In addition to the NCEI Privacy and NOAA privacy policies, the CrowdMag app implements the following privacy measure to ensure that CrowdMag data are collected anonymously. We do not collect personally identifiable information, including your name, email address, or your device's unique identification number. If you enable the “send data” option in the CrowdMag app, the following information will be sent to NOAA:
- Magnetic field data from the phone's magnetic sensor
- Time of measurement
- Location of measurement
- Location accuracy
- The model of your phone (so that we know which type of sensor was used to collect the magnetic field data)
CrowdMag data is stored in an internal, non-public database at NCEI. Our magnetic field research team will use these data to assess the utility of incorporating crowdsourced magnetic field data for modeling Earth’s magnetic field. Using CrowdMag data, our team will periodically produce scientific products such as maps, graphs and/or mathematical models. To further geomagnetic field research, these products may be presented at meetings, be included in publications, or be made available to the public via the Internet.
The collection of CrowdMag data is authorized under the OMB Control Number included in the Paperwork Reduction Act and Privacy Act statements.