ErdePrivacy
In short: the app needs no account, shows no ads and sells no data. What you keep for yourself stays on your phone. Only what you share reaches our server.
Who is responsible
Erde is a private open-source project from Switzerland. Privacy questions to erde@holostudio.ch. This policy follows the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and, for users in the EU, the GDPR.
What stays on your phone
The app stores this data only on your device. We cannot see it.
- Settings, start view, saved places and routes
- Maps saved for offline use
- Your location (GPS), if you allow it. It is only used to show you on the map and to fetch weather or routes for your position.
- Your own keys for AI services, if you enter any
- Text recognition on receipts (Google ML Kit runs on the device; the image does not leave your phone)
What is stored on our server
As soon as you create or share a trip or an event, the app stores it on our server at Supabase ([region – to follow]).
| Data | Purpose | Kept for |
|---|---|---|
| Random device ID | So that only you can change your trips and events | Until you delete your data |
| Trips, stages, fellow travellers (names you enter) | Planning and sharing with fellow travellers | Until you delete the trip or your data |
| Expenses and receipt photos | Splitting costs | Until you delete the trip or your data |
| Trip photos (reduced, with location) | Sharing with fellow travellers | 3 days, with Erde Plus 1 year |
| Events | Public: everyone sees them. Private: only people with the key | Until you delete them |
| Number of searches per day | Enforcing the free limit | [period – to follow, currently no expiry] |
We do not collect email addresses, phone numbers or device identifiers such as the IMEI. The app contains no ads and no third-party tracking.
Services the app contacts
For maps, weather and search the app contacts other services. They see your IP address and the map area or search term, but not your device ID.
| Service | Used for |
|---|---|
| swisstopo (Swiss federal government) | National map, aerial imagery, terrain, public transport data |
| OpenStreetMap | World map, places, hiking trails |
| Esri | Satellite imagery worldwide |
| Cesium | Worldwide 3D terrain (only if you turn it on) |
| Open-Meteo | Weather |
| TomTom (via our server) | Search, routes, traffic. Requests go through Supabase; TomTom does not see your IP address. |
| Anthropic or OpenAI | AI help, only when you use it: directly with your own key, via our server with Erde Plus |
Your rights
You can ask at any time to see, correct or delete your data. How to delete it is explained under Delete your data. You may also complain to the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) or your local EU authority.
Changes
If the app starts processing new data, we update this page. The date above shows the current version.