Last updated: August 2026
Dead or Not? ("the app") looks up public figures' life status using Wikidata, and lets you build a watchlist. This page explains what data the app and its backend actually handle. It's written to match the code, not a generic template — you can verify anything here against the app's source.
The app has no account system. You never enter a name, email, or password to us. We do not build advertising profiles, sell data, or share your watchlist with anyone except as described below.
These never leave your phone unless you enable Pro alerts (see below):
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| Your watchlist (names and Wikidata IDs of people you track) | So the app remembers who you're tracking between launches |
| Your chosen visual mode (Original / Pixel / Detective) | Remembered across launches |
| Whether you've purchased Pro | Local cache so the app doesn't need to ask the store every launch |
Search queries and person lookups go directly from your device to Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikipedia's public APIs (all operated by the Wikimedia Foundation) to fetch names, photos, and biographical summaries. We don't see or log these requests — they never pass through our own server.
When a person's Wikidata record shows a reported death, the app asks our server to cross-check that report against tier-one news sources, to protect against Wikipedia/Wikidata vandalism. This request sends only the public figure's name and a short public description — never anything that identifies you. Our server does not log or store who made the request, only the verification result (cached briefly so repeated lookups of the same person don't repeat the check).
Pro is a one-time purchase that removes ads and unlocks unlimited watchlist size and death alerts. If you enable alerts, the app sends your watchlist (names and Wikidata IDs only — no personal information about you) and an anonymous push notification token to our server, so it can check for deaths on a schedule and notify you. Free-tier use of the app never sends this data anywhere.
| What we receive | Why |
|---|---|
| A push notification token (an anonymous device identifier assigned by Apple) | So we know where to send an alert |
| The names/IDs on your watchlist | So we know who to check on your behalf |
This data is deleted when you delete the app, or you can ask us to delete it earlier — see Contact below.
Purchases are processed by Apple through the App Store — we never see your payment details. We use RevenueCat to verify that a purchase was made and to keep your Pro status working if you reinstall the app or get a new phone. RevenueCat receives an anonymous purchase receipt and an anonymous customer identifier, not your name or payment information. See RevenueCat's privacy policy.
Free-tier use of the app shows ads served by Google AdMob. The first time you open the app, iOS asks whether you'll allow tracking across other apps and websites — if you decline, you still see ads, just less targeted. AdMob's own data practices are described in Google's Privacy Policy and AdMob's data collection disclosure.
This app is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13.
Questions about this policy or a data deletion request: dan.scott.goldstein@gmail.com