Privacy Policy
Last updated: 18 July 2026
This policy explains what personal data BeakBrain collects, why, and the rights you have over it. It is written to meet the UK and EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We collect as little as possible, and you can use the whole app as a guest with no personal data collected at all.
Who we are
BeakBrain is operated by Dr Cat Black (the data controller). For any privacy question or request, contact hello@beakbrain.com.
The short version
- Use BeakBrain as a guest and we collect no personal data. Everything stays on your device.
- Create an account and we store your email and your learning progress, only to sync it across your devices.
- Join the waitlist and we store your email, only to tell you when the app launches.
- We show no ads, run no tracking, and never sell your data.
- You can access or delete your data at any time.
What we collect, why, and our legal basis
| Data | Why | Legal basis (GDPR Article 6) |
|---|---|---|
| None, for guests | The app works fully offline on your device | No personal data is processed |
| Email address (account) | To create your account and sign you in | Performance of a contract |
| Learning progress, saved trips, collections (account) | To sync your progress across your devices | Performance of a contract |
| Email address (waitlist) | To email you when the app launches | Consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
We do not collect location, contacts, advertising identifiers, or analytics about your behaviour.
Guest use, no data collected
You can use BeakBrain without an account. In that case everything you do, your progress, streak, saved trips, and collections, stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded, and we collect no personal information.
If you create an account
If you sign up, we store your email address and sync your learning progress, saved trips, and collections so they follow you across your devices. That is the only personal data we hold, and we use it solely to operate the app.
Who processes your data
We use one processor, Supabase, to host the database and handle sign-in on our behalf. Supabase acts only on our instructions under a data processing agreement. Row-level security means only you can read your own data. We use no advertising or analytics providers.
International transfers
Depending on the hosting region, your data may be processed outside the UK or European Economic Area. Where that happens, the transfer is protected by appropriate safeguards, such as the Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission and the UK equivalent.
How long we keep it
- Account data: kept until you delete your account, then removed from our servers.
- Waitlist email: kept until the app launches or until you ask to be removed, then deleted.
- Guest data: never leaves your device, and is cleared when you delete the app.
Your rights
Under the GDPR you have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you;
- correct data that is wrong or incomplete;
- have your data erased;
- restrict or object to how we use it;
- receive your data in a portable format;
- withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent.
You can delete your account and all associated data yourself at any time from Account, then Delete account inside the app. This removes your data from your device and from our servers immediately. For any other request, email hello@beakbrain.com and we will respond within one month.
Your right to complain
If you believe we have handled your data unlawfully, you can lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. In the UK this is the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk. In the EU it is the supervisory authority in your country. We would appreciate the chance to resolve your concern first, so please do contact us.
Cookies and tracking
Our website and app use no advertising cookies and no tracking technologies. We set no non-essential cookies, so there is nothing to consent to.
Security
Data in your account is protected by row-level security, so each account can only ever read and write its own records. Traffic is encrypted in transit. Only the publishable key ships in the app, never any secret key.
Children
BeakBrain is suitable for all ages, and children are welcome to learn with it. This section is a legal note about data, not about content. BeakBrain is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. This keeps us clear of children's data-protection rules such as COPPA. A child can use guest mode, which collects no personal data at all.
Media and data credits
Bird photos and recordings are used under open licences (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA) from Wikimedia Commons, iNaturalist, and the Xeno-canto community. Taxonomy comes from AviList, and distribution and seasonality from GBIF. Each item shows its photographer or recordist and its licence in the app.
External links
The app links out to third-party sites, such as birding tours, bird-club directories, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto, and BirdLife. Those sites have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for them.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top and, for material changes, tell you in the app or by email.
Contact
Questions, requests, or deletion: hello@beakbrain.com