Privacy Policy

Last Updated: September 2026

1. Critical Safety Notice

2. Information We Collect

We collect minimal information necessary to provide our service:

Product Scanning Data (Essential):

• Product barcodes (to retrieve public nutrition information)
• Temporary image capture for OCR processing (deleted immediately after analysis)
• Scan history (stored locally on your device only)
• Product names and nutrition facts from Open Food Facts database

Personal Profile Data (Optional Preferences):

• Age, gender, weight, height (for personalized scoring calculations)
• Activity level and general wellness goals
• Dietary preferences (e.g., vegetarian, low-sugar) – NOT medical conditions
• All stored locally on your device; never transmitted to our servers

Account Data (Optional):

• Email address (for account creation/sync)
• Authentication tokens
• Subscription status

Analytics Data (Anonymous):

• Aggregated feature usage statistics
• App performance metrics
• Crash reports (stripped of personal identifiers)

WE DO NOT COLLECT:

• Precise location data
• Contacts, photos library, or other device data
• Medical diagnoses, prescriptions, or clinical health records
• Permanent storage of product images
• Sensitive health data as defined under GDPR Article 9

3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Compliance)

Under GDPR, we process your data based on:

• Contractual necessity: To provide core scanning functionality
• Legitimate interest: For app improvement and security (balanced against your rights)
• Explicit consent: ONLY for optional account creation and cloud sync

IMPORTANT: We do NOT process "special category" health data under GDPR Article 9. User-input preferences (weight, dietary goals) are treated as general personal data for scoring calculations only – NOT for medical purposes.

4. How We Use Your Information

Your data is used STRICTLY for:

• Scanning barcodes and retrieving public nutrition data
• Performing OCR analysis on captured images (temporary processing only)
• Calculating algorithmic health scores based on general nutrition guidelines
• Storing your scan history locally on your device
• Providing account sync (if you opt in)
• Improving OCR accuracy through anonymous pattern recognition
• Processing subscription payments

WE NEVER:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Share your scan history or health profile for advertising
• Use your data for medical diagnosis or treatment recommendations
• Build health profiles for insurance or employment purposes

5. Data Sources & Accuracy Limitations

Critical Transparency:

• Primary nutrition data comes from Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), a crowd-sourced public database
• Open Food Facts data is user-contributed and may contain errors, omissions, or outdated information
• Product formulations change frequently; database entries may not reflect current packaging
• OCR technology may misread labels due to image quality, lighting, or label variations
• We do NOT verify, validate, or guarantee accuracy of third-party nutrition data
• Users bear full responsibility for verifying critical information (especially allergens) on physical packaging

6. Data Storage & Location

Where your data resides:

• Personal profile & scan history: Stored ENCRYPTED locally on your device ONLY
• Account data (if opted in): Secure storage with our cloud hosting provider
• Product images: Processed in memory and DELETED immediately after OCR completion
• Nutrition data: Retrieved in real-time from Open Food Facts API; not stored by us

Data Transfer Safeguards:

• All international transfers use Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by EU Commission
• Servers located in EU (Ireland) and US (Virginia) with GDPR-compliant processors
• You may request data localization preferences via support

7. Third-Party Services & Data Sharing

We integrate with trusted services under strict data processing agreements:

• Open Food Facts – Public nutrition database (no personal data shared)
• Cloud hosting & sign-in provider – Authentication and optional cloud sync (minimal account data)
• On-device text recognition – Label reading on your device (images never leave your device)
• AI service providers – Optional cloud-based analysis of text, voice or photos you choose to submit
• App Store/Google Play – Subscription management (payment data handled by platform)

Our Firm Commitment:

• We DO NOT sell your personal information
• We DO NOT share your scan history or health profile for advertising
• We DO NOT permit third parties to use your data for their own purposes
• All processors are bound by GDPR-compliant Data Processing Agreements

8. Sharing Your Food Log with a Nutrition Professional

You can send your food log to a Nutrition Professional ("Nutrition Pro") of your choice. This happens ONLY when you choose to:

• You create the file from the Share menu and send it yourself with an app you pick (for example WhatsApp or email). Kado does not upload it to our servers.
• The file contains: your email and display name, the profile name, the food entries and activities for the days you choose, your diet profile (sex, age range, weight and height ranges, activity level, goal, diet style) and your daily targets.
• Once sent, the file is handled by the app you used and by the person who receives it, under their own privacy terms. Share it only with someone you trust.
• A Nutrition Pro may send back a reviewed file with edited entries, new daily targets, diet-profile changes and a comment. Nothing changes in your app until you open that file and press Load, and you choose whether to accept the new targets and profile changes. A copy of your previous log is kept on your device so you can restore it.
• On the Nutrition Pro's device, Kado keeps the last file received from each client until it is replaced or removed to free space.
• If the Nutrition Pro uses "AI Improve" on their comment, the comment text only (not your food log) is sent to an AI service provider to rewrite it.
• Nutrition Pro accounts are enabled by Kado, but Kado does NOT verify their professional qualifications.

9. Your Privacy Rights (GDPR, CCPA, & Global Laws)

You have the right to:

• Access all personal data we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Delete your account and all associated data
• Data portability (export your scan history in machine-readable format)
• Restrict or object to processing
• Withdraw consent at any time
• Lodge complaints with supervisory authorities

CCPA-Specific Rights (California Residents):

• Right to know categories of personal information collected/sold/shared
• Right to request deletion
• Right to opt-out of "sale" or "sharing" of personal information
• NON-DISCRIMINATION: We will not penalize you for exercising CCPA rights

To exercise rights: Use in-app deletion tools or contact support.kado@balshoo.com. We respond within 30 days.

10. "Do Not Sell or Share" (CCPA Compliance)

Kado does NOT sell or share your personal information as defined under CCPA.

For California residents:

• We do not exchange your data for monetary or other valuable consideration
• We do not permit third parties to collect your data for their own purposes
• Analytics providers operate under strict service provider agreements

Opt-Out Mechanism:

• Toggle "Limit Ad Tracking" in device settings
• Contact support.kado@balshoo.com to confirm no data sharing occurs

11. Children's Privacy

Kado is not intended for children:

• Users under 13 (US COPPA) are prohibited from using the app
• Users under 16 (EU GDPR) require parental consent
• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children
• If we discover child data, we will delete it immediately upon notification

Parents/guardians may contact us to review or delete child information.

12. Data Security

We implement industry-standard protections:

• Data on your device is kept in the app's private storage, protected by your device's own security (screen lock and device encryption)
• TLS 1.3+ for all data transmissions
• Strict access controls for employee data access
• Automatic deletion of temporary processing data
• Compliance with OWASP Mobile Security guidelines

Note: No electronic transmission can be guaranteed 100% secure. You are responsible for device security (passcodes, biometrics). Report suspected breaches immediately via support.

13. Data Retention

We retain data only as long as necessary:

• Local scan history: Until YOU delete it (via app settings)
• Account data: Until account deletion request
• Analytics data: Aggregated/anonymized after 13 months
• Support communications: 24 months for legal compliance
• Product images: 0 seconds – deleted immediately after OCR

You control deletion: Settings > Account > Delete Account & Server Data removes your account and its data on our servers. Data kept only on your device (food log, diet profile, scan history) is removed when you uninstall the app.

14. Data Breach Notification

In the unlikely event of a data breach involving your personal information:

• We will notify affected users within 72 hours of discovery (as required by GDPR)
• Notification will include nature of breach, likely consequences, and mitigation steps
• We will report breaches to relevant supervisory authorities
• No data breach has occurred to date

15. Changes to Privacy Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in data practices, new legal requirements, or service improvements. Material changes affecting your rights will:

• Be communicated via in-app notification at least 30 days prior
• Require explicit acceptance for significant changes
• Be versioned with clear change logs in app settings

16. Contact & Data Protection Officer

For privacy inquiries, rights requests, or concerns:

• In-app: Menu > Report a problem
• Email: support.kado@balshoo.com
• Response time: Within 30 days

EU/EEA users may lodge complaints with their local supervisory authority. We cooperate fully with regulatory investigations.