Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 15, 2025

1. Who We Are

CatchIQ ("we", "us", "our") is the operator of the CatchIQ mobile application and the website at catchiq.fishing. We provide an intelligent fishing companion app for recreational and competitive anglers. If you have questions about this policy, contact us at privacy@catchiq.fishing.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

• Email address (for account creation and tournament registration)
• Display name
• Photos you submit as catch records
• Fish species, size, weight, and notes you enter manually
• Tournament roster information entered by an organizer on your behalf

Information collected automatically when you use the app:

• GPS location at the time a catch is logged (extracted from photo EXIF data or device GPS)
• Device type and operating system version
• App version and session identifiers
• Crash reports and error logs

Environmental data fetched on your behalf:

• Tide phase and height (from NOAA / Stormglass)
• Weather conditions: wind speed, barometric pressure, temperature
• Solunar period and moon phase

This data is fetched at your GPS location and stored as part of your catch record. It is not shared with third parties.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To create and maintain your account
• To log and store your catch records and fishing spots
• To generate personalized catch predictions and analytics
• To operate tournament features, including roster management and scoreboard display
• To send tournament registration links by email on behalf of organizers (only to anglers who have requested to participate)
• To send transactional emails related to your account (registration, password reset)
• To detect and prevent fraud through our TrueCatch catch verification system
• To improve the app based on aggregated, anonymized usage data

4. Tournament Registration Emails

CatchIQ allows tournament organizers to send registration links by email to anglers who have expressed interest in participating. Emails are only sent when an angler has requested to join a tournament and has provided their contact information to the organizer for that purpose.

These emails are sent through our AWS Simple Email Service (SES) infrastructure on behalf of the organizer. They contain tournament details and a secure payment link to complete registration. We do not send marketing emails off the back of tournament registration — you will only receive further communications if you create a CatchIQ account or explicitly opt in.

Opt-out: If you received a registration email and no longer wish to be contacted, email support@catchiq.fishing with the subject line "Remove me" and we will remove your address from the roster immediately.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We use AWS (hosting, email, file storage), Firebase (authentication), Stripe (payment processing), and Mapbox (mapping). Each operates under their own privacy policy.
• Tournament organizers: If you register for a tournament, the organizer can see your name, email, and submitted catches relevant to that tournament.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of CatchIQ and its users.

6. Your Fishing Spots and Catch Locations

Your saved fishing spots and the GPS coordinates of your catch records are private by default. They are not shared with other users, indexed by search engines, or sold to any party including fishing tackle companies, guide services, or data brokers.

When you explicitly choose to share a spot using the in-app share feature, a one-time deep link is generated. Only the person you share it with receives the coordinates.

7. Data Retention

We retain your account data and catch records for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law (e.g., payment records).

Catch photos submitted through TrueCatch for tournament verification are retained for 90 days after the tournament closes, then deleted.

8. Security

CatchIQ uses industry-standard security practices: HTTPS for all data in transit, encrypted storage for sensitive credentials, and authentication via Firebase. Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe — CatchIQ never stores card numbers.

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password for your account.

9. Children's Privacy

CatchIQ is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, contact us at privacy@catchiq.fishing.

10. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your account and data
• Opt out of non-essential communications

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@catchiq.fishing.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will notify users via the app or by email.

12. Contact

Questions about this policy: privacy@catchiq.fishing
General support: support@catchiq.fishing