Privacy Policy
Last updated 2026-08-21 · Plain English version, with the legal version below.
The short version
What we collect
The barcode you scan, the verdict we returned, a one-way hashed device ID (so the free-tier limit works), and the IP address your phone used to reach our server. If you photograph an ingredients panel, that photo is uploaded so we can read it — it is processed in memory and not saved. If you add a pet, the profile you enter and any pet photo you choose are stored so scans can be judged for your animal.
What we don't collect
No name, no email, no account, no payment details. Barcode scanning happens on your device — camera frames from barcode scans are never uploaded. No location, no contacts, and no third-party tracking, analytics, or advertising SDKs.
Who sees it
We do not sell or share your data for marketing. The only third parties involved are the services that make a scan work, listed in full below. The Barkode service is operated by InsyncTech LLC.
Aggregate stats
The Community screen shows totals — how many bags scanned, which ingredients get flagged most. Counts only, never tied back to you or your device.
The legal version
1. Who we are
Barkode is a pet-food label reader for dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, horses, pigs, birds, and other companion animals, operated by InsyncTech LLC ("we", "us"). Contact: support@barkode.io.
2. What we collect and why
- Barcode: the numeric barcode you scan. Required to look up the product.
- Verdict: the call and flag details we return. Stored so per-barcode history and the Community screen work.
- Ingredient-panel photos: if a bag isn't in the database, you can photograph the ingredients panel. That image is uploaded to our server, processed in memory, and sent to our AI provider to read the ingredient text. The image is not saved to disk; only the extracted ingredient text is cached against the barcode so later scanners of the same product skip the photo step.
- Pet profile (optional): the fields you enter — name, species, breed, age, weight, allergies, notes — are stored on our server so every scan can be judged for your animal.
- Pet photos (optional): if you add a photo of your pet (for the avatar, or breed identification for dogs), it is stored on our server. Photos are downscaled and their metadata (EXIF, including any location tags) is stripped before storage, and they are kept in a private store that only your device's fingerprint can access.
- Device fingerprint hash: the app generates a random ID on install. Our server stores a one-way SHA-256 hash of that ID combined with your IP address. The hash exists so the free-tier limit works without accounts.
- IP address: recorded when your phone connects, used for rate limiting and abuse prevention, and stored with the scan record.
3. What we don't collect
- Names, emails, phone numbers, or account identifiers — there are no accounts.
- Payment information. Purchases are billed by Apple; we never see or store your payment details.
- Camera frames from barcode scanning. The barcode is read on your device; only the numeric string is sent. Images are uploaded only when you deliberately photograph an ingredients panel or add a pet photo.
- Precise or approximate location, contacts, or any device sensor data beyond what you photograph.
- Third-party analytics, advertising, or attribution SDKs. No Google Analytics, no Facebook SDK, no ad networks, no IDFA.
4. How long we keep it
- Barcode + verdict records: retained so per-barcode community history works.
- Ingredient-panel photos: not stored. Processed in memory and discarded after the ingredient text is extracted.
- Pet profiles and pet photos: retained until you ask us to delete them.
- Your scan history list: stored on your device only, and never synced; deleting it in the app removes it.
5. Who we share it with
We do not sell or share your data with third parties for marketing, advertising, or any other commercial purpose. We may disclose data if required by a valid US legal process (subpoena, court order), and will notify affected users unless legally prohibited.
6. Third-party services we use
- Open Pet Food Facts (openpetfoodfacts.org) — when you scan a barcode we query their public API for the ingredients list. They receive the barcode string and a generic user-agent identifying Barkode — never your device hash or IP.
- Anthropic — our AI provider. When you photograph an ingredients panel, the image is sent to Anthropic's API to read the ingredient text; Anthropic also writes the one-sentence verdict narration from the matched flag list. The deterministic flag list — not the AI — decides the verdict.
- Apple and RevenueCat — Barkode Pro purchases are billed by Apple through your App Store account. RevenueCat validates purchase receipts for us; it receives our random app-generated ID, never your identity. We never see your payment details.
7. Your rights
Because we don't tie scans to a personal identifier, we cannot look up "your" scans by name. You can:
- Reset your device ID in the app (Settings). This generates a new fingerprint; previous scans are no longer linkable to your device.
- Clear your on-device scan history in the app (Settings, or the History screen).
- Uninstall the app, which deletes the local fingerprint and history.
- Email support@barkode.io to request deletion of your pet profile, pet photos, or scans associated with a fingerprint hash you provide.
8. Children
Barkode is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has used the app, contact support@barkode.io.
9. Changes to this policy
If we materially change what we collect, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top and note the change in-app on next launch.
10. Contact
Privacy questions: support@barkode.io.