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Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2, 2026

Your Privacy Matters

Decarbonr is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we handle your data and what information we collect (spoiler: very little).

1. Information We Collect

Data Stored Locally on Your Device

All your carbon footprint data is stored locally on your device using SwiftData. This includes:

  • Scanned food items and their carbon footprint data
  • Travel entries (transportation type, distance, emissions)
  • Your personal goals and settings (lifestyle, country, daily budget)
  • Historical tracking data and analytics

Important: This data is not uploaded to a server. It leaves your device only if you share or export it yourself, or as part of the optional requests listed under API Requests below.

Camera Access

The app requests camera permission for two optional Premium features: the AI photo meal scanner and the barcode scanner. The camera is only used while you are actively scanning. Barcode images are processed entirely on your device. For the AI photo meal scanner, the photo you take is sent through Decarbonr's server to OpenAI for analysis (see API Requests below); it is not stored on our servers.

API Requests

Decarbonr makes external network requests only in the cases below. These requests do not contain any account or personal identification information about you:

  • Barcode scanner: when you scan a barcode, the app sends an anonymous lookup to the OpenFoodFacts API to retrieve product information.
  • AI photo meal scanner: when you snap a meal photo, the image is sent through Decarbonr's server (decarbonr-backend.fly.dev), which forwards it to OpenAI (GPT-4o model) to estimate its ingredients and carbon footprint. The image is used only to generate that estimate; our server does not keep it.
  • Travel city names: when you enter a city that is not in the app's built-in list, the city name is sent the same way (through Decarbonr's server) to OpenAI to put it into English, and then to OpenRouteService to look up its coordinates, so the app can work out the distance. Only the city name is sent.

2. What We Don't Collect

  • No personal identification information (name, email, phone number)
  • No location data
  • No usage analytics or tracking
  • No advertising identifiers
  • No behavioral tracking
  • No data is sent to third-party servers, except the anonymous requests described above (OpenFoodFacts for barcodes; OpenAI, through our server, for AI photo meal scanning and city names; OpenRouteService for city locations)

3. Third-Party Services

OpenFoodFacts

Decarbonr uses the OpenFoodFacts API to retrieve product information when you scan barcodes. OpenFoodFacts is a non-profit, open-source food products database.

OpenAI

The optional AI photo meal scanner sends the meal photo you capture, through Decarbonr's server, to OpenAI (GPT-4o model) to estimate its ingredients and carbon footprint. City names that are not in the app's built-in list are sent the same way to be put into English before the distance lookup.

  • Only the photo you choose to scan, or the city name you entered, is sent — no account or personal identification data is attached
  • The image is used solely to generate the carbon estimate returned to your device
  • View OpenAI's privacy policy: https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy

OpenRouteService

When you enter a city that is not in the app's built-in list, the app asks the OpenRouteService geocoding API (api.openrouteservice.org) for its coordinates, to work out the travel distance.

App Store

If you download the app from the Apple App Store, your interaction with the App Store is governed by Apple's privacy policy, not ours.

4. Data Security

Your data security is paramount:

  • All data is stored locally on your device using iOS secure storage (SwiftData)
  • Your device's security features (passcode, Face ID, Touch ID) protect your data
  • No data is transmitted to external servers, except the anonymous requests (OpenFoodFacts, OpenAI through our server, and OpenRouteService) described above
  • Data is not backed up to cloud services unless you enable iCloud backup on your device

5. Your Rights

Since all data is stored locally on your device, you have complete control:

  • Access: All your data is visible within the app
  • Delete: You can delete individual entries or all data from Settings
  • Export: You can export your data for personal use
  • Portability: Your data can be exported in standard formats
  • Complete removal: Uninstalling the app deletes all local data

6. Children's Privacy

Decarbonr does not collect any personal information from anyone, including children under 13. The app is designed for general audiences and focuses on environmental education.

7. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

8. GDPR Compliance

For users in the European Union, we comply with GDPR regulations:

  • Legal basis for processing: Legitimate interest and user consent
  • Data minimization: We only process data necessary for app functionality
  • Purpose limitation: Data is used only for carbon tracking features
  • Storage limitation: You control data retention through the app
  • Right to be forgotten: Delete the app to remove all data

9. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

For California residents:

  • We do not sell your personal information
  • We do not share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising
  • We do not collect sensitive personal information beyond what's necessary for app functionality

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: privacy@decarbonr.com