[version 15.12.2025]
By using the OmaKivi service provided by the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), the registered user accepts these terms of use and any other instructions provided separately within the OmaKivi service and agrees to abide by them.
GTK reserves the right to change these terms of use at its discretion. All possible changes will become effective as soon as they are published for users to view. Valid terms of use can be found on GTK’s webpage for the layman’s sample practice.
OmaKivi is an information service provided and administered by GTK that can be used with a mobile application. OmaKivi allows users to save boulder and bedrock observations electronically and send them to be analysed at the Geological Survey of Finland’s layman’s sample practice. Observations can be saved for all locations in Finland. The OmaKivi service can be used by downloading a mobile application from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Use of the service and having observations analysed are free of charge. The user is responsible for all costs incurred from data transfer, having an internet connection, devices used to access the service and other similar costs.
The use of the OmaKivi service requires registration either on the service’s website or via the mobile application.
The OmaKivi service may contain links to websites not administered by GTK. GTK is not responsible for the content of these websites or the processing of personal data conducted by the websites.
The OmaKivi service can be used without registering through the mobile application. However, sending observations and samples to GTK always requires creating a user account (registering as a user).
When registering as a user, the user is asked to provide a personal email address that will also serve as the username for the service. Users will also be asked to insert a password for their account. The password must meet the minimum requirements set for the system to ensure the password is sufficiently strong.
Additionally, it is mandatory for the user to provide their first and last name. At their discretion, users can also insert their address and phone number in the system. The user’s address and phone number are used for facilitating communication between the user and GTK if an observation sent by the user is promising and GTK requests the user to send the rock sample to GTK for further analysis. Contact details can be used, for example, to request for more information on an observation, or for delivering a rock sample back to the user after GTK has finished analysing it.
When a user registers for the service, they receive a confirmation email to the email address they provided during the registration process. After confirming their email address via the confirmation message, users can start using the service.
A username (email address) and a password are required to log in to the OmaKivi service.
The users can independently change the email address, password, postal address and phone number they have provided in the service. Users can also request for a password reset via the login page, if they do not remember their password. Using this function will send an automated message to the email address the user provided during the registration process that can be used to set a new password.
After registering, users can save information on their rock and mineral observations with guidance from the service’s user interface. Users can save their incomplete observations and continue filling in the information later.
Users can send the observations they have saved in the service to the GTK to be analysed. GTK will send the analysis results of users’ observations via the OmaKivi service within a timeframe it deems appropriate. If an observation is promising either economically or scientifically, the user who sent the observation can be asked to send the rock sample associated with the observation to GTK for further analysis.
Users are responsible for the content of the data they save in the service. Users are responsible for ensuring the saved data is not illegal or inappropriate. Should GTK deem content saved by a user illegal or inappropriate, GTK has the right to delete the content at any time.
Rights to all observation data sent to GTK are thereby transferred to GTK. Samples sent to GTK for analysis that are requested to be returned after analysis, will be returned to the sender after the analysis is completed.
GTK will ensure that the OmaKivi service is available to users and that the information in the responses to observations sent via the OmaKivi service is as up to date as possible. GTK is not responsible for the content, accuracy, validity or reliability of the OmaKivi service or the information provided within it, nor is GTK responsible for ensuring the information is applicable for any specific purpose.
GTK does not guarantee the service’s continuous availability. GTK reserves the right to temporarily make the service unavailable if GTK deems it necessary for maintenance, performing installation work, making changes or due to technical issues. GTK also reserves the right to completely or partially shut down the service by notifying the users via the service or any other way it deems appropriate. GTK reserves the right to develop the service further. Changes made to the OmaKivi service will become effective immediately after they are implemented. GTK is not responsible for any direct or indirect damage or loss caused by the OmaKivi service or its use.
The user is responsible for the technical integrity and security of the devices and the internet connection they use to access the OmaKivi service.
The user must only use the OmaKivi service in its intended use as described in these terms of use. The user must ensure that their use of the OmaKivi service is in accordance with applicable legislation and regulations and the instructions provided by GTK.
GTK, its partners and licensors hold all rights concerning the use of the OmaKivi service, including copyrights and other intellectual property rights.
All activities that can disrupt the functionality of the OmaKivi service are prohibited. If GTK detects any disruptive activities, the user conducting these activities can be permanently banned from the OmaKivi service.
If a third party obtains the OmaKivi password of a user, the user must change their password without delay. If the user fails to change their password, they will be responsible for any damages caused by the wrongful use of their OmaKivi account.
The user is responsible for keeping their contact details up to date in the service.
The processing of personal data is described in detail in the OmaKivi service’s Privacy Policy. Users can delete all personal data saved in the OmaKivi service from their account’s settings (see section 10).
Users can terminate their use of the OmaKivi service at any given time by deleting their user account in the ‘My account’ menu. All personal data saved in the OmaKivi service will be deleted with the account. However, observations sent to GTK for analysis will remain in the possession of GTK even if the user who sent them deletes his/hers user account.
GTK also reserves the right to delete the user account of any user found to be violating these terms of use.
