Privacy Policy — followbirds

Last updated: July 2026

followbirds ("we", "our", or "us") is a birdwatching platform that helps birdwatchers discover species, explore locations, join guided tours, and track their sightings. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information.

1. Information we collect

Account information: When you sign in with Google Sign-In, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo from Google. We do not receive or store your Google password.

Checklists and sightings: When you mark birds as seen, photographed, or add them to checklists, this data is stored in your account. Your personal markings (seen, lifer, favorite) remain private to you.

Tour participation: When you join a guided tour, the tour guide and other participants can see shared sightings during the tour. Tour reports generated at the end include shared observations.

Feedback and missing bird reports: If you submit feedback or report a missing bird species, we store your submission to improve the app.

Usage data: We collect anonymous analytics — such as which screens you visit and features you use — to understand how the app is used and improve it over time.

2. How we use your information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. Data storage and security

Your data is stored on Google Firebase servers (within the European Union). We use Firebase Authentication for sign-in and Cloud Firestore for all app data. Firebase provides industry-standard security, including encryption at rest and in transit.

We take reasonable measures to protect your data, but no method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

4. Third-party services

followbirds uses the following third-party services:

Affiliate and guide links: followbirds may display links to independent birding guides, tour operators, or other third-party services. Some of these links may be affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you use them. These third parties operate independently from followbirds. We are not responsible for their content, availability, pricing, services, policies, or any booking, payment, or other transaction you make with them. Please review the relevant third party's terms and privacy policy before using their services.

5. Your rights

You have the right to:

To exercise any of these rights, email info@followbirds.com.

6. Children's privacy

followbirds is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us.

7. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy on this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

8. Contact

For questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at info@followbirds.com.