SharkSmart: what the app stores and how to remove it

The SharkSmart app is run for the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). It has no accounts: it never asks for your name, email address or a password, so there is no account to delete.

What the app stores

• A random ID for your installation of the app, and a token so we can send you notifications.
• Your alert settings and favourite beaches.
• Your phone's location, only if you allow location alerts. It's used to send alerts for beaches near you.
• Anonymous usage, such as when the app is opened and which alerts are opened.

None of this is linked to your name or email address.

Shark sighting reports

A report you send keeps what you entered, its location and any photos. If we ask for your email address to confirm a report, we use it only for that and don't store it with the report.

How to stop it

• Location: turn off location for SharkSmart in your phone's settings. The app stops sending it.
• Notifications: turn off notifications for SharkSmart in your phone's settings.
• Everything: uninstall the app. After 90 days with no activity, we remove its notification token. The anonymous record of the installation is kept, and isn't linked to you.

Questions about your data? Raise a ticket. It's free.