Account & Data Deletion

At ButterflyCounts, we respect your privacy and give you control over your data. This page outlines the process for deleting your account and all associated personal information.

1. How to Request Account Deletion

The easiest way to delete your account is directly through the ButterflyCounts app.

1. Open the ButterflyCounts app and navigate to the **Settings** screen.
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap on the **"Delete Account"** button.
3. A confirmation message will appear. After confirming, you will be redirected to a web page where the account deletion will be processed securely.

If you are unable to access the app, you can send an account deletion request to our support team. Please email us at rohitmg.bbm@gmail.com with the subject line "Account Deletion Request". To help us verify your identity, please include your registered username or email address in the body of the email.

2. What Happens to Your Data

When you delete your account, we will permanently delete all of your personal data from our servers. This includes:

• Your account profile (username, email, and any linked information).
• All of your submitted butterfly counts and observations.
• Any other personal information you provided.

**Important:** If you have opted for "open access" for your counts, this data may be shared annually with the **Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)**, a global research infrastructure. While we will delete your data from our servers, we cannot remove it from GBIF's database once it has been published.

**Important:** Once your account is deleted, your data cannot be recovered. Your data will be deleted from our servers immediately, though some caches and similar systems may take up to 48 hours to fully propagate the changes.

3. Data Retention Period

There is no data retention period. All of your personal data is deleted as soon as your account is deleted.