BlackBuy

Welcome to BlackBuy! We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring you have a positive experience when using our application. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: When you sign in with Apple ID, we receive your name and email address (if you choose to share it). Signing in is optional — the app works without an account.
• Saved Items: Products and companies you save or add to your checkout list.
• Feedback: Any feedback or issue reports you submit through the app.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Camera Data: When you scan products, images are processed to identify products. See Section 5 for details on how images are handled.
• Scan History: Records of products you've scanned, stored locally on your device.
• Search Queries: Product searches you perform within the app, used to return relevant results.

What we do NOT collect: We do not collect device identifiers, advertising IDs, location data, or mobile network information. We do not use third-party analytics or tracking SDKs.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our services
• Process your product scans and deliver search results
• Show relevant product recommendations and similar products
• Save your favorites and checkout list
• Respond to your feedback and support requests
• Detect, prevent, and address technical issues or security concerns
• Comply with legal obligations

3. Data Storage and Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information:

• All network communication is encrypted using industry-standard HTTPS/TLS
• Authentication credentials are stored securely in the iOS Keychain
• Backend data is stored on Supabase's secure cloud infrastructure
• Most user data (scan history, saved items, cart) is stored locally on your device

Local Storage: The majority of your data is stored locally on your device and can be deleted at any time through the app's Profile settings or by uninstalling the app.

4. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate our app:

4.1 Authentication

• Sign in with Apple: For optional secure user authentication. Apple's Privacy Policy applies.

4.2 Data Storage and Search

• Typesense: For fast product search functionality. Search queries are sent to Typesense servers to return results.
• Supabase: For secure backend data storage (feedback reports, scan usage tracking).

4.3 Product Scanning

• OpenAI: When on-device text recognition is insufficient, product images or extracted text may be sent to OpenAI's API for analysis. See Section 5 for full details.

These third-party services have their own privacy policies governing the use of your information. We recommend reviewing their policies.

5. Camera Access and Image Processing

BlackBuy requires camera access to scan product labels. We use a combination of on-device and cloud-based processing to identify products:

5.1 On-Device Processing

• Initial text recognition (OCR) is performed locally on your device using Apple's Vision framework
• When on-device analysis produces high-quality results, no images or text leave your device

5.2 Cloud-Based Analysis

• When on-device OCR quality is insufficient, extracted text is sent to OpenAI's GPT-4o-mini API for product classification
• If text quality is too low, the product image may be sent to OpenAI's GPT-4o Vision API for direct analysis
• All data is transmitted securely over HTTPS and is processed by OpenAI in accordance with their API data usage policy
• OpenAI does not use API inputs to train their models
• Neither BlackBuy nor OpenAI permanently stores images or text after processing

5.3 Your Controls

• You can revoke camera access at any time through your device's Settings, though this will limit scanning functionality
• No images are saved to your device or our servers after scanning is complete

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: With the third-party services listed in Section 4, solely to operate the app's features
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or to protect our rights and safety
• Business Transfers: If BlackBuy is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred

7. Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access & Export: You can export all your data as a JSON file from the app's Profile settings
• Deletion: You can delete all your data at any time from the app's Profile settings ("Delete All My Data")
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data by contacting us
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a machine-readable format (available via the export feature)

8. Children's Privacy

BlackBuy is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete it. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

9. Data Retention

Most of your data is stored locally on your device and is deleted immediately when you use the "Delete All My Data" option in the app's Profile settings. Backend data (such as feedback reports) is retained only as long as necessary to provide our services, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence when using cloud-based services (Typesense, Supabase, OpenAI). These countries may have different data protection laws. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights

12. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the rights mentioned in Section 7. Our legal basis for processing your data includes:

• Consent: You have given clear consent for specific processing purposes
• Contract: Processing is necessary to perform our services
• Legal Obligation: Processing is required by law
• Legitimate Interests: Processing is in our legitimate interests and doesn't override your rights

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. Your continued use of BlackBuy after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

15. Your Consent

By using BlackBuy, you consent to this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our app.

Also see our Terms of Service.