Privacy Policy for the Kennzeichen Wiki App

This policy covers the "Kennzeichen Wiki" app on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Android.

At a Glance

• No ads, no tracking, no analytics services.
• All license plate data ships with the app, and the core features run on your device without an internet connection.
• At launch, the app signs in to our server with an anonymous technical account, even if you don't use any online features.
• Online features such as Leaderboard, Shared Collections or Cloud Backup only transfer data when you use them. Our server is located in Zurich, Switzerland.

1. Controller

Yannick Lung
Am Markt 6
40764 Langenfeld (Rhld.)
Germany
Email: hello [at] mail.kennzeichen.wiki

2. Using the App Without Online Features

2.1 Storage on Your Device

Your collection (favorites, seen plates with date, and optionally where you saw them) and your settings are stored on your device. Export and import, including from other apps, also run on your device.

2.2 Anonymous Technical Account

At launch, the app creates or signs in to an anonymous account with a random identifier on our server and loads general settings, such as the minimum required app version and which online features are available. The server receives your IP address in the process. No names, email addresses or plate data are transferred. This account is the technical basis for the online features and controls who may see and change which data.

2.3 Sync and Backup

• iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch: If iCloud is enabled, your collection, including saved locations, is synced between your own devices through your private iCloud account. We have no access to it.
• Android: If Google backup is enabled in your system settings, Android backs up the app's data to your Google account. We have no access to it.

2.4 Location

With your permission, the app uses your location to calculate distances, without saving it. It only saves the place of a sighting if you turn this on in the settings. If you use an online feature (section 3), that place is transferred too.

2.5 Maps and Voice Control

Maps load from Apple on iOS and from Mapbox on Android. Your IP address and the map section are transmitted, and Mapbox also receives device data and usage statistics from its map service. In voice mode, Apple's or Google's speech recognition processes what you say. The recording may be sent to their servers for this, but we never receive it.

3. Optional Online Features

These features store data on our server once you use them.

• Cloud Backup: Links your account with "Sign in with Apple" or "Sign in with Google" so you can restore your collection. It processes an identifier from Apple or Google, your email address if applicable, and a copy of your collection.
• Shared Collections: Several people keep one collection together. It processes the collection data, including saved locations, plus a device identifier and the device name (e.g. "Max's iPhone"). All members can see the collection and the device names.
• Leaderboard, friends and groups: Processes your display name, optional profile picture, points, friendships and groups. Creating a profile syncs your collection online. All users can see your name, picture and points in the rankings. Friends can also see your collection and recently seen plates, but not locations.
• Idea board and plate reports: Processes your text, an optional photo for reports, and platform, language and app version. Ideas are only published after we have reviewed and rewritten them, without naming the author. Only the developer sees reports.

Automatic check: Profiles with clearly unrealistic scores are automatically excluded from the rankings. If you think this is a mistake, write to us and we will review it personally.

4. Support, Tips and Ratings

• Support: When you contact us from the app by email or WhatsApp, the prepared message includes the app version, OS version, device model and, where relevant, the affected plate or the ID of your Shared Collection. You see the message before you send it.
• Tips (iOS) and ratings: Both are handled by Apple or Google. We receive no payment or personal data.

5. Service Providers

• Supabase Inc. (Singapore): server for the online features, acting as a processor. Data is stored in Zurich; Switzerland is covered by an EU adequacy decision. Privacy policy
• Apple Distribution International Ltd. (Ireland): iCloud, maps, speech recognition, sign-in, App Store, and push notifications to us about new ideas, reports and ranking exclusions. Privacy policy
• Google Ireland Limited (Android only): sign-in, backup, speech recognition, Google Play. Privacy policy
• Mapbox Inc. (USA, Android only): maps. Privacy policy
• WhatsApp Ireland Limited: only if you contact us through it. Privacy policy

Apple, Google and Mapbox may also process data in the USA, based on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework or Standard Contractual Clauses. Beyond this, we do not share or sell any data.

6. Legal Basis

• App features you use: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR
• Location, microphone, camera: your consent via the system prompt, Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. You can withdraw it at any time in your system settings.
• Anonymous technical account, abuse protection for the rankings, support: our legitimate interest in secure operation and in handling requests, Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR

7. Retention and Deletion

• Data on your device: until you delete it in the app or uninstall the app; iCloud and Google backups via your system settings
• Leaderboard profile: "Delete profile" in the app removes your profile, picture, friendships and group memberships.
• Support requests: until resolved, then for at most 6 months
• Other server data (anonymous account, online collections and Cloud Backup, ideas and reports): kept even after "Delete profile" or leaving a collection, until you ask us to delete it. Write to hello [at] mail.kennzeichen.wiki, ideally with your profile or collection ID. We delete within one month.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability and objection (Art. 15–21 GDPR). You can withdraw your consent at any time. If an automated decision affects you, such as an exclusion from the rankings, a person will review it on request. You can also lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. The competent one is:

State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information North Rhine-Westphalia
Kavalleriestraße 2-4, 40213 Düsseldorf, Germany
Email: poststelle@ldi.nrw.de

9. Children

Children under 16 should only use the online features with their parents' consent and should not use their real name or a photo of themselves.

10. Changes and Contact

We update this policy when the app or the law changes. For privacy questions, write to hello [at] mail.kennzeichen.wiki or to the postal address above.

Last updated: September 2026

← Back to Homepage