Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how the mobile application (the "App") operated by us ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, stores, and shares information. The App is designed for a general audience and is not specifically directed at children. By using the App, you agree to the data practices described in this policy. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and Apple App Store requirements.
Information We Collect and Use
We do not automatically collect personal data from you when you use the App. In general, any information the App processes by default remains on your device and is not transmitted to us unless you explicitly share it. Below is an overview of what data is and isn't collected, and how we use any collected data:
No Automatic Personal Data Collection: The App does not automatically collect personally identifiable information such as your name, email address, phone number, or precise location. We do not access contacts, calendars, or other personal content on your device without your permission. Any preferences or settings you configure within the App are stored locally on your device and are not sent to our servers. We also do not track your usage across other apps or websites. If the App processes some data locally (for example, scanning a barcode or processing an image on your device), that data stays on your device and is not uploaded or collected by us unless you choose to share it.
Optional User-Contributed Data: The App may allow you to voluntarily upload product information (e.g. product names, details, or photos) to contribute to a shared database. This is entirely optional and at your discretion. If you choose to submit product information, the data you provide (such as a product description or image) will be collected and stored on our servers so that it can be shared with and accessible to other users of the App. We will use the information you contribute solely to maintain and improve the shared product database and to make it available to the App's user community. We do not require any personal details to accompany your contributions – for example, you are not required to provide your name or account information when uploading a product entry. Please avoid including any personal information in the content you contribute. Note that user-contributed product data may be visible to other users of the App as part of the shared database. For instance, if you upload a product photo or description, other users may see that content within the App. However, no identifying information about you (such as a username or contact info) is attached to the contribution unless you voluntarily provide it as part of the content. If the App requests permission to access your device's camera or photos in order for you to take or select a product image, that access is only used to let you capture or choose the image for upload – the App does not collect or import your photo library. Any image you take or select (and any metadata like location data embedded in that image) remains on your device and is only uploaded to our servers when you explicitly choose to submit it as a contribution. We do not otherwise monitor or access your photos or camera roll.
Account Information (Currently Not Collected): At present, you do not need to create an account or sign in to use the App. We do not collect any account registration data (such as names, email addresses, or passwords) because the App's features are available without login. However, in the future, we may offer an optional user account feature to enhance your experience (for example, to save favorites or track your contributions). If and when account creation or sign-in is introduced, we will update this Privacy Policy to explain what personal information may be collected (such as a username, email address, or password) and how it will be used. Any such information would be used only to provide and manage your account (for example, to authenticate you, sync your data, or allow you to view your past contributions on different devices) and to communicate with you about your account if needed. Until that feature is implemented, you remain anonymous in the App and we collect no personal login credentials.
Analytics and Usage Data: In order to understand how our users interact with the App and to improve the user experience, we may use third-party analytics services. These services can collect non-personal information such as app usage statistics, device type, operating system, pages or screens viewed, time spent in the App, and crash reports. This data helps us debug issues and optimize the App's performance and features. The information collected for analytics does not include your name, contact information, or any content you contribute; it is generally limited to technical and usage information (for example, the frequency of use of certain features). All analytics data is collected in an anonymized or aggregated form that does not directly identify any individual user. We only use this information to maintain and improve the App's functionality and to understand usage patterns. If you prefer not to be included in analytics collection, see the "Your Rights and Choices" section below for how you can opt out or limit this data collection.
Advertising Data (If Applicable): The App may include third-party advertisements to support our free offering. If so, we partner with third-party advertising networks (for example, Google AdMob or similar) which may collect certain information from the App for the purpose of serving ads. Such information can include device identifiers (like Apple's Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) or Android Advertising ID), general location (e.g., city/country inferred from IP address), and information about your interactions with ads in the App. This data is used by ad networks to display relevant, non-personalized or personalized ads within the App and to perform ad analytics (such as measuring ad impressions or clicks). We do not share any personal details about you with advertisers. Advertisers and their partners may use tracking technologies to collect data about how you use the App and other apps to tailor advertising; however, on iOS you will be prompted for permission if an app attempts to track you across apps. You can control ad personalization or opt-out of targeted ads using your device settings (for example, by turning off "Personalized Ads" in iOS settings or resetting your advertising ID). Any data collected by third-party ad networks is governed by their privacy policies. We encourage you to review those policies for detailed information on their practices. (See "Third-Party Services" below for more on our use of third-party partners.)
In summary, aside from optional data you choose to submit and the limited non-identifiable data collected by third-party services (analytics/ads), the App itself does not collect or transmit your personal information. If our data collection practices change in the future (for example, to support new features like accounts), we will update this Privacy Policy accordingly and notify you as required. Our goal is to be transparent about what information is collected and how it is used, so that you can enjoy the App with peace of mind.
How We Store and Protect Your Data
Data Storage: Optional user-contributed data that you upload (such as product information or images) is stored securely in our cloud database. We utilize reputable third-party cloud storage services to host the backend database (for example, cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services or Firebase). This means that when you contribute data, it is transmitted securely (via HTTPS encryption) to our servers and stored in a database on remote servers maintained by our cloud service provider. Your data is stored in order to make it available to all users (in the case of the shared product database) and to maintain the App's functionality. We do not store any data on our servers other than the information you voluntarily provide (and the non-personal analytics/advertising data collected by third parties as described above). Personal data (if any) would be stored separately and securely. At this time, since no personal account information is collected, the primary data stored by us is the crowd-sourced product content.
Data Usage: We use the data we collect solely for the purposes described in this Policy. Product information that you contribute is used to update and expand the shared database accessible by App users. Non-personal usage data (analytics) is used internally to evaluate app performance, diagnose crashes, and guide improvements to features. Advertising-related data (if any) is used to allow third-party ad providers to display ads that help fund the App's development. We do not use your data for any purposes unrelated to the App's core functionality and services. In particular, we do not use personal data for marketing to you (since we collect none by default), and we do not engage in any automated decision-making or profiling based on your data. Should we introduce accounts or direct communications in the future, we will only use contact information (like email) to send you relevant notices about the App or your account, and you will have the ability to opt out of any non-essential communications.
Data Sharing and Disclosure: We value your privacy. Therefore, we do not sell or rent any personal information to third parties for their own marketing or other purposes. We do not share your information with others except in the limited scenarios described here and elsewhere in this Policy:
With Other Users: As noted, any product data you contribute will be shared with the App's user community by design (since the purpose of uploading is to contribute to a public/shared database). For example, if you submit a new product listing, other users may see the information you provided (like the product name, image, and description) in the App. However, we do not publicly disclose any information that identifies you personally as the contributor. If the App at some point displays contributor credits or usernames, that will be tied to the account system (future feature) and will be covered under an updated policy. In the current version, contributions are essentially anonymous to other users.
Service Providers and Partners: We may share certain data with third-party companies who perform services on our behalf or help us operate and improve the App. These include cloud hosting providers, analytics services, and advertising networks as described. Such third parties act as data processors for us – meaning they process information solely to provide their specific services to us (for example, to store data, to analyze usage, or to serve ads) and not for their own independent use. We only share the minimal information necessary for them to perform these tasks. For instance, an analytics provider may receive usage logs, or an ad network may receive an advertising identifier. These partners are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify, consistent with this Privacy Policy. They are not permitted to use your data for any other purpose. (See the next section "Third-Party Services" for more details on these providers.)
Legal Compliance: We may disclose information if required to do so by law or legal process, or if we have a good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal obligations. For example, we might preserve or disclose data in response to a court order, subpoena, or a lawful request by government authorities. Additionally, we may disclose information that is necessary to investigate or enforce our rights or the rights and safety of our users or others. This includes sharing information to detect and prevent fraud, security issues, or other harmful activities.
Business Transfers: In the unlikely event that we undergo a major business transaction, such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, user information (including any data you have provided) may be transferred to the successor or new owner as part of that transaction. If such a transfer occurs, we will ensure the new owner is bound by terms similar to this Privacy Policy or we will notify you and give you an opportunity to delete your data before the transfer occurs.
Outside of the scenarios above, no data is shared with any other third parties. In particular, since we do not collect personal contact information, we do not share your contact details with any outside parties. We will never sell your personal information to data brokers or advertisers. All third parties that assist us are held to high privacy and security standards, and your trust is important to us.
Third-Party Services
We use certain third-party services to operate and enhance the App's functionality. Each of these services has access only to the data necessary to perform their role, and they are governed by their own privacy policies. Below are the key third-party services integrated in the App and how they handle data:
Analytics Services: We may use third-party analytics providers (for example, Google Analytics for Firebase or similar) to collect and analyze app usage information. These analytics services gather data such as how often you use the App, which screens or features you interact with, device type and model, operating system version, and other diagnostic information. The analytics data helps us understand user engagement and improve our product. All information collected by analytics providers is in aggregated or pseudonymized form; it does not include your name, address, or other direct identifiers. We ensure that analytics data is transmitted securely. You can opt out of analytics collection as described in "Your Rights and Choices" below if you prefer not to share this data. For more details on a specific analytics service's privacy practices, please review that service's privacy policy (e.g., Google's Privacy Policy for Google Analytics).
Advertising Networks: If the App displays advertisements, we partner with external ad networks (such as Google AdMob, Unity Ads, or others) to serve ads within the App. These networks may use tracking technologies (like ad identifiers and cookies) to collect information from the App for the purpose of delivering targeted or relevant ads and measuring their effectiveness. The kind of data these ad partners collect can include your device identifier, IP address, coarse location (e.g., city-level location derived from IP), and information about your interactions with the ads (like clicks or views). They use this data to avoid showing you the same ad repeatedly and to show ads likely to be of interest. No direct personal information (like your name or email) is shared by us with advertisers. However, if you click on an ad, you may be taken to a third-party site or app, at which point you should review the privacy policy of that third party. We adhere to platform requirements (such as Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework) – meaning you will be asked for permission if an ad network attempts to track you across different apps and websites. You have control over ad tracking; you can disable personalized ads via your device's privacy settings. Our use of ads is intended to comply with all App Store policies regarding user privacy.
Cloud Storage and Backend Services: We rely on reputable cloud infrastructure providers to host our servers and database. For example, we may use services like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, Firebase, or similar, to store the product information that users contribute and to enable synchronization of data. These third-party hosting providers store data on our behalf; they do not use your data for any purpose other than to provide storage and computing capabilities. We implement access controls so that your data is protected against unauthorized access, including by the cloud provider's personnel (except as needed for maintenance or as required by law). Data in transit to our cloud servers is encrypted, and we also employ encryption at rest where feasible. While our cloud providers might technically process or hold the data (as a hosting service), they are bound by strict confidentiality and security obligations. We have agreements in place to ensure they treat your stored data in accordance with applicable privacy standards and only according to our instructions.
Crash Reporting and Diagnostics: To improve app stability, we might use a third-party crash reporting service (for example, Firebase Crashlytics or Sentry). These services automatically collect crash logs and device information at the time of a crash or error. The data collected typically includes device model, OS version, and technical crash details (such as stack traces), but does not include personal content. Crash reports help us identify and fix bugs quickly. As with analytics, this data is used only for maintenance and improvement of the App.
Each third-party service we use is carefully vetted. We strive to ensure that all our partners comply with privacy laws and protect user data at a level consistent with our own standards and the Apple App Store guidelines. We also include only the SDKs or integrations necessary for the App's purposes, and we keep an updated list of these services in this Privacy Policy for transparency. If we integrate any additional third-party services in the future (for example, to enable new features), we will update this section and inform you of any new data collection that may occur.
For more information on how these third-party services handle data, please refer to their respective privacy policies. (For instance, you can find Google's privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.) By using our App, you acknowledge that third-party providers may process your data as described above. If you have any concerns about a particular third-party integration, feel free to contact us for more details.
Your Rights and Choices
We believe in giving you control over your data. Depending on your jurisdiction and the nature of the data we hold, you may have various rights regarding your personal information. We will endeavor to honor all legitimate requests to exercise these rights. Key rights and choices include:
Access and Correction: Since we currently do not collect personal data through accounts, in most cases we do not maintain any profile of personal information that would require access or correction. However, if you have provided us with personal information (for example, by contacting us for support or if future account features are added), you have the right to request a copy of that information and to ask for corrections if any data is inaccurate or outdated. We will provide you with access to your data that we have, if any, and correct or update it upon your request, as required by law.
Deletion of Data ("Right to be Forgotten"): You have the right to request deletion of personal information that we have collected from you. If you previously submitted any personal data to us (for example, an email inquiry or, in the future, account details) and you would like it removed from our systems, you can contact us to request deletion. Additionally, if you have contributed content (such as a product entry) and wish to have it removed from the shared database, you may also contact us to request its deletion. We will review such requests and, where feasible and permitted by law, we will delete or anonymize the requested data. Please note that in some cases we may need to retain certain information if required for legal obligations or legitimate interests (for example, retention of a record that a deletion took place, or keeping data needed for fraud prevention), but we will inform you if any such exception applies. Our policy is to retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described and to comply with law. If data is no longer needed, we will securely dispose of it. When you delete the App from your device, any local data stored by the App on your device is removed. However, data you contributed to the shared database or that was collected by our servers may still persist on our servers unless you request its deletion.
Opt-Out of Analytics and Tracking: If you do not want the App to collect analytics data or if you previously consented to tracking (e.g., on iOS via App Tracking Transparency prompts) and have changed your mind, you have a few options. You can disable sharing of analytics usage data by adjusting the settings within the App (if such an option is provided) or by contacting us to opt out on your behalf. For advertising tracking, you can withdraw consent on iOS by going to your device Settings > Privacy > Tracking and disabling tracking for our App, or on iOS 14+ by not allowing tracking when prompted. You can also limit ad tracking on iOS by turning off Personalized Ads (in Settings > Privacy > Apple Advertising) or on Android by opting out of Ads Personalization in Google settings. Additionally, you can reset your device's advertising identifier, which reduces the ability to track you across apps. Keep in mind that even if you opt out of personalized ads, you may still see ads – they just will be more generic. If our App itself ever introduces settings to control analytics or notifications, we will clearly describe how to use them.
Opt-Out of Communications: Currently we do not send marketing communications or newsletters. If in the future you provide contact information and agree to receive communications, you would have the right to unsubscribe or opt out at any time. We will include instructions to opt out (such as "unsubscribe" links in emails) or you can always contact us directly to be removed from any mailing list.
Account Controls (Future): If an account system is implemented, users will have the ability to log into an account profile to review and manage the personal information associated with their account. This would include changing your email or other details, and deleting your account if you choose. We anticipate that an in-app option or a web portal would be provided for you to delete an account, which would erase or anonymize your personal data in our records (except for any data we are required to keep). We will update this Policy with specific instructions when this feature is available.
California and EU Privacy Rights: If you are a resident of certain jurisdictions such as California or the European Economic Area, you may have additional rights under laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These can include the right to know what categories of personal data we collect, the right to not be discriminated against for exercising privacy rights, the right to data portability, and the right to object to or restrict certain processing. We will honor all applicable rights requests in accordance with the law. For example, California users have the right to request a list of personal information disclosed to third parties for direct marketing (we currently disclose none for such purposes), and EU users have rights to withdraw consent and lodge complaints with supervisory authorities. Because our App's data collection is very limited, many of these rights may not be applicable in practice (since we have little or no personal data on most users), but we include this notice to ensure compliance and transparency. You can exercise any applicable rights by contacting us (see Contact Us section below). We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests (for instance, if you ask for access or deletion of data, we need to ensure the person making the request is the data subject or an authorized agent).
We will make every effort to respond to your inquiries and fulfill your requests promptly and in accordance with applicable regulations. There is no charge for requesting information or deletion of your data, and we do not require you to create an account just to make a request. If we cannot comply with a request (for example, due to a legal requirement or if we truly have no data to provide), we will explain the reasoning to you.
Finally, if you have concerns about how we handle your data or your rights, please reach out to us. We take user privacy seriously and will work with you to address any issues. For further questions, see Contact Us below.
Children's Privacy
The App is intended for general audiences and is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years old. Since account sign-up is not required and the App does not ask for a user's age, we treat all users as general audience. If you are under 13, please do not submit any personal information (such as your name, email, or other contact details) to us. In the event that we discover that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will promptly delete such information from our records. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that their child has provided us with any personal information, we encourage them to contact us immediately so that we can take appropriate action.
Although the App is not specifically targeted at children, it is possible that children might download or use it (for example, to look up product information). We encourage parents and guardians to supervise their children's app usage and educate them about not sharing personal information online. We do not use the App to solicit data from or market to children. If in the future we decide to tailor any part of our App to users under 13, we will comply with all applicable laws including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and will update this Privacy Policy to reflect any new practices. By using the App, you represent that you are at least 13 years of age or using the App with the consent of a parent or guardian.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update or revise this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make changes to the policy, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this document. If the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice (such as by posting a notice within the App or on our website, or via an alert upon App launch) to inform you of the updates. We encourage you to review the Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.
Your continued use of the App after any changes to this Privacy Policy have been posted will signify your acceptance of those changes. If you do not agree with any update, you should stop using the App and you may request that we delete your data as explained above. Please note that for substantive changes that materially affect how we handle personal data, we may seek your consent again if required by applicable law (for example, if we eventually introduce account registrations, we may present the updated privacy terms at that time).
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at:
Email: hello@almastreetventures.com
Address:
Alma Street Ventures Ltd
86-90 Paul Street
London, England EC2A 4NE
United Kingdom
We will do our best to respond to your inquiry in a timely manner.
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