Information We Collect
Account information
When you create a Plant Map account or use account-related features, we may collect display name, email address, account identifier, login and authentication information, and account privacy or sharing preferences.
Account information is used to authenticate you, protect private observations, and allow you to manage your account and submitted content.
Plant photographs and identification information
When you use the plant identification feature, you may choose to provide photographs taken with your device camera, photographs selected from your photo library, notes about the plant, habitat, scent, size, color, or other characteristics, the date of the observation, and optional location information.
The app does not access photographs you have not selected or captured for use in the app.
Submitted photographs and related information are used to analyze the plant and provide possible identification results.
Identification results are informational and should not be treated as professional medical, toxicological, or food-safety advice.
Location information
Secret Garden AK may request access to your device location when you choose to include location evidence with a plant identification, view your position on the plant map, create a plant observation, save a private, shared, or public plant location, or find relevant Alaska range or habitat information.
Location access is optional. You may deny or revoke location permission through your device settings.
Depending on the feature and privacy setting you choose, an observation may contain precise coordinates, approximate coordinates, or a generalized public location.
Exact private or members-only locations are not intended to appear publicly.
Plant Map content
If you create or save a plant observation, we may collect plant name or identification result, photographs, observation notes, location and date, privacy level, account identifier, and sharing or group settings.
Observations may be private, visible to approved members, or public depending on the controls available in the app and the settings you select.
Information intentionally marked public may be viewed by other users.
Catalog, saved products, cart, and order information
When you browse or interact with nursery inventory, we may collect saved or favorited products, items placed in your cart, product and availability requests, pickup or delivery selections, contact information supplied with an order request, and delivery address or instructions when required.
Secret Garden AK sells physical plants and botanical goods.
The app does not store full payment-card numbers. If a separate payment provider is used, payment information is handled under that provider's privacy policy.
Communications
We may collect information you submit through contact forms, Ask Iris or plant-help requests, product or order questions, support requests, and messages sent to Secret Garden AK.
This may include your name, contact information, photographs, message content, and any other information you choose to provide.
Technical information
Our servers and service providers may automatically receive limited technical information, including internet protocol address, date and time of requests, app version, device and operating-system type, requested pages or API functions, authentication cookies or session identifiers, and error, security, and server logs.
We use this information to operate the service, maintain account sessions, diagnose problems, prevent abuse, and protect the app and website.
Device Permissions
Camera
Used only when you choose to take a plant photograph or use another camera-related feature.
Photo Library
Used only when you choose to select photographs from your device.
Location
Used only for map, observation, habitat, range, and identification features that require or benefit from location evidence.
You can change these permissions at any time in your device settings. Some features may not function without the relevant permission.
How We Use Information
- Provide plant-identification results
- Operate the Alaska Plant Map
- Create and manage user accounts
- Protect private and shared plant locations
- Save observations and product preferences
- Display nursery inventory
- Process pickup, delivery, and product requests
- Respond to questions and provide support
- Improve service reliability and security
- Prevent spam, fraud, misuse, and unauthorized access
- Comply with applicable legal obligations
We do not use personal information for targeted advertising, and Secret Garden AK does not sell personal information.
The app is not designed to track users across apps or websites owned by other companies.
How Information Is Shared
Service providers
Information may be processed by companies that provide services necessary to operate Secret Garden AK, including website and database hosting, cloud infrastructure, email and communication delivery, plant-identification processing, mapping and location services, security, and technical support.
These providers receive only the information reasonably necessary to perform their services and are expected to protect it appropriately.
Google Maps
The Plant Map uses Google Maps technology. When map features are used, Google may receive technical, device, map-interaction, or location information in accordance with Google's own privacy practices.
Apple services
Apple may process information related to downloading, purchasing, testing, updating, or using the iOS application through the App Store, TestFlight, and Apple operating-system services.
External social and communication services
The app or website may contain links to services such as Facebook, Instagram, or Messenger. Information you provide directly to those services is governed by their respective privacy policies.
Public or shared observations
Information that you intentionally designate as public or shared may be displayed to other users according to the selected privacy setting.
Legal and safety requirements
We may disclose information when reasonably necessary to comply with a lawful request or legal obligation, protect users, the public, Secret Garden AK, or R&D BioTech Alaska Inc., investigate fraud, abuse, security incidents, or violations, or enforce applicable terms and policies.
We do not disclose private harvesting or plant locations publicly unless the user has chosen a public setting or disclosure is legally required.
Data Retention
We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
Account information may be retained while your account remains active.
Plant observations remain stored until they are deleted by the user, removed through account deletion, or removed for safety, moderation, technical, or legal reasons.
Identification photographs may be temporarily retained as necessary to process the request, prevent abuse, troubleshoot errors, or maintain the service. Photographs saved as observations may remain until the observation or account is deleted.
Order and transaction records may be retained when required for accounting, tax, fraud-prevention, or legal purposes.
Server backups and security logs may remain for a limited period after information is deleted from the active system.
Your Choices and Rights
- Decline camera, photo-library, or location permissions
- Revoke permissions through device settings
- Choose whether an observation is private, shared, or public
- Edit or delete eligible observations
- Sign out of your account
- Request access to information associated with your account
- Request correction or deletion of your information
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
Depending on where you live, additional privacy rights may apply.
Account and Data Deletion
You may initiate account deletion through the account controls available in the app.
You may also request deletion through the Secret Garden AK website Contact page. Please provide the email address associated with the account so we can verify and process the request.
Deleting an account will remove or disassociate account information and eligible observations from the active service, subject to limited retention for security, legal, transaction, backup, and fraud-prevention purposes.
Information that was previously made public may remain temporarily visible in caches, backups, screenshots, or copies made by others.
Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures intended to protect information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.
No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their login credentials and for choosing appropriate privacy settings for sensitive plant locations.
Children's Privacy
Secret Garden AK is not directed specifically to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without appropriate authorization.
If you believe a child has submitted personal information improperly, contact us so that we can review and remove it where appropriate.
International Processing
Secret Garden AK is operated from the United States. Service providers may process information in the United States or other locations where they maintain systems.
By using the service, you understand that information may be processed outside your state, province, or country, subject to applicable legal protections.
Third-Party Websites and Services
Secret Garden AK may link to websites or services operated by other organizations. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security, or content of those third-party services.
Review their policies before providing personal information.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as the app, website, or legal requirements change.
The updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Material changes may also be communicated through the app or website when appropriate.
Contact Us
Questions, privacy requests, and deletion requests may be submitted through Secret Garden AK.
Secret Garden AK
R&D BioTech Alaska Inc.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States
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