Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how the Light Pollution Map app for Android (the “App”), published by POLYMATH COMPANY LIMITED (“we”, “us”, “our”), handles information when you use it.
In short: the App has no account, no sign-in, no advertising and no analytics or tracking SDKs. We do not run servers that receive your data and we do not sell or share personal information. Your location is used on your device and, when you look something up, the coordinates of that place are sent to the public data services listed below solely to answer that request.
1. Information we collect
We, POLYMATH COMPANY LIMITED, do not collect, store or have access to any personal information from the App. The App does not ask for your name, email address, phone number, contacts, photos or any other identifiers.
2. Location
If you grant location permission (approximate or precise), the App reads your device location to show sky brightness, weather, moon and sky conditions for where you are, and to find dark-sky spots nearby. Location permission is optional — you can instead pick any point on the map or search for a place.
Your location is processed on your device. It is not stored on any server of ours and is not used for advertising. You can revoke the permission at any time in Android Settings › Apps › Light Pollution Map › Permissions.
3. Third-party services the App contacts
To show maps and data, the App sends requests directly from your device to the following public services. These requests contain the coordinates or map area you are viewing (or the text you search for) and, like any internet request, your IP address. We do not control these services; their own privacy policies apply.
| Service | Purpose | Data sent |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Meteo (api.open-meteo.com) | Weather/cloud forecast and elevation | Coordinates of the selected point |
| OpenStreetMap Nominatim | Place search and place names | Search text or coordinates |
| Android Geocoder (provided by your device, typically Google) | Place names for a point | Coordinates of the selected point |
| OSRM (router.project-osrm.org) | Driving route to a dark-sky spot — only when you ask for directions | Start and destination coordinates |
| World Atlas tiles (djlorenz.github.io) | Light-pollution map data | Map tile for the area viewed |
| OpenStreetMap, Esri ArcGIS, NASA GIBS | Base map, satellite imagery and night-lights imagery | Map tiles for the area viewed |
| NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center | Aurora (Kp index) forecast | No location — a general forecast request |
| Google Play Billing | Premium subscriptions and purchases | Handled entirely by Google Play |
4. Information stored on your device
Favourites, observation logs, planned trips, settings, alert preferences and cached map tiles are stored only in the App’s private storage on your device. Home-screen widgets show data the App has already computed on your device. If you have Android backup enabled, the system may include this App data in your device backup to your Google account; this is controlled by Android and your Google account settings, not by us. Uninstalling the App deletes its local data.
5. Notifications
If you allow notifications, the App schedules reminders and alerts (for example, dark-sky windows or aurora activity) locally on your device. No push-notification service or device token is used.
6. Purchases
Premium features are sold through Google Play. Payment is processed by Google; we never receive your payment card or billing details. The App only receives confirmation from Google Play of which products you are entitled to. Google’s privacy policy applies: policies.google.com/privacy.
7. Sharing and sale of data
We do not sell, rent or share personal information with anyone, and we do not use your data for advertising or tracking across apps or websites.
8. Data security and retention
All network requests use encrypted HTTPS connections. Because we do not collect personal data, we retain none. Data stored on your device remains until you delete it in the App or uninstall the App.
9. Children’s privacy
The App is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children.
10. Your rights
Since we hold no personal data about you, there is nothing for us to access, correct or delete. You control all App data on your device and can remove it at any time. If you have a question or request regarding a third-party service listed above, please contact that service directly — or contact us and we will help where we can.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with a new effective date.
12. Contact us
POLYMATH COMPANY LIMITED
Email: steve.do@vidanimate.co