SuspectSky App Privacy Policy

Last Updated: May 6, 2025

 

SuspectSky, LLC (“SuspectSky”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information the SuspectSky App (the “App”) collects, how we use and share it, your rights regarding that information, and how you can contact us with questions. We comply with applicable U.S. privacy laws including the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the CPRA (collectively, “CCPA”), and other state data protection laws in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Florida, Texas and additional states such as Iowa, Indiana, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, and Nevada. Our practices are also aligned with mobile platform requirements like Apple’s App Store policies (including the App Privacy “Nutrition” Label) and Google Play’s Data Safety disclosures. By using the App, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the App. We may update this Policy from time to time and will notify you of material changes by in-app message or other means. The “Last Updated” date above indicates when changes last occurred.

Information We Collect

We collect personal information (“Personal Information”) that you provide directly, information automatically collected about your use of the App, and information from third parties as described below. We do not collect sensitive categories like government IDs, health or biometric data, or information about your race, religion, or sexual orientation.

  • Information You Provide: When you create an account or use the App, you may give us:
    • Contact Information: Your name and email address (required for account signup and communication).
    • Profile and Content: Any profile details you add (such as username or preferred language), and any content you choose to submit to the App, including text, images, audio, or videos of paranormal or UFO sightings. This content may include metadata (for example, location coordinates or timestamps embedded in photos/videos you upload).
    • Location Data (User-Submitted): If you report an event, you may include location details (e.g. the city or general area of a sighting). You can choose not to include precise location in your reports.
    • Payment Information: If you make purchases through the App (such as subscription upgrades or other paid features), you provide payment information. Note: Purchases in the iOS or Android versions of the App are processed by Apple or Google, respectively, so we generally do not receive your full credit card number or billing information; we may receive confirmation of payment and limited details to record your purchase.
  • Information Collected Automatically: When you use the App, we automatically collect certain information about your device and usage:
    • Device Identifiers: A unique device ID or advertising ID, and device attributes (such as device model, operating system, app version).
    • Approximate Location: The App may collect coarse location data derived from your IP address or device settings to show region-specific content (e.g. identifying your city or country). This is not precise GPS tracking, but an approximate location. For example, we might detect what state or metropolitan area you are in, but not your exact coordinates (precise geolocation is not collected without your explicit permission).
    • Usage Data: Information about how you use the App, such as the features you access, pages or screens viewed, the dates/times of usage, clicks and interaction data, and referral URLs if you came via an external link.
    • Log Information: Server logs automatically record data when you use the App, including your IP address, Internet service provider, crash reports, error logs, and system activity details. We collect these to troubleshoot issues and improve performance.
    • Cookies & Similar Tech: We may use cookies or local storage in the App or related website to remember your preferences and settings. (While the App itself is not a website, if it interfaces with a web portal or uses embedded web content, cookies may be used similarly to a website.)

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age, and the App is not directed to children under 13 (see Children’s Privacy below for more detail).

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes, in accordance with applicable laws:

  • Providing and Improving the Service: We use your personal data to operate the App and its features – for example, to create and manage your account, display the content you post, allow you to view others’ reports, and to enable any community features. We also use data to monitor app performance, fix bugs, and improve the App’s functionality and user experience. For instance, crash logs and usage data help us debug and enhance our services.
  • Communication: We use contact information (like your email) to send you service-related communications. This includes confirming your account or purchase, responding to your support inquiries, sending updates about the App, and notifying you of changes to our terms or policies. We may also send optional newsletters or paranormal report digests, but you can opt out of marketing emails at any time.
  • Personalization: We may personalize the content you see. For example, we might highlight nearby sightings using your general region or show the app interface in your chosen language. Personalization makes the experience more relevant to you.
  • Advertising & Analytics: We may serve personalized advertisements in the App and perform analytics to understand our user base. For personalized ads, we (or our advertising partners) might use data such as your device identifier, app interactions, or coarse location to infer your interests. Tracking: On iOS devices, if our App engages in “tracking” (linking user data with third-party data for targeted ads), we will first prompt you for permission in accordance with Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework. If you grant permission, an advertising ID may be used to personalize ads across apps; if you deny, we will not track you for targeted advertising on that device. On Android, you can opt out of interest-based ads in your device settings and our App will honor that choice. We also use third-party analytics (like crash reporting and usage analytics tools) that may collect device identifiers and usage info to help us understand how users engage with the App and to improve it. These analytics providers are contractually restricted from using the data for purposes other than providing services to us.
  • Safety and Moderation: We use information (including user-generated content) to monitor for and prevent fraud, abusive behavior, and violations of our Terms of Use. For example, we may review reports to ensure they do not contain spam or illegal material. If necessary, we will use data to protect the rights and safety of our users, SuspectSky, and the public.
  • Legal Compliance: If we are required by law to process data (for example, responding to lawful requests by public authorities or to comply with a subpoena or court order), we will do so. We also retain and use data as necessary to meet our legal obligations (e.g. keeping transaction records for tax and accounting requirements) and to resolve disputes or enforce our agreements.

We will not collect additional categories of personal data or use the collected data for materially different purposes without providing you notice and obtaining your consent where required.

How We Share Information

We may share your information with third parties only as described in this Privacy Policy, in accordance with applicable laws:

  • Service Providers: We share information with trusted third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf. These include cloud hosting providers (storing our databases and content), email service providers (sending verification or notification emails), analytics and crash reporting services, and customer support tools. These service providers are bound by contracts restricting their use of your data solely to providing services to us, and they must protect it in accordance with this Policy and applicable law.
  • Advertising Partners: We partner with advertising networks and ad delivery platforms to show ads within our App. We may share certain identifiers or coarse location data with these partners to enable tailored ad content. For example, we might use Google’s AdMob or similar services that use device identifiers and contextual information to serve ads relevant to users. These partners may collect information directly through our App (for instance, by embedding an SDK or using ad tags). We ensure any such partners are disclosed in our App Store “privacy nutrition label” and Google Play Data Safety form. You have choices to limit ad targeting (see Your Rights & Choices below, especially the right to opt out of targeted advertising).
  • Within the Community: Please note that any content you submit (like UFO sightings, comments, or profile information you make public) can be viewed by other users or visitors of the App. Your profile name and any information you choose to make public will be visible to others in the App community. We advise you not to post personal contact info or sensitive details in content you share publicly.
  • Business Transfers: If SuspectSky, LLC is involved in a merger, acquisition, investment, financing due diligence, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, sale of company assets, or transition of service to another provider, your information may be transferred to a successor or affiliate as part of that transaction. In such cases, we will ensure the recipient agrees to protect your personal data consistent with this Privacy Policy.
  • Legal Disclosures: We may disclose your information when required by law or in good faith belief that such action is necessary to (i) comply with a legal obligation or regulatory requirement; (ii) protect and defend our rights or property, or the rights, property, and safety of our users or others; (iii) investigate fraud, security, or technical issues; or (iv) respond to an emergency which we believe in good faith requires us to disclose data to assist in preventing death or serious bodily injury.
  • With Your Consent: In cases where you have explicitly consented to additional sharing (e.g., if we run a promotion with another organization and you agree to let us share your email with them), we will share accordingly. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time for future sharing.

No Sale of Sensitive Data: We do not sell any sensitive personal information, and in fact we do not collect sensitive data such as Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account information, precise geolocation, or racial/ethnic information. Any sharing of personal data with third parties (like ad networks) is done for the purposes stated above and in compliance with applicable “sale” and “sharing” definitions under law.

Disclosure for Analytics/Advertising: The SuspectSky App may allow third-party analytics or advertising providers to collect certain device and usage data over time and across different apps. This could be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information under some state laws (because it may involve transferring data to third parties for advertising or analytics benefits). We treat such activity as something you can opt out of under applicable law (see below). Importantly, we do not knowingly disclose personal information (like your name or contact info) to third parties for their own direct marketing purposes without consent.

Cookies and Tracking Signals

Cookies & Similar Tech: As noted, we (and our service providers) may use cookies or similar technologies in the App or related website to collect and store data. These help with functions like user authentication, saving preferences, and analyzing usage. You can control cookies through your device or browser settings (for example, disabling third-party cookies or resetting device identifiers).

Do Not Track: “Do Not Track” (DNT) is a setting in some web browsers that requests that a web application disable its tracking of an individual user. Because there is currently no industry-standard for recognizing or honoring DNT signals, and since our App operates primarily outside of traditional web browsers, we currently do not respond to DNT signals.

Global Privacy Control: Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a browser or device setting that broadcasts an opt-out of sale/sharing request to websites. California law now recognizes user-enabled GPC signals as a valid opt-out request that must be honored by covered businesses. At this time, the SuspectSky App does not automatically recognize or respond to GPC signals. Instead, to exercise your opt-out rights for sale or sharing of data, please use the methods described in Your Privacy Rights & Choices below (such as sending us an opt-out request). We will treat qualifying opt-out requests the same as if a GPC signal was received. We continuously monitor regulatory guidance and may update our practices to honor such global signals in the future.

Children’s Privacy

The SuspectSky App is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 13. If you are under 13, do not use or register for the App. We do not knowingly allow children under 13 to create accounts or submit personal data. In the event we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will delete that information as soon as possible in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Parents or guardians who believe their child under 13 may have provided us information should contact us at contact@suspectsky.com so we can promptly delete it.

If you are a minor over 13 but under 18, you must have your parent or guardian’s permission to use the App. We encourage parents to supervise their teenagers’ App use and educate them about safe online practices.

California Minors: If you are a California resident under the age of 18 and a registered user of the App, California law (Business & Professions Code §22581, known as the “Online Eraser” law) provides you the right to remove or request removal of content or information you have publicly posted. If you posted something on the App that you no longer want public, please contact us to request deletion of that content. We will honor such requests in accordance with California law. Note that this removal right is not absolute – for example, it does not apply to content that other users have reposted or that we are required to keep by law, and it doesn’t necessarily ensure complete or comprehensive removal (the content might remain in backups or archives for a period of time, though it will be removed from public view). We will not charge you for exercising this right. To request removal of your own posted content as a minor, you may use the contact information in this Policy. We will need to verify your account ownership before removing the content.

Your Privacy Rights & Choices

You have certain rights over your personal information under various privacy laws. We strive to allow all our users to access, correct, or delete their data and to exercise other privacy choices, regardless of where you live. These rights may include:

  • Access / Know: You can request confirmation of whether we are processing your personal information and request a copy of the personal information we have about you. This includes the right to know the categories of personal information we have collected, the sources of that information, the purposes of collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we have shared personal information. California residents have the right to request the specific pieces of personal information collected about them in the 12 months preceding their request.
  • Correction: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccuracies in your personal information. If you believe any information we have (such as your profile data) is incorrect or incomplete, please let us know and we will correct it as required. Note: Some state laws (e.g., Iowa, Utah) may not provide a formal correction right, but we still allow you to update your info or request corrections as a courtesy (or you can directly edit certain profile information in-app).
  • Deletion: You can request that we delete personal information we have collected from you. Important: If you request deletion, we may need to delete your user account to fully erase your personal data (as account data is integral to our service). We will honor deletion requests unless an exception applies. For example, we might retain data required for security, fraud prevention, or legal compliance (such as transaction records needed for tax or accounting, or information we are obliged to keep to exercise or defend legal claims). We’ll inform you if any such exception applies. Once your data is deleted, your account will be closed and you may lose access to content or features.
  • Data Portability: You have the right to obtain a copy of the personal information you provided to us in a portable and, if technically feasible, readily usable format. Upon request, we will provide your data in a common format (such as JSON or CSV) so that you can transfer it to another service if you desire.
  • Opt-Out of “Sale” of Personal Information: Many state laws define “sale” broadly to include sharing personal information with third parties for valuable consideration. While SuspectSky does not sell personal data for money, we may share some data with third-party advertising or analytics partners which could be considered a “sale” or “sharing” under certain laws. You have the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. If you exercise this right, we will stop sharing your personal information with third parties for purposes that could be deemed a sale. This opt-out will apply going forward (we typically do not sell data in the traditional sense, but we will treat an opt-out as including a request to stop sharing data with third-party advertising partners for their independent use). California residents may use the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” rights, and we extend similar choices to all users.
  • Opt-Out of Targeted Advertising: You have the right to opt out of the use of your data for targeted advertising (also known as interest-based or personalized advertising). This means you can ask us not to use or disclose your personal information for advertising that is targeted based on your browsing behavior across different apps or websites. In practice, if you opt out, we will stop using third-party advertising networks that track your behavior in the App for personalized ads (you may still see ads, but they will be contextual or generic). Note: Some state laws (like California) include targeted advertising under the “sharing” opt-out right; others (like Colorado, Virginia, etc.) treat it as a separate opt-out. We will ensure your choice to opt out of targeted ads is honored in compliance with all applicable laws. If you opt out on an iOS device by selecting “Ask App Not to Track”, that will automatically disable targeted advertising on that device, but you can also contact us directly to ensure it’s honored across all platforms.
  • Opt-Out of Profiling: Some privacy laws give you the right to opt out of profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects (e.g., automated decisions that affect your employment, credit, housing, etc.). SuspectSky does not engage in any such profiling or automated decision-making that has legal effects on you. We do not make decisions about eligibility for financial or similar services. Therefore, this right is generally not applicable to our App. If that changes in the future, we will let you know and honor opt-out requests as required.
  • Limit Use of Sensitive Data: Because we do not collect sensitive personal data (such as precise geolocation, government IDs, or certain protected characteristics), there is no sensitive data use for you to limit. If in the future we were to collect sensitive data, we would do so only with your consent or as allowed by law, and we would provide applicable rights such as the right to limit use of sensitive personal information (as California residents have under CPRA) or require opt-in consent for sensitive data processing (as required by laws like the Colorado Privacy Act for certain data).
  • Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these privacy rights. This means we won’t deny you our services, charge you different prices, or provide a lesser quality of service just because you exercised your rights. However, if you request deletion of data that is necessary to provide the App, you may not be able to continue using the App (for example, deleting all your account information would deactivate your account). In such cases, ceasing service is a consequence of your request, not a punitive action. We will try to minimize the impact on your experience whenever possible.

These rights are subject to certain exceptions and limitations under the law. For instance, we may refuse a request to delete if the information is required to complete a transaction you requested or to comply with a legal obligation. We will explain any denial or partial fulfillment of your request.

Exercising Your Rights

How to Make a Request: To exercise any of the privacy rights described above, please contact us by email at contact@suspectsky.com or via the web form on our website (if available for privacy requests). Please indicate which right you seek to exercise (e.g., “California Access Request” or “Deletion Request”) and provide enough information for us to verify your identity. We will need to verify that you are the person (or an authorized agent of the person) associated with the request. This is to protect your data from unauthorized access or deletion by someone else. Verification may include confirming control of your account email or asking for certain information that only the user would know. You may also exercise some of your rights directly in-app by going to your account settings (for example, you can edit profile info or delete content you’ve posted).

Authorized Agents: If you are a California resident, you may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. We will take steps to verify the agent’s authority and may still require you to verify your identity directly. For example, if someone else submits a deletion request for you, we may ask you to confirm that request unless they have a power of attorney. Virginia, Colorado and other states also allow authorized agents or authorized representatives for consumer requests, which we will honor according to applicable law.

Response Time: We aim to respond to privacy requests promptly, and in any event within the timeframe required by law. For most U.S. state laws, that is within 45 days of receiving a verifiable request. If we need more time (up to an additional 45 days, for a maximum of 90 days), we will inform you of the reason and extension in writing. We will confirm receipt of your request within 10 business days for California residents (and inform you about how we will process it). Requests are generally free of charge, unless they are excessive or unfounded, in which case we may charge a reasonable fee or decline to comply (as permitted by law).

Appeal Process: If we deny your request (for example, if we cannot verify your identity or determine that an exception applies), we will inform you of the denial and the reason. In states like Virginia, Colorado and others, you have the right to appeal our decision. To appeal, you may reply to our response email or contact us again within a reasonable time, indicating that you are appealing our decision. Please include any information that might help us reconsider. We will review appeals with senior personnel and respond within the time required by law (generally 45 days for Virginia). If your appeal is denied, we will inform you of any further recourse. For example, Virginia and Colorado allow you to contact your state’s Attorney General if you have concerns about the result of an appeal. We will provide you with applicable contact information in our appeal denial, if required. (For instance, Virginia residents may contact the Consumer Protection Section of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office; similarly, Colorado residents can contact the Colorado Attorney General.) We hope to satisfy your requests directly, but you have the right to seek counsel or complain to your state regulator if you believe we have infringed your rights.

Opt-Out Mechanisms: To opt out of the sale of personal data or targeted advertising, you may: (1) use the contact methods above to submit an opt-out request (simply state “I opt out of sale/targeted advertising of my data” and include your identifying info), or (2) if available, use an in-app privacy settings toggle labeled “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” or “Limit Personalized Ads” (we are working on providing a user-friendly in-app option). We will honor opt-out requests for all states. Once processed, we will stop the relevant data sharing as soon as technically feasible. If we have enabled any third-party ad tracking in the App, we will disable or flag your profile to be excluded. Note that you may need to opt out separately on each device or platform you use the App on, until we implement a unified solution. On iOS, denying ATT permission is an immediate opt-out on that device for that purpose.

State-Specific Information: We summarize state privacy rights broadly above, but if you want to read a state-specific notice:

  • California residents can refer to our “[California Privacy Notice]” (if we provide a separate section) for details specific to CCPA/CPRA, though we have integrated those rights here. California’s “Shine the Light” law (Civil Code §1798.83) permits California users to request information about our disclosures of certain categories of personal data to third parties for their direct marketing. As noted, SuspectSky does not share personal data with third parties for their own direct marketing without consent. If you have questions about this, you can contact us.
  • Nevada residents: Nevada law allows customers to opt out of the sale of certain covered information (name, address, email, phone, SSN, or identifiers) to third parties for licensing or selling that information. We do not currently sell such information, but if you are a Nevada resident who wishes to exercise this opt-out right, you can email us at contact@suspectsky.com with the subject “Nevada Do Not Sell Request.” We will make sure your information is not sold, as defined by Nevada law (NRS 603A).

If you have any questions about your privacy rights or need assistance, please contact us at the information provided below. We are here to help you exercise control over your personal data.

Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction. For example, data you send through the App is encrypted in transit using SSL/TLS (HTTPS) whenever possible. This means that your interactions with our servers (such as when you log in or upload a report) are encrypted to prevent eavesdropping. We also maintain firewalls and access controls to restrict who within our organization can access sensitive information.

However, please be aware that no method of transmitting or storing data is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. The internet and wireless networks inherently have some risk. You are responsible for keeping your account login credentials secure. Do not share your password with others, and alert us immediately if you suspect any unauthorized access to your account.

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and any applicable regulators as required by law. We will act as quickly as possible to mitigate the breach and inform you of any steps you should take to protect yourself. It’s important that you maintain an up-to-date email address with us so we can reach you if necessary.

Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. In general:

  • Account Information: We keep your account profile and contact information for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account or request deletion, we will remove or anonymize your personal info within a reasonable period, except as noted below.
  • User Content: Content you post (like reports, photos, videos) will remain on the App until you delete it or delete your account. You can delete your own posts at any time. If you delete your account entirely, we will delete or de-identify your content posts as well, though some residual copies (e.g., in system backups or cached by other users) may persist briefly. If another user has reposted or quoted your content, we cannot erase those copies from their control, but we can remove it from our platform.
  • Location Data: Any location information associated with your content is treated as part of that content – it will be retained until you remove the content or your account. If you want to remove location metadata from a photo, you may do so before uploading or by deleting the post.
  • Transaction Data: Purchase and payment-related information is retained as long as needed for accounting, audit, and compliance purposes. For example, we keep records of purchases (without full credit card details) for at least the duration required by tax laws or financial regulations. This may mean retaining some data for several years, even if you delete your account, if those laws apply.
  • Analytics Data: Usage analytics and log data may be retained for internal analysis. Typically, we may keep logs for a short period (e.g., 12 months) for troubleshooting and then either delete or anonymize them. Aggregate data that does not identify individuals may be retained longer for historical analysis.
  • Legal Holds: If we are under a legal obligation to retain data (for example, a preservation order in a litigation), or if the data is needed to resolve a dispute or enforce our agreements, we will retain it as long as necessary to fulfill that obligation.

When we no longer have a legitimate need or legal obligation to retain your personal information, we will securely dispose of it or anonymize it so it can no longer be associated with you. For example, we may scrub personal identifiers from datasets so they can be used for trend analysis without identifying you.

Third-Party Links and Services

The App may contain links to third-party websites or services (for example, a news article about a UFO sighting, or a social media sharing feature that opens an external site). If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party’s site or service. The fact that we link to a site is not an endorsement or representation that we are affiliated with it. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites or services. This Privacy Policy applies only to SuspectSky’s App and websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site or service before providing your personal information to them.

International Users

SuspectSky, LLC is a United States company, and our App and servers are operated in the U.S. While our focus is on U.S. users, if you are using the App from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to and stored in the U.S. (or other jurisdictions where our servers or service providers are located). Data protection laws in the U.S. may not be as strict as those in your country. By using the App and providing your information, you consent to the transfer of your information to the U.S. for processing. We will protect your data as described in this Policy, wherever it is processed. If you are in a region with data transfer restrictions (such as the European Economic Area), we will implement appropriate safeguards to comply with legal requirements (though at present, our service is not specifically targeted at the EU market).

If you are an EU/EEA or UK user, you may have additional rights under GDPR or UK data protection law, including rights to object to processing or lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. At this time, since we do not actively operate in those jurisdictions, please contact us if you have questions and we will do our best to address them.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. If we make material changes, we will notify you by an in-app notification or via email (if we have your email on file) and by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this Policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any updates.

If you continue to use the App after a change to the Policy, you will be considered to have agreed to the updated terms, to the extent permitted by law. If you do not agree with any changes, you should stop using the App and, if you wish, delete your account. For significant changes, we may also provide you an opportunity to review and consent to the new Policy, especially if required by law (for example, if our data practices change in a way that requires new consent).

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us at:

SuspectSky, LLC
Attn: Privacy Officer
577 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238, USA
Email: contact@suspectsky.com
Phone: 404-293-8021

We will be happy to answer your questions or address any issues you have. Your privacy is important to us, and we welcome your feedback.