Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

CarbScanner is designed to help you quickly estimate the carbohydrate content of meals. By scanning a photo of your food product or meal, CarbScanner estimates carbs and may also provide related nutrition insights (such as glycemic index information, when available). We understand the importance of safeguarding your information and are committed to protecting your privacy.

2. Information We Collect

Number of Scans & UUID: When you first open the app, we generate a unique user identifier (UUID). We track the total number of scans performed per UUID for statistical and feature-improvement purposes. The UUID itself does not contain any personal information, but it is associated with the photos and meal data you submit, and with your email address if you choose to provide one.

Photos or Meal Data: CarbScanner sends the photo or meal data to our server to provide carbohydrate estimates and related functionality. To generate these estimates, the photo or meal data is processed by third-party artificial intelligence providers that perform the analysis on our behalf. These providers may process the data on servers located outside your country, including outside the European Economic Area, subject to appropriate contractual and security protections. We may also store these photos and meal data to operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the Service.

Barcode Data: If you scan a product barcode, CarbScanner sends the barcode number to the Open Food Facts database to retrieve nutritional information. We also store the camera frame captured at the time of the scan, in the same way as other photos, so the scan appears in your history.

Photo Library Access: If you choose to select an existing photo instead of taking a new one, CarbScanner requests access to your photo library so you can pick an image. The selected photo is then handled the same way as a photo taken with the camera.

Email Address (Optional): If you choose to provide your email address, we store it so we can contact you about app updates, new features, and other relevant communications. This is completely optional and not required to use the core features of CarbScanner.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the minimal data collected (UUID, number of scans, photos or meal data, and email if provided) to:

• Operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the Service, including understanding usage patterns.
• Monitor the overall usage of our services to maintain performance and stability.
• Communicate with you about updates, features, or any changes to our services if you have provided an email address.

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with trusted service providers who process data on our behalf to help us operate the Service (for example, hosting, artificial intelligence processing of photos and meal data, analytics, and customer support), subject to appropriate contractual and security protections. When you scan a barcode, the barcode number is sent to Open Food Facts, an independent, publicly available product database, in order to look up nutritional information.

4. Data Retention

We only store the count of scans linked to your UUID, photos or meal data, and your email address if you choose to provide it. This data is retained for as long as necessary to support app features, troubleshoot issues, and improve the service. If you stop using the app, the associated UUID and scan count data will remain on our servers anonymously. If you would like us to remove your email address, you can contact us using the email provided in this policy.

5. Your Choices & Rights

You have the right to:

• Use CarbScanner without providing any personal information (only the anonymous UUID is generated to count your scans).
• Stop using the app at any time, which ceases any further data collection.
• Opt out of providing your email address, or request removal of your email from our records by contacting us.

6. Children’s Privacy

CarbScanner is not targeted towards children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect any personal data from children. If you believe your child has used our service and provided identifiable information, please contact us so we can remove it.

7. Updates to This Policy

We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our app or services. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We recommend reviewing this page periodically for any updates.