1. Who we are

This Privacy Policy explains how we process personal data when you use Mushroom Identifier, a browser-based service that helps users identify mushrooms and fungi from photos.

You can contact us at [email protected]

2. Personal data we collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data:

A. Information you submit

uploaded mushroom photos you submit for identification
optional information you choose to provide with a request, such as notes, location, and date found
support or privacy communications you send to us by email, including your email address and message contents

B. Technical and usage data

Device and Connection Data: IP address, approximate geographic location, browser type, device settings, and user-agent details.
Usage and Log Data: Server logs, diagnostic details (such as crash reports and system events), and website performance metrics.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Session identifiers, cookies, and local storage data used for site functionality, abuse prevention, and analytics.

C. Data generated during processing

identification results
model outputs
request and response traces
provider and model metadata associated with a request

D. Billing and subscription data

If you purchase a paid subscription (such as Mushroom Identifier Unlimited), we and our payment processor collect data needed to take payment and manage your subscription, including:

the email address you provide at checkout, which we also use to send a passwordless sign-in link so you can manage your subscription
your subscription status, plan, and billing dates, such as the current period and any renewal or cancellation date
limited transaction and customer identifiers returned to us by our payment processor

We do not receive or store your full payment card number or similar payment credentials. Card and payment details are entered directly with our payment processor and handled under its own terms and privacy policy.

3. How we collect personal data

We collect personal data:

directly from you when you submit photos, optional details, or emails to us
automatically through your use of the service and related analytics or logging tools
from service providers that help us host, secure, analyze, and operate the service

4. How we use personal data

We use personal data to:

provide the identification service you request
process uploaded images and return results
operate, maintain, monitor, and secure the service
detect, prevent, and respond to abuse, fraud, misuse, errors, and security incidents
troubleshoot problems and improve performance
analyze usage and improve the service
respond to support or privacy inquiries
process payments and manage paid subscriptions, such as Mushroom Identifier Unlimited
detect and prevent payment fraud and unauthorized use of paid features
comply with legal obligations
enforce our terms and protect our rights, users, and service

5. Uploaded photos and request details

When you submit a request, we process the photos you upload and any optional details you provide, such as notes, location, and date found, in order to generate identification results.

Uploaded photos are stored privately for processing and are not public by default.

Uploaded photos are stored only as long as needed to process your request and are then deleted. Because uploads are temporary and Mushroom Identifier does not require user accounts for the core identification service, there may be little or no data left to access or delete after processing is complete.

Optional request details and resulting outputs may appear in logs, traces, analytics, and troubleshooting records where reasonably necessary to operate, secure, and improve the service.

6. AI and third-party model providers

We use third-party AI/model providers, including Google and OpenAI, to generate identification results.

When you submit a request, we may send to those providers:

uploaded photos
optional notes, location information, and date found
related request content
model outputs and results

We use OpenAI and Google Gemini API to process submitted content and generate results. OpenAI API submitted inputs and outputs may be used to identify usage patterns, measure model quality, and inform future evaluation and training of models. Content submitted through Google Gemini API services may be used to provide, improve, and develop Google products and services, and Google states that human reviewers may read, annotate, and process API inputs and outputs.

For that reason, you should not submit sensitive, confidential, or highly personal information through Mushroom Identifier.

We do not use uploaded photos to train our own models.

7. Analytics, cookies, and similar technologies

We use analytics and related technologies to understand how people use the service, monitor performance, troubleshoot problems, and improve the product.

Analytics and related service providers may process identifiers, session data, usage events, interaction data, exception and performance data, request traces, model outputs, and optional text submitted with identification requests.

Mushroom Identifier may also use cookies, local storage, and similar technologies to keep the service reliable, recognize browsers or sessions, measure usage, monitor performance, and support analytics.

Where required by applicable law, we will request consent before using non-essential cookies or similar technologies.

We may share personal data with service providers that help us operate the service. Based on our current setup, these may include providers for:

image storage and delivery
hosting and platform infrastructure
rate limiting and abuse prevention
analytics and error monitoring
AI/model inference
email communications and support
payment processing and subscription management

For paid subscriptions, we use Creem as our payment processor and merchant of record. Creem takes payment, manages billing, and acts as the seller of record for your purchase. We share the email address and the subscription or transaction details needed to process your payment, and Creem processes your payment information under its own terms and privacy policy.

We may also disclose personal data:

when required by law
to comply with lawful requests from courts, regulators, or law enforcement
to enforce our terms or other legal rights
to detect, prevent, or respond to fraud, abuse, or security incidents

We do not sell personal data, and we do not share personal data for cross-context behavioral advertising.

9. International transfers

Mushroom Identifier and its service providers may process personal data in countries other than your own.

Where required by applicable law, we will rely on an appropriate legal mechanism for cross-border transfers.

10. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

In general:

uploaded mushroom photos are stored only as long as needed to process the request and are then deleted
analytics and tracing records may be retained for up to 1 year
support emails and related records are retained until no longer needed
technical logs are retained only as reasonably necessary for security, troubleshooting, and operations

Third-party providers, including AI/model providers, may retain and process submitted content under their own terms, policies, and retention practices.

We may retain information longer where necessary for legal compliance, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, security, or protection of the service.

11. Legal bases for processing

Depending on where you are located and the law that applies, we may rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

performance of a contract, to process submitted photos and provide the service you request
legitimate interests, to operate, secure, maintain, analyze, troubleshoot, and improve the service, respond to inquiries, prevent abuse, and protect the service and users
consent, where required, for non-essential cookies or similar technologies and certain analytics or other processing
legal obligation, where processing is necessary to comply with applicable law or lawful requests

12. Your rights and choices

Subject to applicable law, you may have rights such as the right to request:

access to your personal data
correction of inaccurate personal data
deletion of personal data
restriction of processing
objection to certain processing
portability of certain data
withdrawal of consent where processing is based on consent

You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection or supervisory authority.

To make a privacy request, email: [email protected]

Because Mushroom Identifier does not require user accounts for the core identification service and uploaded photos are deleted automatically, we may be unable to identify or locate certain data unless you provide enough information for us to do so.

We may be unable to fulfill a request where:

we cannot reasonably verify your identity
we cannot reasonably locate the data
the data has already been deleted
an exception applies under applicable law

Where available, you may also manage cookie or analytics preferences through any consent tools or settings we provide.

13. Support communications

If you contact us for support or privacy questions, we will process your email address and message contents to respond, troubleshoot, and keep records of the issue until no longer needed.

14. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect personal data and help keep the service reliable and secure. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

15. Age restrictions

Mushroom Identifier is intended only for adults aged 18 or older.

If you are under 18, do not use the service or submit personal data to us. If we learn that a person under 18 has provided personal data through the service, we will review the situation and delete the data where reasonably possible.

16. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Your continued use of the service after an update becomes effective means the updated Privacy Policy will apply going forward, subject to applicable law.

17. Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise privacy rights, contact:

[email protected]