Privacy Policy

Last updated 12 August 2026

SeekScene's whole premise depends on location and photos, so we treat both as sensitive by default. This page explains exactly what we collect, why, and the controls you have.

1. What we collect

Data	When	Why
Email, display name, profile photo	When you sign in (Google or email/password, via Firebase Authentication)	To identify your account and attribute what you pin, save, and confirm
Location — coarse (city/area) by default	Whenever the feed loads, to rank nearby discoveries	Distance ranking, the "you're near something new" prompt
Location — precise	Only if you explicitly opt in	More accurate distance and the new-place prompt; you can turn this off at any time in Profile
Photos you upload	When you create a pin	Displayed on the discovery; GPS data embedded in the photo file (EXIF) is stripped automatically before we store it
Saves, Go actions, confirmations, reports	When you take those actions	Ranking, freshness signals, and (in aggregate, never sold individually) understanding what's actually useful nearby
Push notification subscription	Only if you opt in, in Profile	Sending you the specific alerts you asked for (e.g. something you saved is ending soon)
Basic technical data (IP, browser, device type)	Every request, briefly, in server logs	Security, abuse prevention, debugging — not used to build an advertising profile

2. What we never do

We never track your location in the background when the app isn't open.
We never sell your individual location history to anyone.
We never silently upgrade you from coarse to precise location — that's always an explicit choice you make.
We don't run third-party ad-tracking scripts.

3. Who we share data with

We use a small number of service providers to run SeekScene, each only for the purpose below:

Firebase (Google) — authentication only. Firebase sees your email and sign-in method; we don't send it your location or photos.
Our own servers — the database, uploaded photos, and push notification delivery are hosted on infrastructure we operate directly, not a third-party data broker.
OpenStreetMap — powers the map view; your device may request map tiles directly from their tile servers when you open the map.
If you use the "Share" feature, the destination (e.g. WhatsApp) receives whatever you choose to send — that's between you and them, initiated by you, not us.

We do not sell personal data to anyone, for any purpose.

4. Your controls

Location precision: toggle coarse/precise anytime in Profile.
Notifications: opt in or out anytime in Profile.
Atlas visibility: keep collections private, unlisted, or public — your choice per Atlas.
Account deletion: email privacy@seekscene.com to request deletion of your account and associated personal data. We'll confirm once it's done, typically within 30 days. Some discoveries you've pinned may remain visible with attribution removed, the same way a removed contributor's edits persist on other collaborative platforms — tell us in your request if you'd like those removed too.
Data export: email the same address for a copy of your data.

5. Cookies & local storage

We use browser storage to keep you signed in (via Firebase's session persistence) and to remember a few preferences (like whether you've enabled the location-aware "new place" prompt). We don't use third-party advertising cookies.

6. Children

SeekScene isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we'll remove it.

7. Changes to this policy

If our practices change, we'll update this page and the date above. Material changes affecting how we handle location or photo data will be communicated in-app before they take effect.

8. Contact

Questions, requests, or concerns about your data: privacy@seekscene.com.