Loam is built for UK gardeners who care about their plants, and about their privacy. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and your rights.
Who we are
Loam is developed and operated by Stephen Anderson, acting as data controller under UK data protection law. Stephen Anderson is registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a data controller.
For data-related enquiries, contact us at: privacy@loamapp.uk
What we collect and why
- Account information: your email address and (optionally) your name, used to create and manage your account.
- Plant photos: photos you submit for identification. These are sent to Anthropic's API to identify the plant and are stored in your account so you can revisit your identified plants.
- Plant collection data: the plants you save, care tasks, notes, and location preferences (indoor/outdoor). Stored so you can manage your collection across devices.
- Garden profiles: if you create a garden, we store the information you provide: garden name, postcode, GPS coordinates (if you use the locate-on-map feature), soil type, hardiness zone, and other growing conditions. This data is used to personalise care advice, seasonal calendars, and weather alerts to your specific location. Your full postcode and GPS coordinates are stored on our servers; we do not share them with third parties except as described below (weather and postcode lookup services).
- Usage data: a monthly count of plant identifications, used to enforce your free-tier allowance. We do not collect analytics, crash reports, or behavioural tracking data.
- Push notification tokens: if you enable notifications, we store a device token so we can send you care task notifications and weather alerts. You can disable notifications at any time in Settings or your device's notification preferences.
- Feedback: messages you submit via Settings → Send Feedback, including an optional email address if you'd like a reply. Feedback is used solely to improve the app and is never shared.
- Device preferences: notification settings and app preferences stored locally on your device. These never leave your device.
Third-party processors
- Supabase: our database, authentication, and file storage provider. Your account data, plant collection, garden profiles, and photos are stored on Supabase infrastructure. Supabase is GDPR-compliant; loamapp.uk uses EU-region servers.
- Anthropic: the AI provider that powers plant identification, disease diagnosis, seasonal calendars, and garden advice. Plant photos and text are sent to Anthropic's API for processing. Anthropic's data retention and privacy practices are governed by their privacy policy at anthropic.com/privacy. Your data is not used to train Anthropic's models.
- Ideal Postcodes: a UK postcode lookup service. When you enter a postcode in a garden profile, it is sent to Ideal Postcodes to retrieve your approximate location (latitude, longitude, hardiness zone, and soil data). Your postcode is not stored by Ideal Postcodes beyond the immediate lookup.
- Open-Meteo: a free weather data service. If you have weather alerts enabled, your garden's GPS coordinates are sent to Open-Meteo to retrieve the local forecast. Open-Meteo does not store personally identifiable information.
- Expo: the platform used to build and deliver Loam. If you enable notifications, your device's push token is registered with Expo's push notification service so we can send you care task notifications and weather alerts.
- Resend: an email delivery service used to send us a copy of feedback you submit via Settings → Send Feedback. Your email address (if provided) is included in the notification we receive. Resend does not use your email for any other purpose.
- Apple / Google: if you use Sign in with Apple or Sign in with Google, your identity is verified by Apple or Google respectively. We receive only the information needed to create your account (typically an email address or account ID). We do not receive your Apple ID password.
Deleting your account
You can delete your Loam account and all associated data at any time, directly within the app:
- Open Loam and go to Settings (tap the person icon in the tab bar).
- Scroll to the Account section and tap Delete account.
- Confirm the deletion when prompted.
What is deleted: your account, email address, display name, plant collection, plant photos, garden profiles, care tasks, Garden Advisor history, and usage records. Deletion is immediate and cannot be undone.
What is retained: nothing. All personal data is permanently removed from our systems upon account deletion.
If you are unable to access the app, you can also request account deletion by emailing privacy@loamapp.uk from the address associated with your account. We will complete the deletion within 30 days.
Data retention
We retain your data for as long as your account is active. If you uninstall the app without deleting your account, your data is retained so you can restore your collection if you reinstall.
Your rights under UK GDPR
- Access: you can request a copy of all data we hold about you.
- Rectification: you can correct inaccurate data via the app.
- Erasure: you can delete your account and all associated data at any time from Settings → Delete Account.
- Portability: you can request an export of your data in a machine-readable format.
- Objection: you can object to processing or restrict it in certain circumstances.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@loamapp.uk. We will respond within 30 days.
Children
Loam is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via the app or by email. Continued use of Loam after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
For privacy-related questions, data requests, or to raise a concern, email us at privacy@loamapp.uk.
Stephen Anderson is registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a data controller. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk if you believe we have handled your data unlawfully.