Privacy Policy — Local Springs

Effective date: 19 April 2026
Last updated: 19 April 2026

Local Springs ("the app", "we", "us") is an Android and iOS application that helps you discover natural cold springs, hot springs, and swimming springs around the world. This privacy policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

Contact: kpsavagee@gmail.com

1. Information we collect

1.1 Information you provide

• Account details: email address and display name when you create an account.
• User-submitted content: spring submissions you make, including name, type, cost, country, region, description, directions, latitude/longitude, and photos you choose to attach.
• Saved preferences: springs you mark as visited, wishlisted, or rename locally.

1.2 Information collected automatically

• Approximate and precise location: used to centre the map on your location and show nearby springs. Location is processed on your device for the map; we do not log your location to our servers unless you submit a new spring (in which case the spring's coordinates are stored, not yours).
• Background location: optionally used to notify you when you are near a spring matching your notification preferences (if you enable notifications).
• Device permissions: camera and photo library access if you choose to attach a photo to a submission.

1.3 Information we do not collect

• We do not use third-party advertising SDKs.
• We do not run behavioural analytics.
• We do not sell or rent your personal information.

2. How we use your information

• Show you springs relevant to your location and preferences.
• Let you sign in, maintain an account, and keep your visited/wishlist lists synced across devices.
• Let you submit new springs for other users to discover.
• Send push notifications when you opt in to proximity alerts.
• Maintain and improve the app (debugging, fixing crashes).

3. Who processes your data

We use the following third-party service providers. Each has its own privacy policy.

• Google Firebase (Authentication, Firestore, Cloud Storage) — stores your account details, saved springs, and uploaded photos. firebase.google.com/support/privacy
• Google Maps Platform — renders the map and handles location services on Android. policies.google.com/privacy
• Expo (Expo Application Services) — provides over-the-air updates and push notification delivery. expo.dev/privacy

We do not share your personal information with any other third party, advertiser, or data broker.

4. Data location

Your account and submitted data are stored in Google Cloud data centres in Sydney, Australia (australia-southeast1).

5. Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account exists. If you delete your account, we delete your profile, wishlist, and visited-springs lists within 30 days. Spring submissions you have made and photos attached to them may be retained as part of the public springs catalogue, but are detached from your identity.

6. Your rights

You have the right to:

• Access the data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Request deletion of your account and associated personal data.
• Withdraw consent to notifications or location at any time in your device settings.

To exercise any of these rights, email kpsavagee@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under the Australian Privacy Principles, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) if you are in the EU or UK, or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) if you are in California.

7. Security

We use HTTPS for all network traffic. Your password is never stored in plaintext — authentication is handled by Google Firebase using industry-standard hashing. Access to stored data is controlled by Firebase Security Rules, which restrict each user to their own profile and require authentication to submit new springs.

8. Children

Local Springs is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please email us and we will delete it.

9. Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this policy we will update the "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, notify you in-app. Continued use of the app after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact

Kieran Savage (developer)
Email: kpsavagee@gmail.com
Melbourne, Australia