Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 26, 2026

What We Collect

Allergist collects the minimum data necessary to provide the service:

• Allergen profile — stored locally on your device. Not transmitted to our servers unless you enable cloud sync.
• Scan data — ingredient text from product labels is sent to our server for AI analysis. We cache anonymized results to improve response times.
• Device identifier — an anonymous device ID is used for rate limiting. We do not collect your name, email, or personal information.
• Camera images — processed on-device for OCR. Images are never uploaded to our servers.

How We Use Your Data

• To analyze ingredients and detect allergens in scanned products
• To cache AI responses and reduce processing time for common products
• To enforce rate limits and prevent abuse
• To aggregate anonymous usage statistics (scan counts, model usage)

Health Data

Your allergen profile is considered health-related information. It is stored locally on your device using Android SharedPreferences. It is not transmitted to our servers or any third party unless you explicitly enable cloud sync.

Third-Party Services

• Google Gemini AI — ingredient text is sent for analysis. Subject to Google's privacy policy.
• Anthropic Claude AI — ingredient text is sent for premium analysis. Subject to Anthropic's privacy policy.
• OpenFoodFacts — barcode lookups. Public database with open license.
• Google AdMob — serves ads in the free tier. Subject to Google's ad privacy policy.
• PubMed/NCBI — research article lookups. Public database.

Data Retention

• Scan cache: 30 days on our server
• Rate limit data: cleared hourly
• Anonymous analytics: retained indefinitely in aggregate
• Local scan history: stored on your device until you delete it

Your Rights

You can delete all local data by clearing the app's storage or uninstalling. You can request deletion of any server-side data by contacting us at [email protected].

Children

Allergist is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

Changes

We may update this policy. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date.

Contact

Questions? Email [email protected]

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