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Privacy Policy for the Waldlotse App

Note: This is an informal English translation provided for convenience. The German version is the legally binding one. This policy covers the Waldlotse app (iOS and Android). Aseparate privacy policy applies to the website.

1. Controller

Dennis Schäfer, Am Sonnenhang 2 b, 76846 Hauenstein, Germany.
Email: kontakt@waldlotse.de

2. Principle and storage location

Waldlotse is built as an offline-first app: much of your data stays on your device by default. Once you create an account, your data is additionally synced with our server so it is backed up and available across multiple devices.

Your personal data (account, saved forests, observations, photos, activities) is stored on our own server in Germany. Access is protected by encryption and per-account access rules. We run no advertising tracking, use no advertising identifiers, and create no profiles for advertising purposes.

3. What data we process

  • Account data: your email address when signing in by email. With "Sign in with Apple" or "Continue with Google", an identifier provided by the respective provider and, where applicable, your email address.
  • Your forests / parcels: the parcels you save (cadastre reference, boundaries, area, name) and your notes.
  • Observations: title, notes, category, the associated location (coordinates), and optionally photosyou take.
  • Activities: your activity log (e.g. timber harvesting, planting, maintenance).
  • Location data: used to show your position on the map and to navigate to boundary markers. Location is processed on the device and only stored permanently if you attach it to an observation yourself.
  • Technical connection data: accessing our server generates technically necessary connection data (e.g. IP address, timestamp) required for operation and security.
  • Usage data: the app sends PostHog a random installation identifier, app and device information, app lifecycle events, and feature interactions — in particular parcel search and viewing, saving a parcel, creating an observation, starting navigation, offline map downloads, and use of forest groups. Depending on the event, search type, federal state, parcel size, observation category, or download settings may also be sent. Not transmitted: search text, names, email addresses, Supabase account IDs, coordinates, photos, or note text. The installation identifier persists across app sessions and enables pseudonymous usage histories.

4. Purposes and legal basis

We process this data to provide the app (account, backup, and syncing of your forests) — the legal basis is performance of the usage contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) — and for secure, stable operation (legitimate interest, Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Purely local use without an account is possible.

We process usage data to evaluate the app's usage, stability, and usability, to measure feature flows and retention, and to prioritize further development. Collection is enabled by default in release builds of the app. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in analyzing and improving our product (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). This data is not used for advertising or cross-provider tracking, and is not linked to your Waldlotse account.

5. Signing in

For email sign-in, we send you a one-time confirmation code. Delivery is handled by our processorMailjet (Mailjet SAS); your email address is passed to them for delivery.

If you choose "Sign in with Apple" or"Continue with Google", sign-in is performed by Apple or Google; we receive an identifier and, where applicable, your email address from them. The privacy notices ofAppleandGoogleadditionally apply. These sign-in methods are optional.

6. Map and geodata

To display maps and forestry data, the app loads map and remote-sensing data from external public services (including the Thünen Institute, DLR, Copernicus, the German Meteorological Service, and map tile providers). Loading this data technically requires sending your IP address and the map area being viewed to the respective provider. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) and (f) GDPR.

7. Error diagnostics

To detect and fix crashes and technical errors, the app usesGlitchTip. We operate this service ourselves on a server in Germany. When an error occurs, technical diagnostic data is sent, in particular the timestamp, app version, OS and device information, and the technical error trace (stack trace). We do not transmit names, email addresses, advertising identifiers, parcel data, coordinates, photos, or note text.

This processing serves the secure and stable operation of the app based on our legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Error reports are deleted after 90 days at the latest.

8. Recipients and processors

  • Storage: our own server in Germany (no cloud storage provider for your content).
  • Cloudflare (Cloudflare, Inc.) — technical connection of the app to our server (connectivity, encryption, protection against attacks). Cloudflare transmitsthe data but does not store the content. A data processing agreement with EU Standard Contractual Clauses is in place (Art. 28, Art. 46 GDPR).
  • Mailjet (Mailjet SAS) — delivery of sign-in emails (processor).
  • PostHog (PostHog, Inc.) — product analytics as a processor via PostHog Cloud EU. The app reaches the service through our own domain analytics.waldlotse.de. Pseudonymous usage profiles are created, but no session replay recordings.

Your forest, observation, or activity data is not passed on to third parties for their own purposes.

9. Retention period

We store your account and content data for as long as your account exists. If you delete your account, the associated data is deleted from the server. Data stored purely locally on your device is removed by deleting the app.

Product analytics events and the associated pseudonymous installation identifier are retained by PostHog for 24 months and then deleted. Error reports in GlitchTip are deleted after 90 days at the latest.

10. Deleting your account and data

You can delete your account and the associated data at any time — in the app via account settings, or by emailingkontakt@waldlotse.de.

11. Your rights

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights:

  • Access (Art. 15 GDPR)
  • Rectification (Art. 16 GDPR)
  • Erasure (Art. 17 GDPR)
  • Restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR)
  • Data portability (Art. 20 GDPR)
  • Objection (Art. 21 GDPR)

An informal message tokontakt@waldlotse.de is sufficient to exercise these rights. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority (Art. 77 GDPR).

12. Children

The app is aimed at forest owners, not at children. We do not knowingly process data from individuals under 16 years of age.

13. Currency

This privacy policy is current as of September 2026. Further development of the app may require updates.