Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Prova ("we", "our", or "the app") is a food product scanner that helps you make informed decisions about what you eat. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

Use of Prova is also governed by our Terms of Use, which explain the limits of the information we show — including grades, AI summaries, and third-party product data.

We built Prova with privacy in mind. We do not build profiles, sell data, or require you to create an account. Most personal preferences stay on your device; product lookups and optional label photos are processed as described below.

2. Information We Collect

Camera access

The app uses your camera to (1) scan product barcodes and (2), if you choose Identify with photos when a product is not found, photograph the front and back labels. Barcode scan frames are processed on your device and are not uploaded as photos or video. Label photos you submit are sent to our backend over HTTPS, processed by Google Gemini to extract product details, and may be stored (including a front-label image in Firebase Storage) so the product can be shown again.

Anonymous identifier

The app signs in anonymously using Firebase Authentication. This generates a random, device-specific identifier with no connection to your name, email address, or any personal information. You never need to provide credentials.

Product barcode lookups

When you scan a product, the barcode number is sent to our backend to retrieve product information. When you use Identify with photos, extracted product fields may be cached by barcode so later lookups work without re-photographing. Cached product records and retained front-label images are public product-reference data readable by barcode; they are not associated with a user, dietary profile, or scan history.

Usage analytics

With your consent, Firebase Analytics collects pseudonymous app-usage data, including screen views, feature interactions, session information, device and app information, and an app-instance identifier. It also derives approximate location (such as country or city) from a masked IP address; Prova does not collect precise location or GPS data. Analytics is optional and off by default — enable it on first launch or in Profile → Privacy. We use this data solely to understand and improve the app and do not attach your name, email address, dietary profile, or scan history to it.

Crash, error, and performance reports

With the same consent choice, the app may use Sentry and Firebase Crashlytics to report crashes and technical errors. Sentry also samples performance traces so we can diagnose slow or unreliable app behavior. These reports may include an app-installation identifier, device type, operating system version, app version, timestamps, relevant application state, stack traces, and performance spans. If you do not opt in, crash and performance data is not collected. We do not attach your name, email address, dietary profile, or scan history to these reports.

3. Data Stored on Your Device Only

The following data is stored exclusively on your device using local storage. It is never uploaded to our servers or shared with any third party:

• Your scan history (products you have scanned)
• Your dietary preferences (e.g. gluten-free, vegan, low sugar, custom allergens)

4. Data We Do Not Collect

• Your name, email address, or phone number
• Your precise location or GPS data
• Your contacts or calendar
• Payment or financial information
• Biometric or health data
• Any data from children — we do not knowingly collect data from users under 13

5. Third-Party Services

The app uses the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy governing their data handling:

6. Data Retention

Analytics data is retained by Firebase according to Google's configured retention settings. Firebase Crashlytics retains crash stack traces and associated installation identifiers for 90 days before beginning deletion. Sentry retains crash, error, and sampled performance reports for up to 90 days. We do not intentionally include data that directly identifies you in these reports.

Label photos. Photos you take with Identify with photos are uploaded only when you tap Analyse. The back-label photo is used to extract product data and is not stored on our servers afterward. A front-label photo may be stored in Firebase Storage so the same product can be shown with a photo when any user looks it up by barcode again. A scheduled deletion job removes a stored label photo after 90 days once it is no longer in use as any product's photo.

7. Security

All communication between the app and our backend is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS. Firebase security rules deny client writes to the shared product cache and product-image store; only the backend can create or update those records. Product records and front-label images are intentionally public so any device can retrieve the same product by barcode. Label photos are only uploaded when you choose Identify with photos.

8. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)

If the GDPR or UK GDPR applies to you, we process personal data only when we have a valid legal basis:

• Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) — providing barcode lookups, label extraction when you request it, and the core app features you ask for.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) — securing our backend, preventing abuse (including anonymous authentication and rate limiting), and maintaining the shared product cache. We balance these interests against your rights; they do not include selling your data or building advertising profiles.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — optional usage analytics, crash reporting, and performance monitoring via Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, and Sentry. These are off by default; you opt in on first use or later in Profile → Privacy. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting core scanning.
• Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) — retaining records where required by applicable law.

We do not sell personal data and do not use your data for cross-context behavioural advertising.

9. International Transfers

Our service providers (Google Firebase and Gemini, Sentry, Open Food Facts) may process data in the European Union, the United States, and other countries. Where data is transferred outside the EEA or UK to a country without an adequacy decision, we rely on appropriate safeguards — typically the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent mechanisms built into our providers' data-processing terms.

You can request more detail about transfers and safeguards by contacting us at the address below.

10. Automated Processing

Prova may generate short AI-written product summaries and algorithmic grades from available nutrient and ingredient data. These outputs are informational only, are not legally binding, and do not produce legal or similarly significant effects about you. You are always free to ignore them and rely on the physical product label instead.

11. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access — request confirmation of what we hold about you and a copy of it.
• Rectification — request correction of inaccurate data.
• Erasure — request deletion of personal data we control.
• Restriction — request that we limit certain processing.
• Portability — receive data you provided in a structured, machine-readable format where applicable.
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent (analytics/crash reporting), turn it off in Profile → Privacy or email us; this does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

On-device data (scan history and dietary profile) is stored only on your device. Delete it anytime in the app or by uninstalling Prova — it never reaches our servers.

Pseudonymous identifiers (Firebase anonymous UID, analytics installation IDs) can be reset by clearing app data or reinstalling. Email us at [email protected] if you need help exercising your rights; we respond within one month as required by the GDPR.

Supervisory authority. If you are in the EEA or UK and believe we have not handled your data lawfully, you may lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority. In Greece, the supervisory authority is the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (APDPH): www.dpa.gr ↗.

12. Children

Prova is not directed at children under 16 in the EEA/UK (or under 13 in the United States). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the app after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact & Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data under the GDPR is MARKNEER G.P., registered in Greece. We do not publish our registered office address on this website. For privacy requests or other data-protection correspondence that requires a postal address, email [email protected] and we will provide it promptly.