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Legal

Privacy Policy

How Bushwak collects, uses, and protects your information.

Effective Date: October 2, 2026

This Privacy Policy applies to the Bushwak mobile application (the "Application"), the Bushwak website, and related communications, operated by the Service Provider identified below. Bushwak is free to use and does not display advertisements or offer subscriptions or in-app purchases.

This Privacy Policy explains how information is collected, used, stored, and deleted when you use these services.

1. Data Controller​

The Service Provider responsible for your personal information is the data controller under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the responsible party under South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), where applicable:

J. Nye, operating as Bushwak Jurisdiction: Germany Email: contact@bushwak.com

2. Information We Collect​

2.1 Information You Provide​

The Application collects information you provide, including:

  • Email address
  • Profile name and optional profile photo
  • Account preferences and settings
  • Wildlife sightings, notes, and uploaded photos

An account is required to use the Application. You must provide the information needed to create and maintain your account; without it, you cannot use the Application. You can choose whether to add photos and notes or allow location access and optional analytics. Declining an optional feature does not prevent you from using unrelated features.

We use your contact information to send account-related emails and respond to your enquiries. If you contact us or submit a website form, we process the contact details and message you provide to handle your request. Required form fields identify the information we need to respond or verify an account deletion request; without it, we may be unable to handle that request. Providing this information is not a legal obligation.

If you sign in through Apple or Google, we receive the account information that provider shares with us, such as your email address and account identifier.

2.2 User-Generated Content (Photos and Sightings)​

The Application allows users to upload photos and related content ("User Content") for the purpose of documenting wildlife sightings.

Strict rules apply:

  • Photos of children are strictly prohibited.
  • Users must not upload images that intentionally focus on identifiable individuals.
  • Adults may appear incidentally in photos (for example, in the background of an animal sighting).
  • The Application is not intended for photographing people.

Uploaded photos may include:

  • Images of animals and their surroundings
  • Location data associated with the sighting
  • Technical metadata provided by your device (such as EXIF data)

User Content is used to:

  • Display wildlife sightings
  • Enable mapping and discovery features
  • Support Application functionality and moderation

Sharing your sightings: When you make a sighting public, other Bushwak users may see its coordinates, date and time, notes, photos, and your profile name and photo. You can change a sighting's audience in its editor and choose a default audience in your profile settings. Private sightings and sightings of species marked as protected are excluded from public sighting views and community photo listings.

Public sightings and photos may appear in maps, recent sightings, and community photo listings. Leaving a recent-sightings view does not delete the sighting from your own history or necessarily remove its photos from community listings. Other users may save, download, or capture public content; changing visibility or deleting it cannot recall copies they have already retained.

Uploaded photos are not used for advertising purposes.

The Service Provider reserves the right to remove User Content that violates this policy or applicable laws.

2.3 Automatically Collected Information​

The Application automatically collects certain technical and usage information, including:

  • Device type, model, and operating system
  • App and device identifiers used for functionality and diagnostics
  • IP address and approximate location
  • Optional app usage analytics, if you opt in
  • App diagnostics, including lifecycle, crash, error, and performance data

Optional usage analytics are disabled by default and can be enabled or disabled at any time in the Application's legal and privacy settings. Diagnostic data may be processed separately to maintain security, performance, and reliability.

This information is used for:

  • Application functionality
  • Analytics and performance monitoring
  • Security and fraud prevention
  • Service improvement

2.4 Website Cookies and Analytics​

We use essential cookies and similar technologies to operate and protect the website and remember your privacy choices.

If you choose to allow analytics, we use Google Analytics through Cloudflare Zaraz to understand which pages visitors use and improve the website. This may include page visits, browser and device information, and identifiers stored in cookies. Optional analytics remain off unless you accept them. You can reject analytics or change your choice at any time using Cookie settings in the footer. Rejecting analytics does not prevent you from using the website.

3. Location Information​

The Application may collect approximate or precise location data only when you grant permission.

Location data is used to:

  • Record and display wildlife sightings
  • Show nearby sightings and maps
  • Improve navigation, analytics, and user experience

The Application does not track location continuously in the background.

You may revoke location access at any time through your device settings.

Where the GDPR applies, we rely on:

  • Consent for optional app and website analytics and location access where requested.
  • Contractual necessity to provide the services you request, including accounts, syncing, and storing and sharing sightings and photos according to your choices.
  • Legitimate interests in protecting the service, diagnosing errors, maintaining performance and reliability, and responding to enquiries, balanced against your rights and interests.
  • Legal obligations, including handling privacy requests and responding to lawful disclosure requirements.

You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.

5. Third-Party Services and Data Sharing​

We use service providers to operate the Application and website. They receive the information needed to provide their services. Where they process personal data on our behalf, they do so under contractual obligations.

These services include:

  • Apple and Google – app distribution and sign-in services
  • Google Analytics – optional website usage analytics, with your consent
  • PostHog – optional app usage analytics and diagnostics
  • Mapbox – maps and related location and usage telemetry
  • Supabase – account management and data storage
  • Cloudflare – website hosting, security, consent management, form verification, and photo storage
  • Resend – delivery of account emails and website enquiries
  • Hetzner – server hosting for storage and synchronization of app data

The Service Provider may disclose information:

  • When required by law or legal process
  • To protect the rights, safety, or property of users or others
  • To trusted service providers operating under confidentiality agreements

Third-party privacy policies:

5.1 International Processing​

Bushwak is operated from Germany. Our database, app analytics, and synchronization servers are hosted in the EU. Some service providers also process information outside the European Economic Area, including in the United States. For South African users, information is processed outside South Africa.

Where required, we use transfer safeguards such as European Commission standard contractual clauses. Transfers covered by POPIA must also meet its requirements for adequate protection or another permitted basis. Contact contact@bushwak.com for details or a copy of applicable safeguards.

6. Data Retention​

We keep your account information, sightings, and photos until you delete them or your account, subject to the limited exceptions below.

Analytics, diagnostics, and other technical records have separate retention periods. These depend on the type of record, the relevant provider's retention settings, and the time needed to assess usage, resolve faults, or investigate security incidents. Enquiry records are kept to handle your request and any necessary follow-up.

7. Account and Data Deletion​

You may delete your account using the in-app controls, request deletion on our website, or contact contact@bushwak.com. Website and email requests are verified before the account is deleted.

When you delete your account, we delete your account information, sightings, and uploaded photos. Completing deletion across our systems and service providers may take additional time. Account deletion is permanent.

Limited information may remain temporarily in backups and security logs, or where retention is required by law. We retain this information only for as long as necessary for those purposes.

8. Children’s Privacy​

Bushwak is a wildlife and safari app for a general audience. Account holders must be at least 18 years old. Children may explore Bushwak together with a parent or guardian using the adult's account.

Do not submit personal information about children, including their photos. If you believe a child has created an account or a child's personal information has been submitted, contact contact@bushwak.com. We will review the report and promptly remove information we should not hold.

9. Your Rights​

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

  • Access your personal data
  • Request correction or deletion
  • Withdraw consent
  • Object to certain processing
  • Request restriction of processing
  • Request data portability

California residents may request information about the collection and use of personal data and may opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. Bushwak does not sell personal data.

Requests may be submitted to contact@bushwak.com. We may ask for information reasonably necessary to verify your identity and protect your account. We respond within the time limits required by applicable law and explain if a request cannot be fulfilled.

South Africa: Where POPIA applies, you may ask whether we hold personal information about you, request access, correction or deletion, and object to processing in the circumstances allowed by that Act. You may complain directly to the Information Regulator using its complaints process or POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za.

European Economic Area: You may lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, particularly in the country where you live or work, or where you believe an infringement occurred.

10. Security​

The Service Provider implements reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal data.

However, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

11. Changes to This Policy​

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically. Material changes will be communicated through the Application or app store listings.

Where a change requires your consent, we will ask for it before applying that change to the relevant processing.

Where we rely on consent, we ask for it separately. You can withdraw it through the relevant app or website settings, or by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before you withdrew consent.

13. Contact​

For privacy-related questions or requests, contact:

📧 contact@bushwak.com