post a comment, we collect and store information related to those interactions, including the identities of the Users involved, the content of any comments posted, and the timestamp of the interaction. This data is used to facilitate social engagement within the Service and is visible in accordance with each User's privacy settings.

1.4 Location Data

FishDex utilizes your device's location services to provide mapping, spot-tracking, and catch-logging features. Precise GPS coordinates are collected only when you actively choose to tag a catch with location data or when you use map-based features. Location data associated with a catch is not shared with other Users unless you explicitly enable location sharing for that specific catch. Approximate location may be used to provide regional context such as tide information and weather data. You may revoke location permissions at any time through your device settings, which will limit but not eliminate the core functionality of the Service.

1.5 Device and Technical Information

When you access the Service, we may automatically collect certain technical information, including but not limited to: device type and model, operating system and version, unique device identifiers, browser type, IP address, and information about your usage of the Application. This data is used for purposes of security, analytics, troubleshooting, and service optimization.

1.6 Payment and Transaction Information

When you purchase a premium subscription, payment processing is handled by our third-party payment processor, Stripe. FishDex does not directly collect, store, or process your full payment card details. Stripe collects and processes payment information in accordance with its own privacy policy and applicable Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard ("PCI DSS") requirements. We receive from Stripe limited transaction metadata, including confirmation of successful payment and subscription status, which we use to activate and manage your premium features.

1.7 Notification Preferences

We collect information regarding your notification preferences, including which types of notifications you have enabled or disabled (such as friend activity, likes, comments, and catch reminders). Push notifications are delivered through OneSignal, our third-party push notification provider, which may collect device identifiers necessary for message delivery. You may opt out of push notifications at any time through your device settings or within the Application.

FishDex uses the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

• To create, authenticate, and maintain your account and to provide the core functionality of the Service, including catch logging, species tracking, and data synchronization across devices;
• To display your catches, profile, fishing statistics, and social activity to other Users in accordance with your sharing preferences and privacy settings;
• To deliver push notifications and in-app alerts regarding friend activity, likes, comments, and other relevant events, subject to your notification preferences;
• To process subscription payments and manage premium account features in conjunction with our third-party payment processor;
• To provide interactive mapping features, location-based services, weather data, and tide information in conjunction with our mapping provider;
• To analyze usage patterns, monitor Service performance, and improve or develop new features, products, and services;
• To detect, prevent, investigate, and respond to fraud, security incidents, violations of our Terms of Service, and other harmful or unlawful activity;
• To respond to your inquiries, provide customer support, and communicate with you regarding your account, updates, and changes to the Service;
• To comply with our legal obligations and to protect our rights, privacy, safety, and property, as well as those of our Users and others.

Where FishDex relies on your consent as the legal basis for processing your personal information, you may withdraw that consent at any time by adjusting your settings within the Application or contacting us at support@thefishdex.com. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing conducted prior to such withdrawal.

For Users residing in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, FishDex processes personal information on the following legal bases under the GDPR:

• Performance of a contract — processing necessary to provide and maintain the Service you have requested, including account creation and catch logging;
• Legitimate interests — processing for purposes of security, fraud prevention, analytics, and service improvement, where such interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms;
• Consent — processing of data such as push notifications and optional features, where you have provided affirmative, freely given consent;
• Legal obligation — processing necessary to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or lawful government requests.

FishDex does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for monetary consideration. We may share or disclose your information in the following circumstances:

4.1 With Other Users

Information you voluntarily share — such as public catches, profile details, friend connections, likes, and comments — is visible to other Users in accordance with your privacy and sharing settings. You are responsible for the content you choose to share, and we encourage you to exercise discretion when sharing location data or other sensitive information.

4.2 With Third-Party Service Providers

We engage third-party service providers to perform functions and provide services on our behalf. These providers may have access to or process your personal information in the course of providing their services. The categories of providers we use include:

• Stripe Inc. — payment processing and subscription management;
• OneSignal — push notification delivery;
• Mapbox — interactive mapping and location-based data;
• Cloud infrastructure providers — data hosting, storage, and application hosting;
• Analytics providers — usage analytics and performance monitoring.

Each of these providers is bound by contractual obligations requiring them to protect your personal information and to use it solely for the purpose of providing services to FishDex. They are prohibited from using or disclosing your information for any other purpose without your consent, except as required by law.

4.3 Legal and Regulatory Disclosures

We may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law, regulation, subpoena, court order, or other lawful government request, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the safety, rights, or property of FishDex, our Users, or third parties, to investigate or prevent fraud, or to enforce our Terms of Service.

4.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, asset sale, reorganization, bankruptcy, or other similar transaction involving FishDex, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or in-app notice before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy, and we will take reasonable steps to ensure the receiving party honors this Policy.

FishDex retains your personal information for as long as your account is active or as necessary to provide the Service. Catch records, photos, social connections, and associated data are retained for the duration of your account and are deleted or anonymized upon account termination, except where retention is required by law, necessary for the investigation of fraud or security incidents, or subject to a legal hold.

Device and usage data may be retained in aggregated or de-identified form for analytics and service improvement purposes for a period determined by our internal data retention schedule. When you request deletion of your account, we will remove your personal information from active systems within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days, subject to any legal retention obligations.

FishDex employs industry-standard technical, administrative, and physical security measures designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (TLS/SSL), row-level database access controls that restrict data visibility to the owning User or those explicitly granted access, secure cloud infrastructure hosting, and regular security assessments.

Despite our efforts, no system or method of data transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security and therefore disclaim any liability for unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of your information to the extent permitted by applicable law. In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify affected Users and relevant authorities in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. FishDex is committed to facilitating the exercise of these rights as follows:

7.1 Rights Under the CCPA (California Residents)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you;
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions;
• Request correction of inaccurate personal information;
• Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information (FishDex does not sell personal information);
• Not be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.

7.2 Rights Under the GDPR (EEA and UK Residents)

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you have the following rights:

• Right of access — to obtain a copy of your personal data and confirmation that it is being processed;
• Right to rectification — to have inaccurate personal data corrected;
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") — to request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal exceptions;
• Right to restriction of processing — to request that we limit processing of your data under certain circumstances;
• Right to data portability — to receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format and to transmit it to another controller;
• Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing;
• Right to withdraw consent — to withdraw consent for processing based on consent at any time without affecting prior processing.

7.3 In-App Controls

Regardless of your jurisdiction, you may manage certain aspects of your privacy directly within the Application, including adjusting sharing preferences for catches, controlling location data sharing, enabling or disabling notification categories, and managing friend connections. You may also revoke location and notification permissions through your device's system settings.

To exercise any of the rights described above, please contact us at support@thefishdex.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days. We may request additional information to verify your identity before processing your request, and we may decline to act on requests that are frivolous, repetitive, or manifestly unfounded.

The Service is not intended for, nor directed to, children under the age of 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in the relevant jurisdiction). FishDex does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA") and other applicable laws. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at support@thefishdex.com. Upon verification, we will take prompt steps to delete such information and terminate the child's account.

FishDex and its third-party service providers may process and store your personal information in servers located in jurisdictions other than your country of residence, including the United States. Where your personal information is transferred outside of your jurisdiction of residence, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that such transfers are conducted in compliance with applicable data protection laws and that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses, adequacy decisions, or other recognized transfer mechanisms.

The FishDex web application may use cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as web beacons and local storage) to maintain session state, remember preferences, and collect usage analytics. The mobile application may use device-level identifiers for the same purposes. You may control or disable cookies through your browser settings; however, doing so may affect the functionality of the web application. Third-party analytics and advertising providers used by FishDex may also set their own cookies subject to their respective privacy policies.

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" ("DNT") feature that signals a User's preference not to be tracked across websites and online services. FishDex does not currently respond to DNT signals, as there is no universally accepted industry standard for how to interpret or act upon them. We will update this Policy if and when our practices regarding DNT signals change.

The Service may contain links to third-party websites, services, or features that are not owned or controlled by FishDex. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such third-party services. When you interact with a third-party service through or in connection with the Service, your information may be collected by that third party subject to its own privacy policy. We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access.

FishDex reserves the right to modify or update this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make material changes — meaning changes that significantly alter our data practices, the categories of information collected, the purposes for which information is used, or your rights — we will provide notice by posting the updated Policy on this page, updating the "Last updated" date, and, where appropriate, sending a notification through the Application or via email. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically to stay informed of any changes.

Your continued use of the Service following the posting of an updated Privacy Policy constitutes your acknowledgment and acceptance of the revised terms. If you do not agree with the revised Policy, you must discontinue use of the Service and request deletion of your account.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, or if you wish to exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact us using the information below:

We are committed to resolving any concerns you may have regarding your privacy and will make every reasonable effort to respond to your inquiry in a timely manner.