Privacy Policy
App: Vision Aquatics
Last updated: March 4, 2026
Overview
Vision Aquatics is an aquarium monitoring app that uses your phone's camera to periodically photograph your fish tank and alert you by email when a potential problem is detected. This policy explains what data is collected, how it is used, and your rights.
Data We Collect
Camera Images
Your phone's camera captures photographs of your aquarium at regular intervals (every 15–60 minutes, as configured by you). These images are uploaded to secure cloud storage solely for the purpose of automated analysis.
Email Address
Your email address is collected during setup so that alert notifications can be sent to you. It is not used for marketing or shared with third parties.
Usage Data
Basic app usage data (such as the timestamp of each capture and whether an alert was sent) is stored to support the app's monitoring functionality.
How We Use Your Data
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Camera images | Automated AI analysis to detect aquarium issues (e.g. lights off, flow anomalies) |
| Email address | Sending alert notifications when a potential problem is detected |
| Capture timestamps | Tracking monitoring history and baseline-building progress |
We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose other than operating the aquarium monitoring service.
Data Storage and Security
- Images and analysis results are stored in Google Firebase (Cloud Storage and Firestore), operated by Google LLC.
- Data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections at all times.
- Images are retained for a rolling window to support baseline analysis, after which they are automatically deleted.
Google's privacy policy is available at: policies.google.com/privacy
Third-Party Services
| Service | Purpose | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Google Firebase | Cloud storage and database | Link |
| OpenAI (GPT-4o) | AI image analysis (server-side only) | Link |
| Resend | Email delivery | Link |
Your camera images are only sent to OpenAI's API from our secure cloud servers — never directly from your device.
Data Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with any third parties except:
- The service providers listed above, which are necessary to operate the app
- If required by law or to protect our legal rights
Your Rights
You may request at any time:
- Access to the data we hold about you
- Deletion of your account and all associated data (images, email, capture history)
To exercise these rights, contact us at the email below. Deletion requests will be fulfilled within 30 days.
Children's Privacy
Vision Aquatics is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.
Changes to This Policy
If this policy changes materially, we will update the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
Contact
For privacy questions or data deletion requests: db4471@nyu.edu
Vision Aquatics is an independent app and is not affiliated with Google, OpenAI, or Resend.