PickIt App — Privacy Policy
Last updated: February 2026
PickIt (“we”, “our”, “the app”) is a community litter-picking app that helps users record their litter-picking routes and share activity with other users. This privacy policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights.
1. Data We Collect
1.1 Location Data
When you actively record a litter-picking route, we collect GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) to track your walking route. Location is collected in both the foreground (app visible) and background (screen off or app minimised) during an active recording session only.
Background location tracking starts when you tap “Start Recording” and stops when you tap “Finish”. A persistent notification is displayed while background tracking is active. We do not track your location outside of recording sessions.
Location coordinates are stored in Firebase Firestore and are used to display your route on a map and to show nearby picks to other users via geohash-encoded queries.
1.2 Account Data
We collect your email address when you create an account. Authentication is handled by Clerk, a third-party authentication provider. We do not store your password directly.
1.3 Route and Pick Data
When you complete a litter-picking session, we store:
- Pick name (user-provided)
- Number of bags collected
- Route coordinates (the GPS path you walked)
- Start and end timestamps
- A map thumbnail image of your route
1.4 Map Images
Route thumbnail images are generated using the Google Static Maps API and uploaded to Cloudinary for storage and delivery.
2. How We Use Your Data
- Route recording: GPS coordinates are used to draw your litter-picking route on a map and generate a route thumbnail.
- Community map: Your pick locations (approximate, via geohash) are shown to nearby users to encourage community participation.
- Feed: Your picks (name, bag count, route image) appear in the community feed so others can see litter-picking activity in their area.
- Authentication: Your email is used to identify your account and associate your picks with you.
3. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services that may process your data:
- Clerk (clerk.com/privacy) — Authentication and account management
- Firebase / Google Cloud (firebase.google.com/support/privacy) — Data storage (Firestore), authentication token exchange
- Cloudinary (cloudinary.com/privacy) — Route thumbnail image storage
- Google Maps Platform (policies.google.com/privacy) — Map rendering and static map image generation
4. Data Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for advertising or marketing purposes.
Your pick data (route, bag count, pick name) is visible to other PickIt users in the community feed and on the community map. Your email address is not shared with other users.
5. Data Security
All data is transmitted over HTTPS (encrypted in transit). Data stored in Firebase Firestore and Clerk is encrypted at rest by those providers. We follow industry-standard practices to protect your information.
6. Account Deletion
You can delete your account at any time from the Settings screen within the app. When you delete your account, the following data is permanently removed:
- Your user record from our database
- All your litter picks and route data
- Your Clerk authentication account
- All locally cached data on your device
Account deletion is immediate and irreversible.
7. Children's Privacy
PickIt is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date.
9. Contact Us
If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data, contact us at: