Privacy policy

Effective 1 July 2025 · Scout Ashes LLC

Scout Ashes LLC (“we”, “us”, or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it. This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use the Scout Ashes mobile application and this website.

1. Information we collect

Information you provide

• Email address and account details when you create an account or contact us
• Account credentials (username and a securely hashed password)
• Content you create — campfires, ashes-lineage entries, notes, messages

Collected automatically

• Device and diagnostic information (model, OS, crash logs)
• Usage data, only if you opt in to product analytics

Location (only if you enable it)

If you turn on map features, we use a town-coarsened location — never your precise coordinates on the shared map. You can change location permissions in your device settings at any time.

2. How we use your information

• Operate the app — your account, your fires, the ashes lineage, notifications
• Provide the optional features you consent to (the shared map, profile visibility, analytics)
• Keep the community safe — prevent fraud, abuse, and technical issues
• Comply with legal obligations

3. Cookies & local storage

We do not use tracking, advertising, or analytics cookies on this website. No Google Analytics, no ad pixels, no third-party trackers.

The only thing this site stores in your browser is a small functional preference — your light/dark theme choice — kept in your browser's local storage. It never leaves your device and isn't used to identify or track you, so no cookie-consent banner is required.

The app itself stores a sign-in token on your device so you stay logged in. That's strictly necessary to use the app.

4. In-app purchases

Any premium features are processed securely by the Apple App Store or Google Play. We do not store or process your payment details — those transactions are governed by the platform's own terms and privacy policy.

5. Sharing your information

We do not sell your personal information. We share data only with:

• Service providers (cloud hosting, email delivery, crash reporting) under confidentiality — see our processors below
• Payment processors (Apple, Google) for in-app purchases
• Law enforcement or regulators where required by law

Our processors today are Google Cloud (hosting) and Amazon Web Services (transactional email).

6. International transfers

Your data may be stored or processed in the United States or other countries. For EU/UK users we rely on appropriate safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) with our processors.

7. Data retention

We keep your data only as long as needed to provide the service or as required by law. If you delete your account, it enters a 30-day grace period (signing back in cancels the deletion), after which your personal data is erased or anonymised.

8. Your rights

Depending on where you live (and always, under the GDPR), you have the right to:

• Access and port your data — use Settings → Privacy → Download your data in the app for a machine-readable copy
• Correct your data — edit your profile in the app
• Erase your data — use Settings → Privacy → Delete account
• Withdraw consent or object — toggle any optional sharing off in Settings → Privacy
• Complain to your local data protection authority

You can also exercise any of these by emailing info@scoutashes.com.

9. Children’s privacy

The app is not intended for children under 13 (or 16 in some regions) without parental involvement. Under-age scouts can only use the app with verified guardian consent; until a guardian approves, sharing stays off. If you believe a child has given us data without consent, contact us and we'll delete it.

10. Security

We use technical and organisational safeguards — encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest, hashed passwords, access controls, and vulnerability scanning. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and will notify you of a breach where the law requires.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We'll communicate material changes through the app or this website.

12. Contact

Scout Ashes LLC
info@scoutashes.com

13. Users in Germany 🇩🇪

If you use Scout Ashes in Germany, your personal data is processed under the Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DSGVO). You have the DSGVO rights to access (Auskunft), rectification (Berichtigung), erasure (Löschung), restriction (Einschränkung), portability (Datenübertragbarkeit), objection (Widerspruch), and to lodge a complaint (Beschwerde) with a supervisory authority such as the Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht (BayLDA).

Where a paid contract is concluded (e.g. in-app purchases), consumers in Germany have a statutory 14-day right of withdrawal (Widerrufsrecht) under § 355 BGB. To exercise it, send us a clear statement at the contact above. The full German-language Widerrufsbelehrung is available on request.