Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Information We Do NOT Collect or Store

We are fundamentally committed to not collecting or storing data that could identify you or compromise your anonymity. This includes:

• Personal identifying information beyond your email for account creation (see below).
• IP addresses or device fingerprints.
• Browsing history or activity outside of the Roots platform.
• Social media profiles or connections to external accounts.

Account Creation & Email Usage

To post reports on Roots, an account is necessary. Here’s how we handle your email and account information:

• Email for Account Creation Only: We require an email address solely for the purpose of creating and managing your account (e.g., password resets).
• Your Email is Private: Your email address is never publicly displayed and is not accessible to other users.
• No Public Profiles: Roots does not have public user profiles. When you post a report, other users see the content of the report itself, but no information about your account or who you are.
• Viewing is Anonymous: You do not need an account to view reports or browse the map. Viewing content on Roots is always anonymous.

Location Information

Location is essential for Roots to function effectively, but we handle it with extreme care:

• Precise Location for UX: We may request access to your precise location while you are using the app. This is used to center the map on your current area or to help you accurately place a report.
• Location Data is NOT Stored: Crucially, we donot store your precise location data in our database. When you submit a report, it is associated with the geographical point you select on the map, not your device's ongoing precise location.
• General Location for Reports: Reports are displayed based on the location they are pinned to, which might be a general area or a specific point, as chosen by the reporter.

Data Security

We employ industry-standard encryption and security measures to protect all data we handle. Our servers are chosen with privacy in mind, and we regularly review our security practices.

Third-Party Services

We minimize the use of third-party services. Any services we do use (like map providers) are carefully vetted for their privacy practices and configured to protect your anonymity as much as possible. We do not share data with advertising networks or data brokers.

Legal Requests

Given our minimal data collection, our ability to comply with data requests is inherently limited. We will challenge any legal requests that threaten user privacy and will be transparent with our community about such attempts, within the bounds of the law.

Changes to This Policy

We will notify users of any material changes to this privacy policy through the platform. We are committed to maintaining and strengthening privacy protections.