Effective: 21 July 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Aviatter (“Aviatter”, “we”, “us”) collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use the Aviatter application and related websites and services (the “Services”). Aviatter is an aircraft-spotting app operated by Alan Richert, based in South Africa. Terms defined in our Terms of Service have the same meaning here.
We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa and, where it applies to you, the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Who is responsible for your information
The responsible party / data controller for your information is Alan Richert, operator of Aviatter. You can reach us, including our Information Officer, at [email protected].
Information we collect
Account information. Aviatter uses passwordless sign-in. To create an account we collect your email address and a display name. Your display name and profile are visible to other users; your email address is not made public.
Content you post. When you create a sighting you may provide a photo, the aircraft it relates to, a description, and — optionally — a location and date/time. By default, sightings are public. If you subscribe to Aviatter Pro you can mark a sighting as private or hide its precise location (“undisclosed location”). We provide controls to strip EXIF metadata (including GPS coordinates) from your photos; sightings with an undisclosed location are excluded from location-based (“Near Me”) discovery.
Location information. If you choose to attach a location to a sighting, or use location-based features, we process the location you provide or capture. You control whether location is attached and can override or omit it.
Device and log data. We receive standard technical information such as IP address, device and app identifiers, operating system, app version, and diagnostic/crash data, which we use to operate, secure, and improve the Services.
Usage and analytics data. We collect information about how the app is used to understand and improve performance and features.
Subscription information. If you purchase Aviatter Pro, your purchase is processed by the app store and your subscription status is managed through our subscriptions provider. We do not receive or store your full payment card details.
How we use your information
- To provide, maintain, and operate the Services, including displaying your public content;
- To authenticate you and keep your account and our Services secure, and to prevent spam, fraud, and abuse;
- To moderate content and enforce our Terms and standards, including our Child Safety Standards;
- To provide support and respond to your requests;
- To understand and improve the Services and develop new features;
- To manage subscriptions and send you necessary service communications;
- To comply with legal obligations and protect the rights and safety of users and the public.
Our legal bases (where GDPR applies) include the performance of our contract with you, your consent (which you may withdraw), our legitimate interests in operating and securing the Services, and compliance with legal obligations. Under POPIA we process information on the corresponding lawful grounds.
How your information is shared
Public content. Content you post publicly — such as public sightings, your display name, and profile — is visible to other users and may appear via share links and preview pages. Think carefully before making sensitive information public.
Service providers (sub-processors). We use reputable third parties to host and run the Services, deliver notifications, process subscription entitlements, moderate content, provide maps and location lookups, and collect diagnostics and analytics. These providers process information on our behalf under appropriate confidentiality and data-protection obligations, and are not permitted to use it for their own purposes. They currently include, among others: DigitalOcean, Cloudflare, Google Firebase, RevenueCat, OpenAI, LocationIQ, and the Apple App Store and Google Play for app distribution and subscription billing.
Legal and safety. We may preserve or disclose information where we reasonably believe it is necessary to comply with the law or a lawful request, to enforce our Terms, to detect or prevent fraud, security, or technical issues, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of any person — including reporting child sexual abuse material to the appropriate authorities.
We do not sell your personal information.
International transfers
Some of our service providers operate outside South Africa. Where we transfer personal information across borders, we take steps to ensure it is protected in accordance with POPIA and, where applicable, the GDPR.
Data retention
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the Services, and thereafter only as long as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer required, we delete or anonymise it.
Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you may request to access, correct, update, or delete your personal information, object to or restrict certain processing, and — where applicable — receive a copy of your information in a portable format. Aviatter provides in-app tools to export your sightings and photos and to delete your account. To exercise any right, or to lodge a complaint, contact [email protected]. You also have the right to complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) or your local data-protection authority.
Security
We use commercially reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Children
Aviatter is intended for users aged 16 and over (or 13 and over with verifiable parental or guardian consent where local law permits). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children below these thresholds. If we learn that we have, we will delete it. See our Child Safety Standards for more, including how to report concerns.
Cookies
The Aviatter app does not use browser cookies. Our website uses only what is necessary to serve pages; some third-party components may set their own cookies, which you can control through your browser settings.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page and revise the effective date above. Your continued use of the Services after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about this Privacy Policy or your information: [email protected].