Privacy Policy
Last updated 2026-05-22 · 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 scan limit works), and the IP address your phone uses to reach our server.
🚫 What we don't collect
No name, no email, no account. No camera frames are uploaded — the barcode is read on your device. No location, no contacts, no third-party tracking SDKs.
🤝 Who sees it
Only us. We do not sell or share scan data with anyone. The Barkode service is operated by InSync Tech LLC.
🐶 Aggregate stats
The Community screen shows totals (how many bags scanned, what ingredients showed up most). Those are counts only — never tied back to your phone or device.
The legal version
1. Who we are
Barkode is a consumer dog-food label-reader operated by InSync Tech 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 severity score and one-sentence narration we return. Stored so the Community screen and per-barcode lookup can show what we found previously.
- Device fingerprint hash: a one-way SHA-256 hash of an opaque app-generated random ID combined with the IP that reached our server. We never see your raw device ID. The hash exists so the free-tier rate limit (one scan per 30 days) works without requiring you to sign in.
- IP address: automatically logged by our server when your phone connects. Used for rate limiting and abuse prevention. Retained for 30 days.
3. What we don't collect
- Names, emails, phone numbers, payment info, or any account identifiers.
- Camera frames or images. Barcode reading happens on your device; only the resulting numeric string is sent to us.
- Precise or approximate location, your contacts, or any device sensor data beyond the camera.
- Third-party analytics, advertising, or attribution SDKs. We use no Google Analytics, no Facebook SDK, no Segment, no Branch.
4. How long we keep it
Barcode + verdict records are retained indefinitely so the per-barcode community history works. IP addresses are retained for 30 days. Device fingerprint hashes are retained for the duration of the rate-limit window plus 30 days for fraud review.
5. Who we share it with
We do not sell or share your scan 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). We 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. They do not receive your device hash or IP.
- Anthropic — we send the matched flag-ingredient list (no barcode, no device ID) to Anthropic's API to write the one-sentence verdict narration. No personal data is involved.
7. Your rights
Because we don't tie scans to a personal identifier, we cannot look up "your" scans on request. You can:
- Reset your device ID inside the app (Settings → Reset device ID). This generates a new fingerprint hash. Previous scans remain in our database but are no longer linkable to your device.
- Clear your on-device scan history in the app (Your scans → Clear history).
- Uninstall the app, which deletes the local fingerprint and history.
- Email support@barkode.io to request deletion of any 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 notify users in-app on next launch.
10. Contact
Privacy questions: support@barkode.io.