Picture Bird - Bird Identifier Security & Privacy Scorecard

What This Means for You

Activity is tracked by Firebase Analytics, Facebook, and Adjust, which share data with ad networks. Usage patterns and device identifiers are collected to personalize the experience and deliver targeted advertising. Data sharing with third parties is limited, which is a positive sign for user privacy.

Recommendation: Acceptable

Best For: Identifying plants and birds on nature walks

Key Findings

Data Security - 7 findings (3 medium, 2 low, 2 info)

Network Security - 4 findings (1 high, 3 medium)

Code Safety - 0 findings

Privacy - 6 findings (1 high, 2 medium, 1 low, 2 info)

Privacy Concerns

What Data is Collected

Usage patterns and in-app interactions are collected through Firebase Analytics. Device identifiers and advertising IDs are gathered by Adjust and Firebase for attribution and personalization. Performance and stability data is collected via Firebase Crashlytics and Firebase Performance. Push notification preferences are stored via Firebase Messaging. Plant and bird identification is processed on the device using TensorFlow Lite.

Third-Party Data Sharing

Usage and device data is shared with Google (Firebase), Adjust, and Facebook. These services use this data for advertising attribution and may build profiles used to deliver targeted ads across other apps and websites. Cloud file storage and delivery is handled via AWS S3. The app's high Data Sharing score (95/100) reflects that data shared beyond these analytics services is limited.

Understanding the Scores

Positive Security Features

• Data sharing with third parties is tightly limited, with a 95/100 score indicating user information stays within a small set of known services
• No findings in the Code Safety category, meaning the app's core logic does not exhibit common coding patterns that could expose user data
• Plant and bird identification runs on the device using TensorFlow Lite, so photos are not transmitted to external servers for analysis

Areas for Improvement

• Network communications between the app and its servers could be better protected to reduce the chance that user data travels with less protection than expected
• The combination of Firebase Analytics, Adjust, and Facebook integrations means in-app behavior contributes to advertising profiles that can follow users across other apps and services
• Users have limited built-in options to reduce analytics collection or opt out of behavioral tracking within the app itself

About This Analysis

Static analysis of the app's compiled code and configuration was performed on 2026-04-06. Scores are based on observed practices and findings across security and privacy categories.

App Details