Official Privacy Policy

2. Camera Processing & Temporary Photo Handling

When you initiate a food scan, the App requests camera access (android.permission.CAMERA).

3. Google Sign-In & Authentication

IngrediScan AI requires signing in with your Google Account via Firebase Authentication and Google Credential Manager.

• Data Received: Google display name, verified email address, avatar photo URL, and unique Google user identifier (UID).
• Why It Is Collected: To establish and secure your account, authenticate requests via encrypted Laravel Sanctum bearer tokens, and prevent unauthorized access to your scan history.
• No Password Storage: We never see, process, or store your Google password. Authentication is completed securely via Google OAuth 2.0.

4. Dietary Preferences & Health Conditions

Users may optionally select dietary profiles (Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free) and health sensitivity alerts (Diabetes, Pregnancy, Children's hyperactivity).

• Why It Is Collected: To customize the algorithmic risk evaluation. For example, if Diabetes alert is enabled, the app flags hidden high-glycemic sweeteners (such as maltodextrin and high-fructose corn syrup).
• Shared with AI providers, to do the analysis: Your dietary preference, health conditions, age, gender and country are sent with each scan to the AI providers listed in Section 7, so the result fits you. Your name and email are not sent.
• Never sold or shared with advertisers or insurers: We run no advertising and do not share this data with insurance entities.

5. Scan History & Cloud Pantry Synchronization

When a food package is analyzed, a textual record (product name, brand, safety score, flagged additives, and timestamp) is stored in our secure Laravel API database:

• Why It Is Collected: Allows you to review past food safety evaluations, filter products by risk tier, and view your scanned pantry on any Android device you log into.
• Encryption in Transit: All communications between the mobile app and Laravel API are secured using Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.3 / HTTPS).
• User-Controlled Deletion: You can delete individual scans directly by swiping in the app, or delete your entire history at once via Settings.
• What survives account deletion: To stop the one-time free scan credit being claimed again, we keep your email address (lower-cased) and the date the free credit was granted in a separate record after you delete your account. It is used only for this purpose. A log of purchase event IDs is also kept so payment notifications are not processed twice. Everything else tied to you is deleted.

6. Device, Network & Telemetry Data

The App collects basic technical telemetry to ensure security, rate-limiting, and crash stability:

• Network State (ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE): Checks whether the device is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data to prevent failed AI scan calls when offline.
• Device Name & Hardware Info: Stored alongside session tokens so users can identify and terminate active logins on specific phones.
• IP Address: Used for security and rate-limiting (for example, sign-in attempts per IP, and scan submissions per account) to defend against DDoS attacks and brute-force abuse.

7. Third-Party Services & Data Processors

We use the following outside services to run IngrediScan AI. The app contains no advertising SDK, and we do not sell your data. Each provider handles data under its own privacy policy.

• Absolute isolation from advertising: no ad network receives any data from the app, because there are none.
• Analytics deletion: deleting your account does not automatically erase your Mixpanel events. Email the Grievance Officer (Section 13) with the subject [DPDP Erasure] and we will request their deletion.
• Provider changes: we may change AI providers or models to keep scans accurate and available. We will update this table when we do.

9. Children's Data Protection (Section 9 DPDP Act)

Under Section 9 of India's DPDP Act 2023, any individual under 18 years of age is classified as a child. IngrediScan AI enforces strict statutory compliance:

• Intended Audience: IngrediScan AI is intended for adult consumers, parents, and legal guardians (18+).
• Parental Authority: When parents use the app to check food safety for their children, they do so under lawful parental authority. No personal profiles or identifying data of children are created.
• Prohibition of Child Profiling: We enforce ZERO tracking, ZERO behavioral monitoring, and ZERO targeted advertising directed at children.

10. European Union & UK: GDPR Compliance

For users residing in the European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR):

• Lawful Basis: Processing of food scans and user accounts is conducted on the basis of your explicit consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).
• Data Subject Rights: Right to Access (Art. 15), Rectification (Art. 16), Erasure / "Right to be Forgotten" (Art. 17), Restriction of Processing (Art. 18), Data Portability (Art. 20), and Right to Object (Art. 21).
• International Transfers: Managed via European Commission Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

11. United States: COPPA & California CCPA/CPRA

12. Data Breach Notification Protocol (72-Hour SLA)

In compliance with Section 8(6) of the DPDP Act 2023 and Article 33 of the GDPR, in the event of a confirmed personal data breach affecting our cloud systems:

• We will report the incident to the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI) and relevant European Supervisory Authorities within 72 hours.
• Affected Data Principals will be notified directly without delay, outlining the nature of the breach, affected categories, and mitigating steps taken.