Privacy Policy for FalconryLab

Introduction

Welcome to FalconryLab. This Privacy Policy explains how FalconryLab ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your information when you use our mobile application and services (collectively, the "Service").

By using FalconryLab, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address — Used for authentication and account recovery
• Name — Used for your profile and social interactions
• Password — Stored securely using bcrypt encryption (we never store plain text passwords)

Bird Tracking Data

To provide our core falconry tracking features, we collect:

• Bird profiles — Names, species, age, gender, band numbers, and notes
• Weight records — Weight measurements with timestamps and optional notes
• Training sessions — Session details, duration, success ratings, and notes
• Weight management data — Flying weight, target weight, baseline tracking, feeding logs
• Photos — Optional bird profile photos you choose to upload

Apprenticeship and Team Features

If you use the apprenticeship or team features, we collect:

• Sponsor/apprentice profiles — Bio, experience, location (city/state), and availability you choose to share
• Apprenticeship messages — Messages between you and your sponsor or apprentice
• Team data — Birds, weights, and documents shared within teams you join
• Hunt locations — GPS paths recorded while a hunt is active (only during hunts)

Falconry Map

If you use the Falconry Map, we collect:

• Sightings — The species, details, notes, optional photo, and the exact location of each raptor sighting you record. A sighting is private to your account unless you make it public
• Public sightings — Sightings you choose to make public are shown to other Falconry Map subscribers at the exact coordinates you marked, together with their details, notes, any photo, and your name
• Sighting messages — Messages between you and another member about a public sighting

Automatically Collected Information

When you use our Service, we automatically collect:

• Push notification token — A device token used solely to deliver notifications you enable
• Sync logs — Timestamps and status of data synchronization between your device and our servers

The app does not use analytics or advertising SDKs, and it does not track you across other apps or websites. This section describes the app only. For what the falconrylab.com website collects automatically — including cookies used for advertising — see the Website Privacy & Cookie Notice.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

1. Provide and maintain our Service — Enable bird tracking, weight management, training logs, hunts, and apprenticeship features
2. Sync your data — Synchronize your data across multiple devices using your account
3. Improve our Service — Analyze usage patterns to enhance features and user experience
4. Communicate with you — Send important updates, security alerts, and support messages
5. Ensure security — Protect against fraud, abuse, and security threats
6. Comply with legal obligations — Meet legal and regulatory requirements

Data Storage and Security

Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• Encryption in transit — All data transmitted between your device and our servers uses HTTPS/TLS encryption
• Password security — Passwords are hashed using bcrypt with 12 rounds of salting
• JWT authentication — Secure token-based authentication with 15-minute expiry
• Access controls — Role-based access ensures users can only access their own data

Data Storage Locations

Your data is stored in:

• Cloud servers — Hosted on secure cloud infrastructure (Fly.io platform)
• PostgreSQL database — Relational database with automated backups
• Redis cache — Temporary session data for performance optimization
• AWS S3 — Bird photos stored in Amazon Simple Storage Service (US East region)
• Local device — Offline-first architecture stores data locally for offline access

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process your data:

Amazon Web Services (AWS S3)

• Purpose: Storage of bird profile photos
• Data shared: Photos you choose to upload
• Privacy policy: https://aws.amazon.com/privacy/

Fly.io

• Purpose: Cloud hosting infrastructure
• Data shared: All application data stored on our servers
• Privacy policy: https://fly.io/legal/privacy-policy/

Apple Weather (WeatherKit)

• Purpose: Weather conditions shown for hunts and training sessions
• Data shared: The location coordinates of the hunt or session, sent to Apple to fetch weather

Twilio SendGrid

• Purpose: Transactional email (password resets, team invitations)
• Data shared: Your email address and the email content

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Your Rights and Choices

Access Your Data

You can access all your data within the app at any time. Your bird profiles, weights, training sessions, and hunts are always available in your account.

Delete Your Data

You have the right to delete your data:

• Individual records — Delete specific birds, weights, or training sessions using the app's delete functions
• Account deletion — Delete your account and all associated data directly in the app: Settings → Delete Account. Deletion is immediate and permanent.
• Email fallback — If you cannot access the app, contact support@falconrylab.com and we will delete your account within 30 days.

Export Your Data

• Weight data — Use the in-app export feature to download weight records as CSV or PDF
• Complete data export — Contact us at support@falconrylab.com to request a full export of your account data

Opt-Out of Communications

You can opt out of non-essential communications by adjusting your notification settings in the app.

Children's Privacy

FalconryLab is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@falconrylab.com, and we will delete such information.

Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. If you delete your account, we will delete your data within 30 days, except:

• Data required for legal compliance (e.g., tax records)
• Aggregated, anonymized data used for analytics (cannot identify you)
• Backup copies (automatically purged within 90 days)

International Data Transfers

If you are accessing our Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your data may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States and other countries where our service providers operate. By using our Service, you consent to such transfers.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know — Request details about what personal information we collect
• Right to delete — Request deletion of your personal information
• Right to opt-out — Opt-out of the sale of personal information (note: we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination — Exercise your rights without discriminatory treatment

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@falconrylab.com.

European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right of access — Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to rectification — Correct inaccurate data
• Right to erasure — Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing — Limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — Receive your data in a portable format
• Right to object — Object to certain processing activities

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@falconrylab.com.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the updated Privacy Policy in the app
• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Sending an email notification for significant changes (if you have provided an email address)

Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: support@falconrylab.com

Response Time: We aim to respond to all inquiries within 48 hours.

For data subject access requests, account deletion requests, or other privacy-related matters, please include:

• Your full name
• Email address associated with your account
• Detailed description of your request