Privacy Policy

AvalancheClarity is a free app and website that makes avalanche bulletins easier to find and understand. You do not need to create an account to use it. We do not collect your name, email address, or any other personally identifiable information.

Information we collect

Usage analytics (app)

We use Firebase Analytics (provided by Google) to understand how the app is used. This includes anonymous events such as which bulletins are viewed, which languages are selected, and which regions are subscribed to. These events cannot be linked to you personally. We have explicitly disabled the advertising identifier (Ad ID) on Android.

Usage analytics (website)

The website uses Vercel Analytics to collect anonymous page-view and performance data. No cookies are set for analytics purposes.

Push notifications

If you enable push notifications, the app registers a Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token with Google's servers. This token is used solely to deliver bulletin notifications. Notifications are sent via topic subscriptions (e.g. "region_03") and are not targeted at individual users. You can disable notifications at any time in the app's settings.

Location

The app may request access to your device's location when you use the map or "find my region" feature. Your location is used only on your device to match your position against avalanche region boundaries. It is never transmitted to our servers, logged, or shared with any third party. You can deny or revoke location permission at any time in your device settings.

Local storage

The app stores your preferences (language, notification settings, subscribed regions) and cached bulletin data locally on your device. This data never leaves your device and is deleted when you uninstall the app.

Anonymous identifier

The app generates a random identifier (a 32-character string with no personal meaning) that is used solely to prevent duplicate analytics entries. This identifier cannot be used to identify you and is stored only on your device.

How we use your information

• To deliver avalanche bulletin notifications you have subscribed to.
• To understand which bulletins and languages are most used, so we can prioritise improvements.
• To monitor the website's performance and fix errors.

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose unrelated to delivering the service.

Third-party services

The app and website use the following third-party services that may process anonymous data:

• Firebase Analytics & Cloud Messaging (Google) — anonymous usage events and push notification delivery. Firebase Privacy.
• Vercel — website hosting and anonymous page-view analytics. Vercel Privacy.

We do not use any advertising networks, tracking pixels, or social-media SDKs.

Data sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your data with any third party. The third-party services listed above process data on our behalf as described in their respective privacy policies.

Data retention

• Analytics data is retained in aggregate form and cannot be linked to individual users.
• Local data (preferences, cached bulletins) is stored on your device and deleted when you uninstall the app.
• FCM tokens are managed by Google and expire automatically when the app is uninstalled.

Children's privacy

AvalancheClarity is not directed at children under 13. Since the app does not collect any personally identifiable information or require an account, we have no way to distinguish the age of our users.

Your rights

• You can disable push notifications in the app's settings or your device settings at any time.
• You can deny or revoke location permission in your device settings.
• You can delete all local data by uninstalling the app.
• You can opt out of Firebase Analytics by disabling analytics collection in your device's Google settings.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Continued use of the app or website after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, please contact us at: