1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, and profile details provided at registration
• Payment Information: Billing details processed securely by Stripe, our payment processor — we do not store full credit card numbers
• User Content: Images, text descriptions, forum posts, comments, and feedback you submit
• Communications: Support requests, feedback, and correspondence with our team

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Scan & Analysis Data: Images and text you submit for AI identification, and the AI-generated results
• Usage Analytics: Pages visited, features used, scan history, and time spent on the Service
• Device Information: Browser type, device type, operating system, and IP address
• Location Data: Approximate location (city/region), collected only with your explicit permission, used for outbreak mapping
• Log Data: Server logs including timestamps, error reports, and referring URLs
• Cookies and Tracking: Session cookies, preference cookies, and analytics identifiers (see Section 7)

1.3 Information from Third Parties

• Species taxonomy and occurrence data from GBIF, Catalogue of Life, and iNaturalist (publicly available datasets)
• Weather data from OpenWeatherMap to contextualize pest activity
• AI processing results from Google Cloud services

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 Service Provision (Contractual Necessity)

• Process and analyze pest identification requests using our AI systems
• Generate AI-powered identifications, treatment plans, and recommendations
• Maintain your account, scan history, and gamification progress
• Process credit purchases and subscription billing via Stripe
• Provide customer support and respond to inquiries

2.2 AI Training and Service Improvement (Legitimate Interest)

• Train, test, and refine AI/ML identification models using submitted images and user-provided feedback
• Analyze usage patterns and conduct internal research to enhance features and accuracy
• Generate anonymized, aggregated statistics and datasets for service improvement
• Populate and enrich our pest and species encyclopedia

2.3 Communications (Consent/Legitimate Interest)

• Send service-related notifications, security alerts, and updates
• Provide technical support and customer assistance
• Send promotional content and new feature announcements (with your consent; you may opt out at any time)

2.4 Legal and Safety (Legal Obligation / Vital Interests)

• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, or illegal activity
• Enforce our Terms of Service and protect our legal rights

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as described below:

3.1 Service Providers (Processors)

• Stripe: Payment processing (governed by Stripe's privacy policy)
• Google Cloud / Gemini API: AI processing, Vision API analysis, and cloud infrastructure
• Base44 (Platform): Application hosting and backend infrastructure
• OpenWeatherMap: Weather context for pest activity analysis
• Analytics Providers: Aggregated usage analytics and performance monitoring

All service providers are contractually required to handle your data in accordance with applicable privacy laws and only for the purposes we specify.

3.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in good-faith belief that such action is necessary to:

• Comply with a legal obligation, court order, or government request
• Protect and defend our legal rights and property
• Prevent or investigate fraud, security breaches, or illegal activity
• Protect the safety of users, the public, or others

3.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, your information may be transferred to the successor entity. We will notify you before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

3.4 Aggregated / Anonymized Data

We may share de-identified, aggregated data (e.g., outbreak heatmaps, pest prevalence statistics) with research institutions, public health authorities, or the public. Such data cannot reasonably be used to identify you.

4. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest
• Role-based access controls limiting who can access personal data
• Secure cloud infrastructure with industry-standard providers
• Regular security reviews and vulnerability assessments
• Incident response procedures for data breaches

However, no internet transmission or electronic storage method is 100% secure. While we employ commercially reasonable security measures, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach affecting your rights, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

5. Data Retention

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for up to 2 years after account closure or last activity
• Scan & Image Data: Retained for service operation; may be anonymized and retained indefinitely for AI training after 12 months
• Payment Data: Retained as required by our payment processor, tax law, and Canadian financial regulations (typically 7 years)
• Communication Data: Support correspondence retained for up to 3 years
• Log Data: Server logs retained for up to 12 months for security and debugging purposes

We will delete or anonymize your personal information when it is no longer required for the purposes described in this policy, subject to any legal retention obligations.

6. Your Privacy Rights (PIPEDA & Canadian Law)

Under PIPEDA and applicable Canadian law, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

6.1 Access and Portability

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Receive a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format where technically feasible

6.2 Correction and Deletion

• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information
• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Withdraw consent for processing based on consent (noting that withdrawal may affect Service functionality)

6.3 Object and Restrict

• Object to or request restriction of certain processing activities
• Opt out of marketing communications at any time via unsubscribe links or by contacting us
• Manage cookie and tracking preferences through your browser settings

To exercise these rights, contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@predetex.com. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at www.priv.gc.ca.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

• Essential Cookies: Required for basic Service functionality — cannot be disabled
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences, login state, and settings
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with the Service (anonymized)
• Marketing Cookies: Used for promotional purposes only with your consent

You can control non-essential cookies through your browser preferences. Disabling certain cookies may impact Service functionality.

8. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside Canada, including the United States, where our cloud and AI service providers operate. When transferring data internationally, we rely on appropriate safeguards (such as contractual clauses) to ensure your information is protected to a standard equivalent to Canadian law.

9. Children's Privacy (PIPEDA Compliance)

• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18
• If we become aware that a child under 18 has provided personal information without verified parental consent, we will promptly delete it
• If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has used our Service, please contact us immediately at privacy@predetex.com

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy and updating the "Last updated" date. For significant changes affecting your rights, we will provide additional notice (e.g., email notification). Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact — Privacy Officer

For any privacy-related questions, concerns, or to exercise your rights, contact our designated Privacy Officer:

You may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you have unresolved privacy concerns: www.priv.gc.ca