Westcast — Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how the Westcast app ("Westcast", "the app", "we", "us") handles your information. Westcast is provided by the Westcast team ("the provider"), based in Western Australia, Australia.

In short: Westcast is built to be privacy-first. Your catch log stays on your device unless you choose to share a catch. We don't sell your data. We fuzz the exact location of shared catches and strip GPS metadata from shared photos.

1. Information we collect

Location. With your permission, Westcast uses your device's location to show fishing conditions (weather, tides, wind, swell) for where you are. Your location is used to request forecast data and is not stored on our servers as a personal record. You can deny or revoke location access in your device settings; some features will be limited without it.

Your catch log. Catches you record (species, length, notes, date, photos, and the location you choose to attach) are stored locally on your device. This information is not uploaded to us unless you explicitly choose to share a catch (see below).

Shared catches (optional). If you choose to share a catch to the community feed, the following is uploaded to our cloud service (Google Firebase): the species, your chosen caption, length, any photo you attach, a coarse/approximate region label, and your account identifier and chosen display name. To protect your fishing spots and privacy:

Account information. If you use the community/social features, we use Google Firebase Authentication to create and manage your account. This may involve an identifier, your chosen display name/handle, and (depending on sign-in method) an email address.

Subscription information. Westcast offers an optional paid subscription, "Westcast Pro", purchased through Apple's App Store. Apple processes your payment — we do not receive or store your payment card details. We receive confirmation of your subscription status from Apple.

Diagnostic information. We may receive basic, non-identifying technical information needed to operate the app and its cloud services (for example, error conditions). Westcast does not use third-party analytics or advertising tracking.

2. How we use your information

3. Third-party services

Westcast relies on the following third parties to function. Their handling of data is governed by their own privacy policies:

Forecast requests are routed through our own proxy service to retrieve weather, marine, and tide data for the coordinates you are viewing.

4. Sharing of information

We do not sell your personal information. Information is only made visible to others when you choose to share a catch to the community feed, in which case the shared content (and your display name) is visible to other users of the feed. We may disclose information if required by law.

5. Data retention and deletion

Your local catch log remains on your device until you delete it or uninstall the app. Shared catches remain in the community feed until deleted. You can delete your account and all shared data directly in the app: go to More → Profile → Delete account. This permanently removes your profile, shared catches, community reports, photos, and sign-in record. You can also request deletion by contacting us at angrywarthog92@gmail.com.

6. Children

Westcast is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.

7. Your rights

Depending on where you live (including under the Australian Privacy Act and, where applicable, other regimes), you may have rights to access, correct, or delete your personal information. To exercise these, contact angrywarthog92@gmail.com.

8. Safety disclaimer

Westcast provides fishing conditions, tide, and weather information for general guidance only. It is not a navigation or safety tool. Always consult official sources (such as the Bureau of Meteorology and local marine authorities) and follow current fishing rules from the relevant fisheries authority before heading out.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date above reflects the latest version. Continued use of the app after changes means you accept the updated policy.