Privacy Policy

1. Summary

• We do not require registration or login to use the public map (web or iOS).
• A Members account is optional. Create one only if you want us to keep ski days, photos and a personal resort map.
• We do not sell personal information or share your email for advertising without separate consent.
• We do not use your data to build advertising profiles or for cross-app / cross-site behavioural ads. The iOS app is not designed for tracking in the App Store sense (that is, advertising tracking across other companies’ apps).
• GPS tracks and mountain photographs you upload are private to your account. Other members cannot see them. We do not publish them on the public map.
• Ski GPS is processed only because you recorded or imported a ski day. It is not used for advertising targeting.
• We email newsletters only to people who asked on snowwatcher.com. Members account emails are transactional (confirm email, reset password), not marketing, unless you separately opt in to the newsletter.

2. Who we are

SnowWatcher is the operator of the website, Members area, and iOS app and, for GDPR / UK GDPR purposes, the controller of personal data processed in connection with the service. For contact details, see Contact below.

3. What this policy covers

This policy covers:

• The Snowwatcher Members website at members.snowwatcher.com (including register, sign-in, dashboard, tracks, gallery, season, and profile)
• The Members API used by the SnowWatcher iOS app to upload ski days and photos to your account
• Ski-day recording and sync in the SnowWatcher iOS app when you connect a Members token

Ordinary map use on snowwatcher.com and in the iOS app (without signing in to Members) is described in the SnowWatcher Privacy Policy.

App Store App Privacy alignment. Ordinary map use does not require an account and is not used for advertising tracking across other companies’ apps or websites. We do not use Apple’s App Tracking Transparency for cross-app advertising tracking, and we do not sell or share personal information from the app for that purpose. If you connect Members, the app sends ski tracks and photos to your Snowwatcher identity so you can relive them on the website.

Location on iOS. Map “near me” features may access device location only after you allow it, to query nearby map data — not for advertising. Ski recording uses GPS to build the track you chose to save. Photo pins use coordinates the app or camera supplies with the picture.

4. Public map — no personal data by default

For ordinary browsing of the map, resort lists, snow reports, and similar features on snowwatcher.com, we do not collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, postal addresses, payment details, precise government identifiers, or similar personal information.

We do not ask you to create a user profile to use the map. Members is a separate, optional product. If you never create a Members account, we do not hold a ski-track profile for you.

5. Members accounts

If you create a Members account, we store the minimum needed to run that identity and to show you your own ski days.

5.1 What we collect

• Email address (sign-in and transactional mail)
• Display name, and optional first and last name
• Password — hashed by ASP.@NET Identity; we never store it in plaintext
• Account timestamps such as created at and last sign-in, and whether the account is active
• Ski season preference (region or custom start/end dates) so My Ski Season and the calendar use the window you chose
• Optional season goals and manual “I’ve skied here” visits you enter yourself
• Resorts you choose to hide on your personal map
• Support tickets you send from Members (topic, message, time, and which page you were on), so we can help you

5.2 Why we collect it

• To create and secure your account, and to send confirmation and password-reset emails
• To show your name in the Members area
• To calculate your season against the dates you set
• To answer a support request you send from Members

Creating an account does not subscribe you to the SnowWatcher newsletter. Newsletter signup is a separate opt-in on snowwatcher.com.

6. GPS tracks and ski days

Members is built to keep your ski days. A track is owned by the signed-in Snowwatcher user ID. The iOS app and website never accept a client-supplied “user id” to attach a track to someone else.

6.1 What we store

• Track name, date/time, duration, distance, and elevation where available
• The GPS path (coordinates, and elevation / time along the path when the file or app provides them)
• A bounding box used to draw the map quickly
• Source — for example recorded on iOS, or imported from a GPX file (Garmin Connect or another GPS watch)

6.2 How tracks arrive

• SnowWatcher iOS app — when you record a ski day and the app is connected with your Members token, it uploads the path to this account.
• GPX import — you can upload a GPX file on the My Tracks calendar. We parse the file on our servers to create a ski day you own.
• GPX export — you can download your ski days as GPX files from Settings → Download my data (in a zip with your other Members data).

6.3 Who can see them

Tracks are private to you. They are not shown to other members and are not published on the public snowwatcher.com map. We may use derived, non-identifying facts (for example matching a path to a known resort catalogue) so “I’ve Skied Here” can name the resort. That matching uses public resort coordinates, not other people’s tracks.

Precise GPS from a ski day is location data you chose to record or import. We use it to draw your 3D map, calendar, season stats, and personal resort map — not for advertising, not to follow you off the mountain, and not to sell movement profiles.

7. Photos

Photographs you upload from the iOS app or My Ski Memories are private personal storage for your account. Photo uploads are available after you buy Snowwatcher on the App Store. The app then sends this email address to Members so we can open or unlock the account. Other members cannot see them, search them, or open them by guessing an address. There are no public photo URLs and no public folder of images. We do not operate a social photo feed.

We may store:

• The image file on our Members server (outside the public website folder), under a random storage name — not your original filename
• A smaller thumbnail generated on the server, protected by the same login check as the original
• The original filename as metadata only (it is not used as the file name on disk)
• File size, MIME type (we store JPEG after validation), width and height
• When it was taken, and offset from the start of a ski day when the iOS app sends that
• Latitude, longitude, and altitude when the app or camera provides them, so we can pin the shot on your map
• Whether you marked it as a favourite, and the upload time

Each retrieval checks that you are signed in and that the photograph belongs to your account. We do not use your photographs for advertising, training public AI models, or showing them to other users. Administrators do not have a gallery of members’ photographs. A support lookup of a specific photo ID is logged (who, which photo, when, and why). You can delete a photograph in My Ski Memories, download originals from Settings → Download my data, or delete the whole account in Settings.

EXIF (including GPS) may remain in the stored JPEG so your map pins work. We do not publish EXIF on a public page. If we ever offered sharing, that would be a new feature you would have to turn on; GPS would be stripped from any copy meant to leave private storage.

8. iOS access tokens

The website signs you in with an HTTP-only authentication cookie. The iOS app uses a personal access token you create under Profile → iOS access and store in the device Keychain.

• The token is shown once when you create it. We store only a hash (and a short prefix so you can recognise it in the list).
• We record the token name, created time, last used time, expiry, and whether you revoked it.
• Anyone with the plaintext token can upload tracks and photos as you. Revoke it in Profile if a device is lost.

We do not use these tokens for advertising. They exist so the app and website share one Snowwatcher identity.

9. Cookies and information stored on your device

Members uses cookies and similar storage that are needed for the product to work:

• Sign-in cookie (HTTP-only, Secure, HTTPS) — keeps you logged in on the website
• Theme cookie — remembers light or dark appearance
• GDPR consent cookie — records that you accepted the privacy notice so we can unlock the site
• On iOS, the Keychain holds the Members token you saved (on your device, not as plaintext on our servers)

If you Accept the banner, we also load Google Analytics (same measurement ID as snowwatcher.com) with IP anonymisation, and the Expedia Group search widget in the left menu (an iframe from creator.expediagroup.com). Searching opens Expedia; Expedia and its affiliate network (Partnerize) may set their own cookies when you use that widget. Analytics and the widget are not loaded until you accept. Reject sends you to the public map and does not load them on Members. The public snowwatcher.com site may also store language, map, and cookie-consent choices on your device, as described in the public Privacy Policy.

10. Technical data and bot protection

Like most online services, our servers may process limited technical information that is typically not reasonably identifiable on its own, for example:

• Approximate network location (country or region), not ski GPS unless you uploaded a track or photo
• Browser or app type, device type, operating system, and similar diagnostics
• Pages or API calls, load times, and error logs
• Truncated or hashed network addresses and timestamps used for security, rate-limiting, and abuse prevention

Sign-in on Members uses Cloudflare Turnstile to reduce automated attacks. Cloudflare receives the challenge response and limited technical data needed to decide if the request looks like a person. We do not use Turnstile to advertise to you.

11. Related SnowWatcher services

Optional features on the public site — newsletter, Contact Us, Trip Co-pilot, Journey Planner, SkiBase, and resort suggestions — are unchanged. They are documented in full in the SnowWatcher Privacy Policy (including newsletter consent, unsubscribe, and how long subscriber records are kept).

A Members account is not a newsletter signup. Contact messages and newsletter requests are still handled as described on snowwatcher.com.

12. Third-party services

SnowWatcher relies on specialised providers to host Members, draw maps, send transactional email, and block bots. They process the technical requests needed to deliver the feature you asked for. They may act as independent controllers or as processors depending on the service and configuration.

Examples of categories of providers for Members include:

• Hosting, content delivery, databases, and security infrastructure
• Map tiles and 3D map styling (for example MapTiler / MapLibre when you view a ski day)
• Email delivery for account confirmation, password reset, and support tickets
• Bot protection / CAPTCHA (Cloudflare Turnstile on sign-in)
• Optional website analytics (Google Analytics) after you accept the privacy banner
• Optional Expedia Group search widget after you accept the privacy banner — flights and stays search that opens Expedia.co.uk; we may earn an affiliate commission
• Apple (App Store distribution, device OS, and Keychain on iOS)

The public map additionally uses weather, snow intelligence, OpenStreetMap-related services, and (where enabled) AI for Trip Co-pilot — see the public policy. When you leave SnowWatcher (for example by opening snowwatcher.com or a resort website), that site’s policy applies.

13. European Union / EEA / United Kingdom (GDPR)

If you are in the EU/EEA or the UK GDPR regime applies, the following applies to personal data that may be processed:

13.1 Legal bases

• Contract / requested service (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) — creating a Members account, signing you in, storing ski tracks and photos you upload or import, issuing and checking iOS tokens, and showing you your own maps and season. That is the core of Members.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) — operating a secure service, preventing abuse, rate-limiting, and keeping error logs, balanced against your rights.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — for optional Google Analytics on Members after you Accept the privacy banner, for the Expedia flights-and-stays search widget in the member menu (which loads Expedia Group / Partnerize scripts in an iframe), and for the public-site newsletter and non-essential analytics cookies on snowwatcher.com. Members sign-in Turnstile is used to protect the login form, not as marketing consent. You may withdraw analytics and widget consent by clearing site cookies (you will see the banner again).

13.2 Your rights

Subject to legal limits, you may have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Rectify inaccurate data
• Erase data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Restrict or object to certain processing
• Data portability
• Withdraw consent (where processing is based on consent)
• Lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority

You can already correct display name, names, email, season window, and password in Profile and Settings, delete individual ski days, and revoke iOS tokens. Signed-in members can download a copy of their Members data from Settings (ski days as GPX, original photos, season goals as text, and other account records). For deletion of your Members account and stored tracks/photos, email hello@snowwatcher.com.

13.3 International transfers

Some providers may process data outside the EEA / UK. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) or the provider’s equivalent transfer mechanisms.

14. United States

If you are a US resident, we provide the following disclosures. SnowWatcher does not sell personal information and does not share personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising as those terms are commonly defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) / CPRA.

14.1 Categories

Depending on how you use Members, we may process:

• Identifiers and contact information (email, names)
• Account and security information (hashed password, sign-in cookie, hashed iOS token, last sign-in)
• Geolocation from ski GPS and photo pins you upload — used to provide Members, not for ad tracking
• Photos and track content you submit
• Internet / technical activity and device information for security and operations
• Preferences such as theme and ski-season dates
• Support requests you submit from Members
• Affiliate travel search if you use the Expedia widget (search details go to Expedia, not into your ski-day account)

14.2 California (CCPA/CPRA) rights

If the CCPA/CPRA applies to you, you may have the right to:

• Know what personal information is collected
• Delete personal information
• Correct inaccurate personal information
• Opt out of sale / sharing (we do not sell or share for behavioural advertising)
• Non-discrimination for exercising your rights

To submit a request, use the contact details below. We will verify requests to the extent reasonable. Signed-in members can also download a copy of their Members data from Settings.

14.3 “Do Not Track”

There is no consistent industry standard for DNT browser signals. Our practices are described in this policy; we do not track you across third-party sites or apps for advertising. If you use the Expedia search in the member menu, that booking path is operated by Expedia Group under their policy.

14.4 Other US state laws

Residents of states with consumer privacy laws (for example Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and others) may have similar rights to access, delete, or opt out of certain processing. Contact us to exercise applicable rights.

15. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures appropriate to a members web application and mobile companion (for example HTTPS in production, HTTP-only authentication cookies, hashed passwords, hashed API tokens, and ownership checks on every photograph). Tracks and photographs are scoped to the signed-in user. Storage files are not in a public web folder. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure; please use the service accordingly.

16. Children

SnowWatcher is intended for a general audience interested in ski travel and is not directed at children under 16 (EU/UK) or under 13 (USA / COPPA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has created a Members account or provided personal information to us, contact us and we will delete it where applicable.

17. Retention and deletion

• Account, tracks, and photographs — kept while your Members account remains open, because the product is your personal ski history. That is the business reason for retention. You can delete a photograph in My Ski Memories, delete a ski day in My Tracks, or delete the whole account in Settings. We do not keep photographs after the account is deleted.
• iOS tokens — kept until you revoke them, they expire, or the account is deleted. Hashes of revoked tokens may remain briefly for security.
• Technical logs — kept only as long as needed for security, operations, and abuse prevention, then deleted or irreversibly aggregated.
• Transactional email — confirmation and reset messages are sent as needed; we do not keep a marketing list from Members signup.
• Newsletter — see snowwatcher.com (kept while subscribed; after unsubscribe, a minimal suppression record typically up to 24 months unless you request deletion where the law allows).

To delete your entire Members account (profile, tracks, photographs, tokens), use Settings → Delete my account, or email hello@snowwatcher.com with subject “Delete my Snowwatcher Members account”. We will verify the request to the extent reasonable. Newsletter deletion is separate — use subject “Delete my newsletter data” as described on the public policy.

18. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of Snowwatcher Members after an update means you acknowledge the revised policy. If we make material changes to how we use Members ski-track or account data, we will update this page and, where appropriate, provide additional notice.

19. Contact

For privacy questions or requests (including GDPR / UK GDPR or CCPA requests, access, correction, or deletion), contact:

SnowWatcher — Privacy
Email: hello@snowwatcher.com

Public map, newsletter, and Contact Us: snowwatcher.com/Privacy

This page is provided for transparency and does not constitute legal advice. Implementing these features does not by itself mean Snowwatcher is legally compliant. If you need advice for your organisation, consult a UK solicitor or a data-protection professional.