Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you building this?

Your digital footprint already has value — we think you should decide where that value goes, not the platforms. Read the full story →

Where is the service now?

We're currently building the waitlist — join to reserve your spot. Once we have enough interest, we'll invite waitlist members to use the app first.

Is my data safe?

Yes. Privacy and security are top priorities. All personally identifiable information is removed before data leaves your device. Data is then anonymised and aggregated by our data processing partner, making it impossible to trace back to you. We aim to comply with applicable privacy regulations.

What data do you collect?

With your permission: General location patterns (city/neighbourhood level), app usage patterns (which apps you use, for how long, and how often), general browsing behaviour (content categories — for example news, shopping, or social — but not specific websites or URLs), movement patterns (walking, driving, stationary), and device type. The exact data types and permissions will be shown in the app at launch.

Never collected: Your name, email (except for your account), exact home or work addresses, specific websites visited, messages, calls, or communication content, photos, files, or personal documents, financial information, health data, or passwords.

How is my data anonymised?

A two-stage process: (1) Your device strips personal identifiers before anything is transmitted — name, location, identity are removed at source. (2) Our data processing partner performs full anonymisation, aggregates records across users, retaining only collective behavioural patterns rather than individual records. The result cannot be traced back to any individual.

Who buys the data and why?

Our data processing partner sells the anonymised, aggregated datasets to organisations worldwide — such as market researchers, urban planners, and academic institutions — that need behavioural patterns, not personal profiles. By design, the anonymised data cannot be used to identify individuals.

Can the data be traced back to me?

No. On-device PII removal followed by full anonymisation and aggregation by our data processing partner makes individual identification technically impossible.

How much will be donated to causes?

Our data processing partner remits a share of data sale proceeds to us. We aim to direct around 70% of what we receive to causes — the remaining ~30% covers our running costs (infrastructure, operations, and development). We expect this to improve as the service grows: fixed costs become a smaller slice of larger revenue, meaning a greater share reaches causes over time. We'll publish transparent impact reports so you can see exactly where the money goes.

Which causes can I support?

At launch we plan to offer a curated list of vetted causes across six categories: Environment (e.g. rainforest conservation), Education (e.g. girls' education in underserved regions), Health (e.g. vaccination programmes), Poverty Relief, Human Rights, and Animal Welfare. Specific partner organisations within each category will be announced at launch.

If there's a cause you care about that isn't listed, we'd love to hear from you — email us at hello@donatedigitalfootprint.org and we'll do our best to add it.

How do I know proceeds actually reach causes?

We'll publish transparent impact reports showing the total donated per cause category. We commit to publishing these before the first donations are made, so you can verify the numbers from day one.

How will I know about the impact I make?

We plan to provide periodic impact reports — both at an individual level (showing how much your data contributed to cause funding) and at a collective level (total donations per cause category across all users). These will be available in the app and by email. The exact format and cadence will be confirmed closer to launch.

Can I change which causes I support?

Yes — you can update your cause preferences at any time from within the app. Changes take effect from the next data collection cycle.

How does the app collect data?

Once installed and granted permission, the app passively monitors permitted device activity in the background — such as general location patterns, app usage, and movement. No active input is required from you. All monitoring is limited strictly to the permissions you explicitly grant, and you can pause or revoke access at any time from your device settings.

Is it really free?

Yes, completely free. There are no subscription fees, no premium tiers, and no in-app purchases. You contribute your anonymised data; we generate value from it and direct the majority of proceeds to causes.

Will it drain my battery or use my data plan?

The app is designed to be lightweight. Data collection runs passively in the background with minimal battery impact. Transmission uses a small amount of mobile data, optimised to run on Wi-Fi where possible.

Can I pause or stop at any time?

Yes. You can pause data sharing at any time from the app, and resume whenever you like. You can also permanently delete your account and all associated data.

What permissions does the app require?

Only the permissions you explicitly grant. The app will request location access (approximate, not precise), and app usage access. You can grant or revoke each permission independently at any time from your phone's settings.

How can I improve my impact?

You can optionally share basic demographic information within the app — such as age range, gender, and income bracket. Anonymised demographic context makes datasets more valuable to researchers, which increases the proceeds donated to causes. This is entirely optional and never shared in a way that could identify you.

What devices are supported?

iOS 13.0 or later (iPhone 6s and newer) and Android 8.0 or later. A web dashboard for tracking your impact is planned for a future release.

Are you GDPR compliant?

Yes — for the waitlist phase. We collect only your email address, with your explicit consent via a confirmed opt-in email. Mailchimp acts as our data processor under a Data Processing Agreement certified under the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, meaning your data is protected under EU-approved standards even when processed in the US.

Your rights under GDPR — access, correction, erasure, and objection — are exercisable at any time via privacy@donatedigitalfootprint.org. You can also unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send you. Full compliance details for the app's data collection will be confirmed before launch. See our Privacy Policy → Your rights for the full list.

What about US privacy laws (CCPA)?

At our current pre-launch scale, we don't meet the CCPA applicability threshold — the law applies to businesses with $25M or more in annual revenue, or those handling data for 100,000 or more California consumers. We meet neither criterion right now.

That said, we publish a clear privacy policy covering everything we collect so US visitors have full transparency regardless. We'll formally assess our CCPA/CPRA obligations before the app launches.

What about Canadian privacy laws (PIPEDA)?

We meet the core requirements of PIPEDA and Quebec Law 25 for email collection: we obtain explicit consent via double opt-in before storing your email, we publish a privacy policy in plain language, and our privacy contact (privacy@donatedigitalfootprint.org) is publicly available. Broader obligations for app-phase data collection will be addressed before launch.

Who can I contact about privacy concerns?

You can reach our privacy team at privacy@donatedigitalfootprint.org. We aim to respond within 5 working days.

Where is my data stored?

Your email is stored in Mailchimp (Intuit Inc., US), under an EU-approved Data Processing Agreement. See Privacy Policy → How we store and process it for full details including transfer safeguards.

Why does signing up require email confirmation?

When you join the waitlist, we send you a verification email with a confirmation link — you need to click it to complete your registration. We do this because we care about your privacy: double opt-in ensures only you can sign up with your email address, so nobody else can register you without your knowledge.

Do you use cookies or tracking?

This website uses Plausible Analytics for traffic measurement — a cookieless, EU-hosted analytics tool that is GDPR-compliant by design. No cookies are set, no personal data is collected, and no consent banner is required. We use no advertising trackers or fingerprinting scripts. See Privacy Policy → Analytics and → Cookies for details.