Freespool Privacy Policy
This policy explains what personal information Freespool collects, why, who it is shared with, and the choices you have. Freespool is operated by Freespool Pty Ltd (ABN 31 702 737 291) (“we”, “us”). We handle personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and, for New Zealand users, the Privacy Act 2020 (NZ).
1. Information we collect
Information you give us
- Account details — email address and password (passwords are stored hashed by our authentication provider; we never see them). An optional display name.
- Catch records — photographs, species, date and time, measurements, gear, notes, and the names you enter for other anglers in a shared session.
- Location of catches — GPS coordinates, if you allow location access. This is used to identify region-appropriate species, apply the correct fishing rules, and fetch local conditions.
- Support correspondence — if you contact us.
Information collected automatically
- A random device identifier generated by the app, used for rate-limiting and abuse prevention. It is not linked to your identity and is not an advertising identifier.
- Basic technical and error data needed to operate and debug the service.
We do not collect advertising identifiers, we do not track you across other apps or websites, and we do not use third-party advertising networks.
2. How we use it
- To identify the species in your photographs.
- To show fishing rules, species information and conditions relevant to where you are.
- To keep your catch log, and to back it up and sync it if you sign in.
- To learn the conditions you catch each species in, so we can send you the personalised alerts you have enabled. This analysis happens on your device.
- To operate subscriptions and enforce free-tier limits.
- To protect the service against abuse, and to meet legal obligations.
3. Your photographs and the AI identification
When you ask Freespool to identify a fish, the photograph is sent to our server, which passes it to specialist AI providers (see section 4). Before any photograph leaves your device, we remove its embedded EXIF metadata, including GPS coordinates.
Where you have allowed location access, the app separately sends the approximate coordinates of the catch to the identification service so it can rule out species that do not occur in your waters. This materially improves accuracy. You can decline location permission and still use the app.
4. Who we share information with
We do not sell personal information. We share it only with the service providers needed to run Freespool:
| Provider | Purpose | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Database, accounts, file storage, server functions | Sydney, Australia |
| Anthropic | AI species identification and information | United States |
| Fishial | AI visual species recognition | United States |
| Open-Meteo | Weather and marine forecasts | European Union |
| Mapbox | Maps | United States |
| RevenueCat | Subscription management | United States |
| Apple / Google | App distribution and subscription billing | United States and others |
Overseas disclosure
As shown above, some providers are located outside Australia and New Zealand — principally in the United States and European Union. By using the identification feature you consent to your photographs and the approximate catch location being disclosed to those overseas providers for that purpose. We take reasonable steps to ensure they handle the information appropriately, but overseas recipients may be subject to different laws from those in Australia or New Zealand.
We may also disclose information where required by law, or to establish or defend a legal claim.
5. Sharing features
If you create a share link for a session scorecard, that link is public — anyone who has it can view the page, and it is not password protected. A shared scorecard contains the session name, angler names, catch counts, species, conditions and gear.
A shared scorecard never contains your photographs or the coordinates of your catches. Location data is stripped both by the app and again on our server before the page is stored. Note that the session name itself is displayed, so avoid naming a session after a spot you wish to keep private. You can ask us to delete a share link at any time.
6. Storage, security and retention
- If you do not sign in, your catch log stays on your device and is not transmitted to us, apart from photos submitted for identification.
- Cloud data is stored in Supabase's Sydney region.
- Access to your data is restricted at the database level so that you can only read your own records.
- Your login session is stored in your device's secure Keychain (iOS) or Keystore (Android).
- Data is transmitted over encrypted connections.
We keep your information for as long as your account is active. We retain limited records after deletion only where required for legal, tax or fraud-prevention purposes.
No system is perfectly secure. If a data breach occurs that is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify affected users and the relevant regulator as required by law.
7. Deleting your data
You can permanently delete your account from inside the app, at Settings → Delete account. This removes your account and the cloud copies of your catches, sessions, tackle box and photographs. It cannot be undone.
Catches stored only on your device are not affected by account deletion; deleting the app removes them. You can also email us at hello@freespool.app to request deletion.
8. Your rights
You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or complain about how we have handled it. Contact us at hello@freespool.app and we will respond within a reasonable period.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, or in New Zealand to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
9. Children
Freespool is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. Fishing is a family activity — if a child uses the app, we recommend a parent or guardian holds the account and supervises use. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. Material changes will be notified in the app or by email before they take effect, and the date at the top will be updated.
11. Contact
Freespool Pty Ltd
Western Australia, Australia
hello@freespool.app