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Privacy Policy

Plain language. Here's exactly what we collect, what we do with it, and what stays private.

Last updated: September 5, 2026 · This policy is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.

1. Information We Collect

CategoryExamplesPublic?
Contact infoName, emailNo — private
Precise locationMap pin / GPS coordinatesNo — private
Submission contentPhoto, description, date, categoryYes, after review
General locationTyped location or rounded pinYes, after review

2. How We Use It

  • Verification — confirming a find is genuine and contacting you with questions.
  • Publishing — displaying approved photos, descriptions, and generalized locations publicly.
  • Hotspot mapping — combining locations and categories to see where pollution concentrates.
  • Research & education — in reports, presentations, or educational materials.
  • Training predictive models and AI systems — photos, descriptions, categories, and generalized locations may be used to train or improve machine learning/AI models that help identify plastic types or pollution patterns. Your name, email, and exact location are never included in this.

3. Third-Party Services

We use Google reCAPTCHA to prevent spam (subject to Google's Privacy Policy), and OpenStreetMap to power our map and suggest place names from coordinates you provide.

4. Children's Privacy

This form is meant for teens and adults. We don't knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. If you're a parent and believe your child under 13 submitted without your consent, contact us and we'll remove it. Younger kids should have a parent, guardian, or teacher submit on their behalf.

5. How Long We Keep Information

We keep your name and email as long as needed for verification, or until you ask us to delete it. Published content may remain part of our public archive to support ongoing hotspot tracking, even after your contact info is deleted.

6. Your Rights

Contact us anytime to ask what we have on file, correct it, delete your personal information, or remove a submission from public display.

7. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information, but no online system is completely secure.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy occasionally. Material changes will update the date above.

9. Contact Us

projectmicroplastics@gmail.com