Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Jamaica Plants ("we", "our", or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

By using Jamaica Plants, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the app.

2. Information We Collect

Account Information

• Display name and username you choose during setup
• Optional profile biography and profile photo
• Authentication identifiers used to secure your account

Plant Scan Data

• Photos you capture or upload for plant identification
• Identification results (species name, confidence score, matched images)
• AI-generated plant information saved to your personal library

Community Content

• Posts, captions, and comments you publish to the community feed
• Likes and follow relationships with other users

Usage & Performance Data

• App interaction events (e.g. scans performed, features used) collected via Firebase Analytics
• Performance metrics (e.g. API response times) collected via Firebase Performance
• Crash reports to help us diagnose and fix issues

Device Information

• Device type, operating system version, and app version
• A non-personally-identifiable device identifier

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and operate the plant identification service
• Store and display your saved scans and community posts
• Improve app performance and fix bugs
• Personalise your experience and enforce scan limits for free-tier users
• Detect and prevent abuse, spam, or violations of our Terms
• Communicate important updates about the service

4. Third-Party Services

PlantNet API — When you scan a plant, the image is transmitted to PlantNet's servers for species identification. PlantNet processes this data under their own privacy policy. We do not control how PlantNet stores or uses submitted images.

Firebase (Google) — We use Firebase for authentication, cloud database (Firestore), file storage, analytics, and performance monitoring. Google may process data in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy. Data may be stored on servers outside your country of residence.

Google AdMob — Free-tier users may see advertisements served by Google AdMob. Google may use device identifiers and usage data to serve relevant ads. Subscribing to Jamaica Plants Pro removes all advertisements.

We do not sell your personal information to any third party, ever.

5. On-Device Processing

Detailed plant descriptions (care tips, habitat, traditional uses, etc.) are generated entirely on your device using a local AI model. This information is never transmitted to our servers or any third party.

6. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely in Firebase's cloud infrastructure. We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS) and access controls. However, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your account data and content for as long as your account is active. You may delete your account at any time via Profile > Settings > Delete Account. Upon deletion, your profile, scans, posts, and comments are permanently removed from our servers within 30 days.

8. Children's Privacy

Jamaica Plants is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Your Rights

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

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data
• Object to or restrict certain processing of your data
• Data portability

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the email address below.

10. Cookies and Tracking

The Jamaica Plants mobile app does not use browser cookies. Firebase Analytics uses device-level identifiers to track aggregate usage patterns. You can limit ad tracking through your device's privacy settings at any time.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.