Back to site

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 13, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Cosmic Pulse ("Cosmic Pulse", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, and shares information when you use the ReelQuest mobile app, the reelquest.fishing website, and related services (together, the "Service"). By using the Service you agree to this Policy.

Information we collect

Account information. When you sign in with Apple, Google, or email, we receive basic account details such as your name and email address so we can create and secure your account. If you use Sign in with Apple, you may choose to hide your email, in which case we receive a private relay address.

Content you create. We store the content you add in the app, such as logged catches, notes, and photos.

Fishing licence details. If you add your Ontario Outdoors Card and fishing licence to the app, we store the details you enter (such as the card and licence numbers, the name on the licence, and its expiry) with your account so you can show them in the app. We do not verify them with the Ministry or share them with anyone, and they are deleted with your account.

Camera and photos. When you photograph a catch or choose a photo from your library, the image is sent to our servers to identify the species. Images sent for species identification are processed in memory and are not stored; only the identification result is kept. If you attach the photo to a logged catch, that photo is stored with the catch. When you choose a photo from your library, the app reads the photo's embedded location and time on your device to suggest where and when the catch happened. You can decline the suggestion, and the photo's embedded data is not uploaded on its own.

Research copy of your catches. When you log a catch, we also keep a separate research copy of it: the species, size, the exact location and time of the catch, the weather conditions, the fish-identification result, and the photo. This copy does not include your name, email, account identifier, or notes, and it is not linked back to your account. We keep it to train and improve fish identification and for scientific research on Ontario fisheries, which may include sharing it with research partners in that form. Because it is not linked to you, it is not deleted when you delete your account and cannot be found and withdrawn afterwards. You can stop new copies at any time with the Contribute catches to research switch in the app's Me tab; catches logged while it is off are not copied.

Location. The app sends your device location to our servers to load the fishing regulations for where you are. Our service logs record the coordinates of each lookup, and your account ID if you are signed in, so we can find and fix problems. We keep these logs for one year, then they are deleted. We do not sell your location, use it for advertising, or share it to track you across other companies' apps and websites. When you log a catch and choose to attach your location, that location is stored with that catch (for example, to unlock lake-based progress). You control location access in your device settings.

Usage analytics. We collect usage analytics (for example, which screens and features you use) through Google Analytics for Firebase to help us improve the app. When you are signed in, these analytics carry your ReelQuest account ID, so we can count people rather than devices. They do not include your name or email. We also record coarse, de-identified location when you look up regulations, so we can understand in aggregate which areas are fished most. This location is rounded to an area of roughly one kilometre, never precise coordinates and never linked to you. These aggregates are further suppressed so that small or lightly used areas cannot single anyone out. You can turn all of this off at any time in the app's Profile settings, which also stops the coarse-location analytics. No precise location, name or email is collected for analytics, and we do not use advertising identifiers.

Ask. When you ask a question in the app's Ask feature, the question is sent to our servers and read by an AI model. For every question we keep a structured record with your account: what kind of question it was (a fishing rule or a general tip), what the model read from it (for example the species, the lake or river, a length, a date, or the bait or gear you described, in your own words), how it was answered, which model answered it and how much processing it used. The record does not include the full question as you typed it. For a rules question, the answer comes from the regulations data in the app, not from the model; we use the record to show you the answer and to count the questions in your daily allowance. Records are deleted with your account.

We also keep the text of every question, and of every general-tips answer. Before it is stored, email addresses, phone numbers, coordinates and long numbers (such as an Outdoors Card number) are removed. It is stored apart from your account, without your account ID, and kept with no end date. While your account exists, the text could be matched to you by the time you asked. Once you delete your account it can no longer be matched, so the text is not removed when you delete your account. We use it to find and fix wrong or unhelpful answers, to improve how Ask reads questions, and for research on how anglers ask about fishing and its rules. Do not put personal information in a question. Our AI provider does not use your questions to train its own models.

Crash diagnostics. If the app crashes, we collect a diagnostic report through Firebase Crashlytics so we can fix the bug. A report contains the technical state of the app at the moment it failed (the crash stack, your device model and OS version) and your ReelQuest account ID, so we can tell whether a crash affected one person or everyone. It contains no location, no photos and no content you have entered. The same Profile settings toggle that turns off usage analytics also turns off crash reporting.

Waitlist and beta signups. If you join the waitlist or claim a Field Tester invite on our website, we collect the email address and details you provide so we can contact you about access.

Technical and security data. Like most online services, our website and infrastructure process technical data such as IP address and request metadata to keep the Service secure and working.

How we use information

We use information to:

  • provide, operate, and secure the Service and your account;
  • load location-based regulations, identify fish species from photos you submit, answer the questions you ask in Ask, and store the catches and content you create;
  • improve the Service and understand how it is used through usage analytics (which you can turn off in Profile settings);
  • contact you about your account, beta access, and important changes; and
  • comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use.

How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only with service providers who help us run the Service, and only as needed:

  • Google Firebase / Google Cloud: authentication, database, and hosting, and the AI model that reads questions asked in Ask.
  • Apple and Google: sign-in, when you choose those methods.
  • Google Analytics for Firebase: usage analytics, which you can turn off in the app's Profile settings.
  • Firebase Crashlytics collects crash diagnostics, which the same Profile settings toggle turns off.
  • Cloudflare: website hosting, security, and bot protection.
  • Kit (ConvertKit): waitlist and beta invite email, if you sign up on our website.

We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect our rights or the safety of others, or as part of a business transfer.

Where your data is processed

Our providers may store and process data in the United States and other countries. By using the Service you understand your information may be processed outside your province or country, with appropriate safeguards.

Data retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service, and then delete or anonymize it, unless a longer period is required by law. Service logs are kept for one year.

Your choices and rights

  • Analytics: turn usage analytics off at any time in the app's Profile settings. The same toggle also stops the coarse-location "where people fish" analytics and crash diagnostics.
  • Location: control app location access in your device settings.
  • Deletion: you can permanently delete your account and associated data at any time from inside the app, in Profile > Delete Account. You can also request deletion from the Delete Your Account page or by contacting us. Research copies of catches and the text of Ask questions, which are stored without your account ID, are not removed (see above). Usage analytics and crash reports already sent to Google, and service logs until they expire after a year, are not removed either, and some information may be retained where required by law.
  • Research contribution: turn the research copy of new catches off at any time with the Contribute catches to research switch in the app's Me tab.
  • Access: you can request a copy of your personal information by contacting us.

Children

The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. If we make a material change, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, such as by email to the address on your account or on our website. The "Last updated" date above shows the latest version.

Contact

Questions or requests about your privacy? Contact us at privacy@reelquest.fishing.