This Privacy Policy describes how NutriChecker ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our mobile application ("App"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about our data practices.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Health and Fitness Data

We collect health and fitness information that you voluntarily provide, including:

• Nutritional goals and preferences (weight loss, muscle gain, health improvement)
• Dietary restrictions and allergen information
• Body measurements (height, weight, age, gender)
• Physical activity levels and exercise preferences
• Food consumption data and meal logging
• Weekly health check-in responses
• Progress tracking information

1.2 App Usage Data

We automatically collect certain technical information:

• Device type, operating system, and app version
• App usage patterns and feature interactions
• Crash reports and performance data
• Anonymous analytics data to improve our services

1.3 Camera and Photo Data

When you use food scanning features:

• Photos of food items for nutritional analysis
• Camera access for barcode scanning
• Image data is processed locally and on our servers for food recognition
• Photos are not stored permanently unless you save them in the app

1.4 What We Do NOT Collect

We deliberately do not collect:

• Your name, email address, or phone number
• Social media profiles or contacts
• Payment information (handled by app stores)
• Location data or GPS coordinates
• Biometric data beyond what you manually enter

2. Anonymous User Identification

2.1 Anonymous User ID System

• We assign each user a unique, anonymous User ID for identification
• This ID is randomly generated and not linked to your personal identity
• Your User ID can be found in the App settings
• We use this ID solely for data management, support, and service improvement

2.2 No Personal Identity Linking

• We cannot and do not attempt to identify you personally
• Your health data is associated only with your anonymous User ID
• We have no way to connect your data to your real-world identity
• This approach protects your privacy while allowing us to provide personalized recommendations

3. How We Use Your Information

3.1 Service Provision

We use your information to:

• Provide personalized nutrition and health recommendations
• Calculate calorie and macronutrient targets based on your goals
• Generate AI-powered meal suggestions and advice
• Track your progress and provide insights
• Detect potential allergens in food products
• Improve the accuracy of our food database

3.2 App Improvement

We use aggregated, anonymous data to:

• Enhance our nutrition algorithms
• Improve food recognition accuracy
• Develop new features and functionality
• Analyze usage patterns to optimize user experience
• Conduct research on nutrition and health trends

3.3 Communication

We may use your information to:

• Send important app updates and service announcements
• Provide customer support when you contact us with your User ID
• Respond to technical issues or account problems

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 No Sale of Personal Data

• We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal health information
• We do not share individual user data with third parties for marketing purposes
• Your health data remains confidential and is used solely for providing our services

4.2 Service Providers

We may share limited data with trusted service providers who help us operate our App:

• Cloud hosting providers for data storage
• Analytics services for app performance monitoring
• AI/ML services for food recognition and recommendations
• All service providers are contractually bound to protect your data

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law or to:

• Comply with legal processes or government requests
• Protect our rights and prevent fraud
• Ensure user safety in emergency situations
• Enforce our Terms of Service

4.4 Aggregated Data

We may share anonymized, aggregated statistics that cannot identify individual users:

• General nutrition trends and insights
• App usage statistics
• Research findings based on anonymous data

5. Data Security

5.1 Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure servers with restricted access
• Regular security audits and updates
• Access controls and authentication systems

5.2 Health Data Protection

Special protections for health information:

• Health data is encrypted with advanced security protocols
• Access is limited to authorized personnel only
• We follow healthcare industry security standards
• Regular backup and disaster recovery procedures

5.3 No Guarantee

While we implement strong security measures, no internet transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but continuously work to protect your data.

6. Your Privacy Rights

6.1 Data Access

You can:

• View all your data within the App
• Export your health information
• Access your data usage history

6.2 Data Deletion

You have the right to:

• Delete your account and all associated data
• Request complete data removal using your User ID
• Contact us through the App for data deletion assistance
• Data deletion is permanent and cannot be undone

6.3 Data Portability

• You can export your data in a standard format
• Data export includes all your health and nutrition information
• You can transfer your data to other services if desired

6.4 Opt-Out Rights

You can:

• Disable analytics data collection in settings
• Turn off personalized recommendations
• Limit data sharing with service providers

7. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

7.1 Age Requirements

• Our App is intended for users 13 years and older
• We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13
• Users between 13-17 should have parental consent

7.2 Parental Controls

If we discover that a child under 13 has provided personal information:

• We will delete the information immediately
• We will not use the information for any purpose
• Parents can contact us to request data deletion

8. International Data Transfers

8.1 Global Operations

• Our servers may be located in different countries
• We ensure adequate protection for international data transfers
• We comply with applicable data protection laws in each jurisdiction

8.2 Regional Compliance

We comply with major privacy regulations:

• GDPR (European Union): Right to access, rectification, erasure, and portability
• CCPA (California): Right to know, delete, and opt-out of sale
• PIPEDA (Canada): Reasonable purposes and consent requirements
• LGPD (Brazil): Data protection and user rights

9. Health Data Specific Protections

9.1 Sensitive Health Information

Your health data receives special protection:

• No sharing with insurance companies
• No use for employment decisions
• No sale to pharmaceutical companies
• Strict access controls and audit logs

9.2 Research Use

If we use anonymous health data for research:

• Data is completely de-identified
• Research is conducted for public health benefit
• No individual user can be identified
• Results may be published in aggregated form only

10. Cookies and Tracking

10.1 Limited Tracking

We use minimal tracking technologies:

• Essential cookies for app functionality
• Analytics cookies for usage statistics
• No advertising or marketing cookies
• No cross-app tracking

10.2 Third-Party Analytics

We use privacy-focused analytics services:

• Data is anonymized before collection
• No personal identifiers are tracked
• You can opt-out of analytics in settings

11. Data Retention

11.1 Retention Periods

• Active user data: Retained while your account is active
• Deleted account data: Permanently removed within 30 days
• Backup data: Removed from backups within 90 days
• Analytics data: Anonymized data may be retained indefinitely

11.2 Automatic Deletion

• Inactive accounts may be deleted after 3 years of inactivity
• Users will be notified before automatic deletion
• You can prevent deletion by logging into the App

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

12.1 Policy Updates

• We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices
• We will notify users of material changes through the App
• The "Last Updated" date will reflect when changes were made
• Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance

12.2 Notification Methods

We will notify you of changes through:

• In-app notifications
• App store update descriptions
• Email if we have your contact information

13. Third-Party Services

13.1 App Store Integration

• Payment processing is handled by Apple App Store or Google Play
• We do not receive your payment information
• Refer to your app store's privacy policy for payment data handling

13.2 AI and Machine Learning

• We use third-party AI services for food recognition and recommendations
• These services process your data according to strict privacy agreements
• No personal information is shared with AI providers

15. Your Consent

By using NutriChecker, you consent to:

• Collection and use of your information as described in this Privacy Policy
• Processing of your health data for the purposes outlined above
• Transfer of your data to service providers under strict privacy agreements

You can withdraw consent at any time by deleting your account and data.

16. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights:

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to delete your personal information
• Right to opt-out of sale (we don't sell data)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

17. Effective Date

This Privacy Policy is effective as of the "Last Updated" date above. Your continued use of the App after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.