This Privacy Policy explains what Artificial Ingredients ("we," "our," or "us") collects and processes when you use the Artificial Ingredients mobile app, web app, and related services (the "Service").
Public copy: The same policy text is published at https://www.artificial-ingredients.top/privacy.html so users and app store reviewers can open it in a browser without installing the app.
We do not sell your personal information. We do not use advertising trackers. We do not use a third-party analytics SDK to profile how you use the app.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Account information
If you create an account, we collect:
- Email address: Used for login, email verification, password reset, and account communication.
- Password: Stored using industry-standard password protection. The plain-text password is never stored.
- Device-generated identifier (native apps only): On Android and iOS, the app can create a temporary account before email registration so in-app purchases work right away. We store a transformed value of a device-generated identifier so the same device can re-authenticate, never the raw identifier.
1.2 Optional profile information
If you choose to enter it, we store:
- Allergy information: Used only when allergy mode is enabled for ingredient analysis.
- Pet information: Used only when pet mode is selected for ingredient analysis.
1.3 Product images and ingredient text
When you scan a product, the app converts the image to grayscale on your device and sends it to the Service in a single request so we can read and analyze the ingredient list. The image is processed in-memory for that one request and is not stored on our infrastructure — there is no server-side image bucket, no retention period, and nothing for us to delete because nothing is kept. Optional context you provide (selected analysis mode, response language, allergies, pets) is sent alongside the request so the analysis can be tailored to that context.
1.4 Local scan history and preferences
The app stores some data locally on your device or browser:
- Scan history: The original image you selected, the analysis result, the scan mode, and the scan time are stored locally so you can review recent scans.
- Preferences: Theme, response language, selected scan mode, allergy mode, disclaimer acknowledgement, login state, and other in-app preferences.
- Authentication state: On native apps, the login token is stored using platform secure storage. On web, login is handled with secure browser cookies.
1.5 Subscription information
If you subscribe, we process subscription data needed to verify and manage access:
- Subscription platform (Apple App Store, Google Play, or PayPal).
- Subscription identifier, product/plan identifiers, status, and next billing time when available.
- Records from the relevant payment platform may be stored for verification, support, and debugging.
We do not store your full credit card number. Payments are handled by Apple, Google, or PayPal.
1.6 Email and support flows
We use email infrastructure to send verification and password reset emails. Verification and reset records are short-lived and removed once the flow completes or times out.
1.7 Operational logs
The Service may keep operational logs for debugging, security, and reliability. We design these logs to avoid recording scan contents, uploaded images, passwords, or raw payment payloads.
2. How We Use Information
We use information only to operate the Service:
- Create, verify, authenticate, and manage accounts.
- Process ingredient-list images and return ingredient analysis.
- Apply allergy or pet context only when you choose those modes.
- Maintain local scan history and app preferences on your device or browser.
- Verify and manage subscriptions.
- Send verification and password reset emails.
- Diagnose errors, protect the Service, and prevent abuse.
- Comply with legal obligations.
We do not use scan images or profile information for advertising. We do not sell scan data, profile data, or account data.
3. Categories of Service Providers
We share data with service providers only as needed to operate the Service. We use providers in these categories:
- Cloud infrastructure providers that host our backend, database, and storage.
- Image and text processing providers that perform optical character recognition and ingredient analysis on the input you submit.
- Payment platforms (Apple App Store, Google Play, and PayPal) that process payments and provide subscription status.
- Email infrastructure providers that deliver verification and password reset emails.
A current list of named sub-processors is available on request via the contact email below.
We may also disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights, safety, and security of users or the Service.
4. Data Retention
4.1 Backend account data
- Account email, password record, optional allergies, optional pet information, and current subscription summary: Kept while your account exists.
- Pending registration and password reset records: Short-lived; removed once the flow completes or times out.
- Temporary account records: Kept until the temporary account is converted to a registered account or deleted.
4.2 Product images and scan results
- Scan inputs (images and ingredient text): Held only in memory for the duration of a single analysis request. We do not write them to any storage on our infrastructure — there is no server-side image bucket, no scan-history collection, and nothing for us to delete.
- Local scan history: Stored on your device or browser until you delete individual records, use Delete All History, clear app or browser storage, or uninstall the app.
4.3 Subscription records
Subscription records are kept while needed to verify access, prevent duplicate activation, support billing issues, and maintain account state. When account deletion succeeds, account-linked subscription records on our side are removed. Apple, Google, and PayPal may retain their own payment records under their policies.
4.4 Operational logs
Operational logs are retained as needed for debugging, security, and reliability, then rotated or deleted on a normal infrastructure cycle.
5. How To Delete Your Data
5.1 Delete local scan history
You can delete local scan history in the app:
- Delete individual scan records from history.
- Open the drawer and use Delete All History.
- You can also clear app or browser storage or uninstall the app to remove local data stored on that device or browser.
5.2 Delete your account
You can request account deletion in the app from your profile or account settings. Account deletion removes account data, optional profile data, authentication state, pending reset/verification records for that email, and account-linked subscription records on our side.
If you have an active subscription, you must cancel the subscription first before account deletion can complete. Deleting your account does not automatically cancel a subscription managed by Apple, Google, or PayPal.
You can also email [email protected] from the email address associated with your account to request help with deletion. We may ask you to verify your identity.
6. Your Choices
- You can use standard scanning without entering allergy or pet profile information.
- You can edit allergy and pet information in your profile.
- You can delete local scan history at any time.
- You can choose not to create an email/password account, except where account registration is needed for login or preserving subscription access across devices.
- You can cancel subscriptions using Apple, Google, or PayPal billing tools.
7. Security
We use HTTPS for communication with the Service. Passwords are protected using industry-standard password hashing. Native authentication tokens are stored with platform secure storage, and web authentication uses secure cookies. Access to data on our side is limited to what is needed to operate and support the Service.
No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we design the Service to avoid collecting more data than it needs.
8. Children
The Service is not intended for children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
9. International Processing
The Service may process data in countries different from where you live, including where our service providers operate.
10. Changes
We may update this Privacy Policy when the Service or its data handling changes. We will update the "Last Updated" date and publish the current version in the app and at the public URL above.
11. Contact Us
For privacy questions or deletion requests, contact:
Email: [email protected]