FarmerDataLogger Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-09-16

This policy covers the FarmerDataLogger mobile apps ("the app") — available
for Android and iOS — published by Farmers Data Lab. Both apps collect and
handle data identically; where a specific mechanism differs by platform
(e.g. secure credential storage), both are named below. This policy does not
cover the separate FarmerDataLogger web Dashboard used by research teams, or
the study consent/participation terms farmers agree to when joining a
project — see https://www.farmersdatalab.org/consent for that.

What the app is

FarmerDataLogger is a field data collection tool for on-farm experiment (OFE)
research. It is not a public consumer app — it only works when connected to a
specific research organization's FarmerDataLogger Dashboard, using an invite
(QR code) issued by that organization. If you were not given an invite by a
research team you're working with, this app has nothing for you to do.

Data the app collects

The app collects the following, only as needed for the features you actively
use:

• Photos you take with the app's camera, and (on supported devices) an
  associated depth map.

• Audio recordings you make with the app.

• Text notes you type or dictate.

• Location data — used to geotag photos, notes, audio recordings, and
  form submissions, and to record GPS tracks when you use the "Track
  Location" feature. Location is only accessed while you are actively using
  a feature that needs it. The app does not collect your location in the
  background when you are not using one of these features.

• Form responses you submit through any Custom Form your research team
  has configured.

• Voice audio for dictation — when you use the microphone button to
  dictate a note or caption, that audio is processed entirely on your
  device using the device's own on-device speech recognition (Android's
  SpeechRecognizer or iOS's Speech framework, depending on platform). It
  is not sent anywhere, including to us — the app only ever receives the
  resulting text.

How this data is used

Everything you capture is stored on your device first and uploaded to your
research organization's FarmerDataLogger Dashboard once your device has an
internet connection (the app can be configured to upload over Wi-Fi only).
That upload is authenticated with a private access token issued to you by
your research organization during onboarding.

We do not use your data for advertising. We do not sell your data. The app
contains no advertising or analytics SDKs, and does not share your data with
any third party other than your own research organization's Dashboard.

Data storage and retention

Captured photos, recordings, notes, and location data are stored locally on
your device until successfully uploaded, and remain on your device until you
delete them from within the app (via the Media Library) or uninstall the
app. Once uploaded, data is retained by the farmers datalab on our local servers and is used to conduct research towards the goals that we agree upon during onboarding. If at the end of the the research term you request your data deleted, we will delete all personally identifiable data related to that project that has been submitted (notes, photos, recordings etc.) though aggregated data not identifiable to you or your farm, such as generalized observations published in journal articles, statistical models fitted from your observations, will be retained. 

Your access token is stored securely on your device using the platform's
encrypted credential storage (Android Keystore on Android, Keychain on iOS)
and is never stored in the app's regular database.

Permissions this app requests, and why

• Camera: To take photos within the app.

• Microphone: To record audio, and for on-device voice dictation of notes/captions.

• Location: To geotag captured data and record GPS tracks, only while a relevant feature is in active use.

Children's privacy

This app is not directed at children and is not available for public
download or sign-up — access requires an invite from a research
organization.

Changes to this policy

We will update the date at the top of this page if this policy changes. 

Multi App Policy

The FarmerDataLogger app is currently available as both an Android and IOS app. We attempt to keep both apps synchronized but some features may differ between the two versions.

Contact

Questions about this policy, or about data collected through the app,
should be directed to: tedkoch00@gmail.com