Spotter is built to help you understand the world around you — not to harvest data about you. This policy explains, in plain language, what we collect, why, and the control you have over it.
Spotter (“the App”) is built and operated by Damien Lutrin (“we”, “us”, “our”).
What we collect
Information you provide
- Account information — your email address and a password, if you create an account. You can use Spotter anonymously, without an account or any personal details.
- Photos — the images you capture or choose to identify. Each photo is uploaded to our servers, sent to an AI provider to generate a synopsis, and saved with the Spot it belongs to.
- Chat messages — the messages you send when asking follow-up questions about a Spot.
Information collected automatically
- Location — if you grant permission, when you identify a photo we capture your device’s location (latitude and longitude) and the reverse-geocoded place name, and attach it to that Spot. Location is only captured in the foreground, at the moment you identify something — never in the background.
- Device identifier — a random identifier stored on your device so we can associate Spots with anonymous users. It is not an advertising identifier.
- Subscription status — whether you have an active Premium subscription, managed through RevenueCat and the App Store.
How we use your data
- Identify the subject of your photos using AI.
- Generate AI synopses and chat replies about your Spots.
- Save your Spots — photo, location, place, and time — as your personal travel journal.
- Sync your Spots across your devices when you’re signed in.
- Enforce free-tier limits (3 identifications per day; 5 chat messages per Spot).
- Manage your subscription and account.
We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use it for advertising. Photos and messages are sent to our AI providers solely to generate your results; under their API terms, they do not use this content to train their models.
Third-party services
- Supabase — database, authentication, and photo storage. Privacy policy.
- Google Gemini — the default AI model for identification and chat. Google AI terms.
- OpenAI — the GPT model, available to Premium subscribers who select it. Privacy policy.
- Anthropic — the Claude model, available to Premium subscribers who select it. Privacy policy.
- On-device model — Premium subscribers can run an on-device model. When it’s used, identification happens locally on your device and the photo is not sent to a third-party AI provider.
- RevenueCat — subscription management. It receives your anonymous app user ID and purchase information. Privacy policy.
- Apple — in-app purchases are processed by Apple’s App Store.
Data retention
Your Spots, photos, and messages are kept for as long as you keep them. You can delete any individual Spot — and its photo — at any time from the App. If you use Spotter anonymously, your Spots stay linked to your device’s identifier until you delete them or ask us to. When you delete your account, the associated data is removed from our servers.
Your controls
- Access — your Spots and profile are visible in the App at all times.
- Deletion — delete individual Spots in the App, delete your account from the App’s Profile settings, or email us to delete your account and its data.
- Permissions — you can revoke camera or location access at any time in your device settings.
- A copy of your data — email us any time to request one.
Children’s privacy
The App is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data. If you believe a child has provided us with data, contact us and we will delete it.
Security
Data is transmitted over HTTPS. Database access is governed by row-level security policies, and passwords are handled by our authentication provider and never stored in plaintext.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The “last updated” date above will change accordingly, and continued use of the App after an update means you accept it.
Contact
Questions or requests about your privacy? Email support@automatalabs.app.