Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2 July 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how PlantNative (plantnative.today) handles information when you use the site. PlantNative is operated by Dr. Aran Castro A J, based in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India. By using the site, you agree to this policy.

Information we collect

PlantNative does not require you to create an account, and we do not ask for your name, email or phone number to use the tool. The limited information involved is:

• Basic technical data. Like most websites, our host and services may automatically log data such as your browser type, approximate location, referring page and the pages you view. This is used to keep the site working and to understand overall traffic.
• Plant photos. If you use the photo identification feature, your image is sent to the third-party Pl@ntNet service to be identified. We do not use it to identify you, and PlantNative does not build a personal profile from it.
• Cookies. Cookies are small files stored by your browser. We use them for basic site function, to remember that you have seen our cookie notice, and for advertising as described below.

Advertising and Google AdSense

PlantNative shows ads to keep the tool free. We use Google AdSense and may use other Google advertising products.

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.
• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to our site and other sites on the internet.
• You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of some third-party vendor cookies at optout.aboutads.info.
• For more on how Google uses data when you use our site, see Google's policy.

Analytics

We may use privacy-friendly analytics or Google Analytics to understand which pages are popular and how the site is used. This data is aggregated and is not used to identify you personally.

Third-party services we rely on

• Google AdSense for advertising.
• Pl@ntNet for photo-based plant identification.
• Netlify for website hosting and delivery.

Each of these providers has its own privacy policy governing how it handles data.

Children

PlantNative is a general-audience educational site and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Your choices and rights

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings, and you can opt out of personalised ads using the links above. Depending on where you live, you may have rights over your personal data under laws such as India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act or the GDPR. To make a request or ask a question, contact us using the details below.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a new "last updated" date.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Email aran@draran.online or use the Contact page.