Privacy Policy for AgWeatherNet Mobile App

Effective Date: 11/27/2025

AgWeatherNet is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how the WSU AgWeatherNet mobile application handles data and what information is (or is not) collected when you use the application.

1. Information We Do Not Collect

The WSU AgWeatherNet app does not collect, store, or transmit any of the following:

  • Personal information (e.g., name, email address, phone number, or user accounts)
  • Device identifiers or advertising IDs
  • Usage analytics, behavioral data, or crash reports
  • User credentials or authentication information
  • Cloud-based backups of your data

The app is designed to prioritize your privacy, ensuring that your preferences and data remain private and under your control.

2. Location Data

The WSU AgWeatherNet app requests access to your device’s location services for the following purposes:

  • Finding Nearby Weather Stations: To identify and display the nearest weather stations based on your current location
  • Fallback Location Setup: To allow you to set a preferred location for weather data when location services are unavailable

Important Privacy Protections:

  • Location data is processed only on your device
  • We do not collect, store, or transmit your location information to our servers or third parties
  • No location data is shared with third parties or stored in the cloud
  • Location requests are made only when you actively use the app’s location-based features

You can manage location permissions at any time through your device settings. The app will function with limited features if location access is denied, allowing you to manually search for and select weather stations.

3. Weather Data Access

The app retrieves real-time and forecasted weather data from our AgWeatherNet network. This includes:

  • Current weather
  • Forecast data
  • Historical weather observations
  • Station information

4. Locally Stored Data

The following information is stored locally on your device only:

  • Favorite Weather Stations: Up to 5 weather stations you’ve marked as favorites
  • User Preferences:
    • Language selection (English or Spanish)
    • Unit preferences (Metric or Imperial)
    • Station sorting (via Distance or Alphabetical)
  • Fallback Location: Optional custom location you set for weather data access

Data Retention:

  • All locally stored data remains on your device until you:
    • Manually delete it through the app settings
    • Clear the app’s data through device settings
    • Uninstall the application

No Cloud Storage:

  • None of your preferences, favorites, or settings are synchronized to cloud services
  • Your data is not backed up to our servers
  • Reinstalling the app will not restore your previous settings

5. Network Connectivity

The app requires internet connectivity to:

  • Retrieve real-time weather data from our AgWeatherNet network
  • Access weather forecasts and historical observations
  • Geocode location searches using OpenStreetMap

Privacy Protections:

  • Network requests are made anonymously
  • No tracking cookies or persistent identifiers are used
  • Location search queries (e.g., city names) are sent to OpenStreetMap’s service but are not linked to your identity
  • The app checks for internet connectivity but does not monitor your network usage

6. Data Security

We implement the following security measures:

  • All data processing occurs locally on your device
  • No background data transmission to our servers beyond necessary weather data requests
  • API communications use secure HTTPS connections
  • No persistent user identifiers or tracking mechanisms
  • Minimal data collection philosophy only what’s necessary for app functionality

7. Third-Party Services

The WSU AgWeatherNet app does not integrate with third-party services that collect, store, or process your personal information.

No Analytics or Advertising:

  • The app does not use analytics services (e.g., Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics)
  • The app does not display advertisements
  • The app does not use tracking or advertising SDKs
  • The app does not share data with third-party advertisers or data brokers

8. Children’s Privacy

The WSU AgWeatherNet app does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. The app does not require account creation or personal information from users of any age. Parents and guardians should be aware that while the app is safe for children to use, location permissions should be managed appropriately.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in:

  • App features or functionality
  • Legal or regulatory requirements
  • Privacy best practices

When we make changes:

  • The “Effective Date” at the top of this policy will be updated
  • Significant changes will be communicated through app update notes
  • Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data privacy, please contact us:

Washington State University AgWeatherNet
Email: weather@wsu.edu
Website: https://weather.wsu.edu

We will respond to privacy inquiries within a reasonable timeframe and work to address your concerns.