Privacy
1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy describes how Alpine First Day Cover LLC ("AFDC") collects, uses, and protects information from users of the SpeleoMap mobile application.
SpeleoMap is an offline cave-mapping app for iPhone. The core application runs 100% offline, does not require an account or login, and does not require an internet connection to function. A small number of network requests occur in narrow, specifically described circumstances detailed in this policy.
By using SpeleoMap, you agree to this Privacy Policy.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Cave Scan Data
Collected: 3D meshes, point clouds, ARKit mesh anchors, LiDAR depth data, keyframes (RGB images plus camera pose and intrinsics), and texture atlases generated during capture. Storage: On your device only, inside .speleomap session bundles. Uploaded to our servers: NO. Shared with third parties: NO.
2.2 Trajectory and Map Line Data
Collected: Waypoints (position, heading, altitude, timestamp) generated from Core Motion sensors during recording cycles. Storage: On your device only, inside .speleomap session bundles. Uploaded: NO. Shared: NO.
2.3 Survey Data
Collected: Survey stations, annotations (NSS/UIS symbols), notes, passage measurements, cross-sections, and station-to-station relationships. Storage: On your device only, inside .speleomap session bundles. Uploaded: NO. Shared: NO.
2.4 Photos Captured In-App
- Collected: JPEG images captured via ARKit during a session, with attached 6DOF camera pose and timestamp.
- Storage: On your device only, inside .speleomap session bundles.
- Uploaded: NO.
- Shared: Only if you choose to export or share them yourself.
2.5 Entrance GPS Location
Collected: A single one-shot GPS coordinate (latitude, longitude, altitude, accuracy) captured only if you tap "Lock Entrance" before descending. Storage: On your device only, in entrance.json inside the session bundle. Uploaded: NO. Shared: NO. Background location is never used. GPS is disabled immediately after the entrance fix is captured.
2.6 HealthKit Workout Data
Collected: HKWorkoutSession data including duration, distance, elevation gain/loss, active calories, basal calories, steps, flights climbed, heart rate (when Apple Watch paired), and cadence. Storage: Apple HealthKit on your device, plus a local WorkoutRecord snapshot inside the session bundle. Uploaded: NO. Shared: NO. Workout data is written to Apple Health with your permission and remains under Apple's HealthKit privacy controls. SpeleoMap never transmits HealthKit data off your device.
2.7 User Profile (Optional, at Onboarding)
- Collected: Full name, email address, NSS number, and grotto affiliation. All optional. No required fields.
- Storage: On your device. If you enter a grotto affiliation or an email address, the fields you provide are transmitted one time to AFDC via Formspree when you complete onboarding. If you leave both blank, nothing is transmitted.
- Transmitted: Only if provided, one time only, at onboarding completion.
- Shared: Not sold, rented, or shared with any party other than the form-handling processor described below.
Purpose: AFDC may allocate a portion of subscription proceeds to cave conservation at its sole discretion (see Section 3 of the SpeleoMap Terms of Service). A grotto affiliation you provide is a non-binding preference AFDC may consider when directing conservation funds; it does not obligate AFDC to pay any grotto.
Recorded at Onboarding: Any grotto affiliation you provide is recorded one time at onboarding. Editing your grotto in Settings updates your local profile but does not change the preference recorded at onboarding and creates no obligation on AFDC.
Third-Party Processor: When a submission is sent, it is transmitted via Formspree. Formspree receives only the profile fields you chose to provide, plus standard request metadata. If you complete onboarding without entering a grotto or an email address, no submission is sent. Formspree's privacy practices are described at formspree.io/legal/privacy-policy.
Conservation Disclaimer: AFDC's cave conservation allocations are discretionary and are not a charitable donation made by you. You do not receive a tax-deductible donation receipt for any portion of your subscription, and a grotto affiliation you provide does not entitle any grotto to payment.
2.8 Cave Metadata (Per Session)
- Collected: Cave name, cave system, entrance name, team member names, equipment notes, conditions, free-form notes, BCRA survey grade, and magnetic declination. All entered by you.
- Storage: On your device only, inside .speleomap session bundles.
- Uploaded: NO.
- Shared: NO.
2.9 Support and Debug Information
- Collected: Only if you contact support. May include debug logs, crash information, screenshots, or session data that you choose to send us.
- Storage: On systems controlled by Alpine First Day Cover LLC.
- Uploaded: Only what you choose to send.
- Shared: NO.
- Retention: Only as long as needed to diagnose and resolve your issue.
2.10 Export Files
- Generated: Survex (.svx), OBJ, PLY, USDZ, PDF, CSV, and ZIP bundle files containing your session data.
- Storage: Saved to your device only via the iOS share sheet.
- Uploaded: NO.
- Shared: Only if you choose to share the exported file yourself.
2.11 Imported Files
- Received: SpeleoMap bundle and item files that another SpeleoMap user shares with you and that you choose to import.
- Processing: Entirely on your device.
- Uploaded: NO.
- Shared: NO. AFDC never receives, processes, or has access to imported files or their contents.
An imported file may contain the sending caver's own cave data. SpeleoMap handles this data the same way it handles yours: stored on your device only and never transmitted to AFDC.
3. Information We Do Not Collect
SpeleoMap does NOT collect, transmit, or have access to any of the following:
- Device identifiers, advertising IDs, or IDFA
- Location history or background location
- Usage analytics, behavioral data, or session telemetry
- Automatic crash reports (we receive crash information only if you choose to send it to support)
- Contact lists, calendar data, or photo library content
- Network identifiers, IP-based tracking, or fingerprinting data
4. Cave Location Privacy
Cave secrecy is central to cave conservation. SpeleoMap is built so that cave locations cannot be exposed through us. AFDC does not collect, transmit, or retain cave locations on any system it controls.
- The only geographic location SpeleoMap ever records is a single, optional entrance GPS fix that you choose to capture (Section 2.5). It is stored on your device only and never uploaded to AFDC.
- Cave names, cave systems, entrance names, and all other cave metadata you enter remain on your device. They are never uploaded to or shared with AFDC.
- This protection is enforced by design, not only by policy. If you send a debug log to support, GPS coordinates are stripped from that payload on your device before it ever leaves your phone.
- Because no cave location data is ever transmitted to AFDC systems, there is no cave location data for AFDC to sell, lose, disclose, produce in response to legal process, or have compromised in a breach.
We consider this privacy by architecture: not a promise that we will not look, but a design in which we cannot.
5. Apple Frameworks Used On-Device
SpeleoMap uses standard Apple frameworks that run entirely on your device: ARKit and LiDAR sensors (for 3D capture), Core Motion (for step detection, altimeter, and device motion), HealthKit (for workout sessions, with your permission), and Core Location (for one-time GPS fix at cave entrance, with your permission). None of these frameworks transmit your data to Alpine First Day Cover LLC. HealthKit data is governed by Apple's privacy controls in your device Settings.
6. Device Backup
SpeleoMap does not include an in-app cloud sync or cloud backup feature. Your data is stored on your device. If you have iOS device backup enabled, your app data may be included in your standard encrypted iCloud backup. This is an Apple iOS feature controlled entirely by you. AFDC has no access to it. To back up or transfer a survey yourself, use the in-app Export feature to produce a bundle and save it wherever you choose.
7. Remote Configuration
SpeleoMap fetches a small reference data file (grottos.json) from a public URL when network is available so the in-app grotto picker can show the current list of registered grottos. The fetch is anonymous and read-only. No personal information, profile data, scan data, or device identifiers are transmitted as part of this request. The file is cached locally and the app remains fully functional offline using the cached copy. Additional reference data sources may be added in future releases; this policy will be updated to disclose them when they ship.
8. Third-Party Services
SpeleoMap does not embed third-party analytics, advertising, tracking, or marketing SDKs. The app does not use Firebase, Google Analytics, AdMob, Crashlytics, or any equivalent service.
Formspree: Used to receive a single one-time profile submission at the end of onboarding (Section 2.7). Formspree receives only the profile fields you chose to provide, plus standard HTTP request metadata, and only when you enter a grotto or an email address. It does not receive any cave data, scan data, photos, location data, HealthKit data, or session content. Privacy policy: formspree.io/legal/privacy-policy.
GitHub (raw.githubusercontent.com): Used to host the grotto directory file fetched via remote configuration (Section 7). GitHub receives standard HTTP request metadata as part of any file fetch. No personal information or app content is transmitted in the request. Privacy policy: docs.github.com.
9. How We Store the Information You Provide
Any profile information you choose to provide at onboarding is transmitted to AFDC one time via Formspree, then stored on systems controlled by AFDC. It is used only for the purposes stated in Sections 2.7 and 2.9. Support correspondence and any information you voluntarily share with support is stored on systems controlled by AFDC and used only to respond to your request. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.
10. Your Rights
- Revoke any permission in iOS Settings
- Delete all on-device data by deleting the app
- Delete individual session bundles in the app's project list
- Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you by emailing support@speleomap.com
- Request correction or deletion of your information by emailing support@speleomap.com
- Request that we cease processing your information in connection with cave conservation
- Withdraw consent at any time
We respond to requests within 30 days. If you are in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or California, you have additional rights under GDPR, UK GDPR, or the CCPA respectively, including the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
11. Data Security
- All cave scan, trajectory, survey, photo, and HealthKit data stored locally on your device
- HealthKit data protected by Apple HealthKit security
- Session bundles written atomically to reduce risk of corruption
- Profile information transmitted to AFDC at onboarding sent over HTTPS
- Profile information stored using reasonable technical and organizational measures
12. Children
SpeleoMap is a technical cave-surveying tool intended for a general audience and is not directed to children. Although it is rated 4+ in the App Store because it contains no objectionable content, the app is not designed for or marketed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to us in connection with the onboarding submission, contact us and we will delete it.
13. Changes to This Policy
If we make material changes to this policy, we will update the Effective Date and version number at the top and, where appropriate, notify users through the app or by email. Continued use of SpeleoMap after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
14. Contact
Alpine First Day Cover LLC
Email: support@speleomap.com
Website: speleomap.com/legal/privacy-policy