Privacy Policy

At ClearEats, we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application (the "App"). ClearEats is designed with privacy in mind and stores all your data locally on your device. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide to Us

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when using the App:

• Food Item Data: Information about food items you scan and add to your virtual fridge, including product names, expiration dates, allergen information, and any notes or custom data you enter. This data is stored locally on your device only.
• Subscription Information: If you purchase a Premium subscription, payment information is processed by Apple's App Store. We do not have access to your payment card details. We only receive confirmation of your subscription status from Apple.
• User Preferences: Your notification settings, auto-delete preferences, and allergen detection toggle preferences are stored locally on your device.
• Images: When you scan food items, images are saved locally on your device in the app's storage.

1.2 Camera and Photo Library Access

The App requests permission to access:

• Camera: To scan expiration dates and allergen information from food packages
• Photo Library: To allow you to select existing photos for scanning or to save scanned items

When you use the scanning feature, images are processed securely:

• Images are processed locally on your device whenever possible
• When AI features are used, images are sent securely to our AI service provider for analysis
• Images are not permanently stored by ClearEats or third-party services
• Images you choose to save are stored locally on your device only and are never uploaded to cloud storage

1.3 No Account Required

ClearEats does not require you to create an account. We do not collect or store:

• Email addresses
• Usernames or passwords
• Personal identification information
• Social media account information

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information stored locally on your device for the following purposes:

2.1 Core App Functionality

• Store your food item data in your virtual fridge locally on your device
• Scan and recognize expiration dates and allergens using AI technology
• Send you local notifications about expiring food items based on your notification preferences
• Generate custom recipes based on your fridge contents (Premium feature)
• Provide nutrition analysis (Premium feature)
• Process bulk cart scanning requests
• Manage your subscription status through Apple's App Store

2.2 No Analytics or Tracking

ClearEats does not use any analytics services or track your usage. We do not collect data about:

• How you use the app
• Which features you access
• Time spent in the app
• App crashes or errors (beyond what iOS automatically reports to Apple)

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. Your data is stored locally on your device and is not shared with us or uploaded to our servers.

3.1 Third-Party AI Service

When you use AI-powered features, images and text may be sent to our third-party AI service provider:

• Expiration Date Detection: Images are sent to AI service for analysis when needed
• Allergen Detection: If you enable this feature, images are sent to detect allergens
• Bulk Cart Scanning: Images of shopping carts are sent to detect multiple items
• Recipe Generation: Food item names from your fridge are sent to generate recipes
• Nutrition Analysis: Food item names are sent to provide nutritional information

These images and data are processed securely and are not permanently stored by ClearEats or our service providers.

3.2 Apple App Store

If you purchase a Premium subscription, your payment and subscription information is handled by Apple's App Store according to Apple's privacy policy. We receive only confirmation of your subscription status and do not have access to your payment details.

3.3 No Other Data Sharing

We do not use or share your information with:

• Analytics services
• Advertising networks
• Data brokers
• Social media platforms
• Customer support platforms
• Email marketing services
• Cloud storage providers (all data is stored locally on your device)

4. Data Storage and Retention

All your data is stored locally on your device:

• Food Item Data: Stored on your device until you manually delete items. You can delete individual items or clear all items at any time.
• Scanned Images: Saved locally to your device storage. Images are deleted when you delete the corresponding food item.
• User Preferences: Notification settings, allergen detection preferences, and other settings are stored on your device until you change them or delete the app.
• Recipes and Nutrition Data: Saved recipes and nutrition snapshots are stored locally on your device until you delete them.
• Subscription Status: Your subscription status is managed by Apple's App Store.

When you delete the ClearEats app from your device, all locally stored data is permanently removed. We do not have access to or retain any copies of your data on our servers.

5. Your Privacy Rights and Controls

Since all your data is stored locally on your device, you have complete control:

5.1 Access Your Data

All your data is accessible directly within the app. You can view all your food items, images, recipes, and settings at any time.

5.2 Modify or Delete Your Data

You can modify or delete your data at any time:

• Delete individual food items by swiping or using the delete button
• Clear all items from your fridge using the bulk delete option
• Delete saved recipes
• Modify your preferences in Settings
• Uninstall the app to permanently delete all data

5.3 Control Permissions

You can control what permissions the app has through your device settings:

• Camera Access: Disable to prevent scanning features from using your camera
• Photo Library Access: Disable to prevent the app from accessing your photos
• Notifications: Disable to stop receiving expiration reminders

5.4 Control AI Feature Usage

You can control when AI features are used:

• Allergen Detection: Toggle this feature off in Settings to prevent allergen scanning
• Manual Entry: Add items manually without using AI scanning
• Free Tier Limits: The 10 tokens per week limit on the free tier naturally limits AI usage

6. Data Security

Your data security is enhanced by our local-first approach:

• Local Storage: All your data is stored on your device, protected by your device's security features (passcode, Face ID, Touch ID)
• Device Encryption: Your device's built-in encryption protects your locally stored data
• Secure Communication: When AI features are used, images are sent securely with encryption
• No Cloud Storage: We do not store your data on any cloud servers, reducing the risk of data breaches
• No Account Credentials: Since there are no accounts, there are no passwords that could be compromised

Your data is as secure as your device. We recommend keeping your device locked with a strong passcode and keeping iOS updated to the latest version.

7. Children's Privacy

ClearEats is intended for users of all ages. Since we do not collect personal information (no accounts, no email, no personal data sent to our servers), the app can be safely used by children. However, parents and guardians should be aware that:

• Images may be sent to third-party AI services when using AI features
• Premium subscriptions require payment through Apple's App Store, which requires an Apple ID

8. Third-Party Services

ClearEats integrates with the following third-party services:

8.1 AI Service Provider

Used for AI-powered features. Images and text are sent securely to our AI service provider for processing and are not permanently stored.

8.2 Apple App Store

Used for subscription management and payments. Please review Apple's privacy policy at apple.com/privacy for information about how Apple handles your payment information.

9. No Tracking

ClearEats does not track you:

• No analytics or usage tracking
• No advertising networks
• No cross-app tracking
• No behavioral tracking
• No data sharing with third parties for marketing purposes

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy. Material changes may be announced through the app. Your continued use of ClearEats after changes are made constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

This privacy policy was created to comply with app store requirements. Since ClearEats stores all data locally on your device and does not collect personal information, there are minimal privacy concerns. However, if you have questions, you may contact the developer through the App Store.

12. Summary

To summarize ClearEats' privacy-first approach:

• No account creation or login required
• All data stored locally on your device only
• No email, password, or personal information collected
• Images sent to Anthropic Claude API only when using AI features
• No analytics, tracking, or advertising
• No cloud sync or data backup to our servers
• Complete control over your data - delete anytime
• Subscription handled securely through Apple App Store