Privacy Policy
1) Information we collect
A. You provide to us
- Account & profile: email, password, username/display name, country, and optional due date or child’s birthday.
- Forum content: posts, comments, votes/likes, saved discussions, reports.
- Expert/Editorial verification (optional roles): name, credentials, specialty, license or affiliation details you choose to provide for verification.
- Support & surveys: messages you send us, feedback forms, voluntary surveys or contests.
B. From your use of the Services
- Scanner inputs: text you type, product/brand you search, and (if you choose) photos of labels, barcodes, or ingredient lists you upload for recognition.
- Where feasible we process scans on device; when cloud processing is required we transmit images/strings to our servers or trusted vendors to return results.
- Device & usage data: IP address, device/OS, browser, language, pages viewed, time on page, referral/UTM data, and general location (city/region derived from IP).
- Cookies & similar tech: to keep you signed in, remember preferences, measure traffic, prevent fraud, and, if enabled, personalize content.
- reCAPTCHA: our sign-up and forms may be protected by Google reCAPTCHA (Google Privacy Policy and Terms apply).
C. From others
- Service providers & integrations: analytics, error logging, anti-abuse/fraud prevention, cloud hosting, email delivery.
- Public sources: if you publicly link to your Little Bean content on social platforms.
2) Sensitive data we handle
Some information you provide or generate through the Services can be considered sensitive (e.g., pregnancy stage, due date/child’s birthday, health-related context inferred from use of the scanner, photos of ingredient labels). We minimize use, guard it with additional protections, and never use it for interest-based advertising. Providing such data is optional and you may delete it at any time from your account.
Children: Our Services are not directed to children under 13. Forum posting is intended for 16+. We don’t knowingly collect personal data from children; if you believe a child has provided data, contact us and we’ll delete it.
3) Why we use your information (purposes)
- Operate the Services: create and secure accounts; provide the ingredient scanner and forum; process scans and show results; save your history and preferences.
- Community & safety: surface expert/editorial badges; moderate content; enforce guidelines; detect spam, fraud, or abuse.
- Product improvement: troubleshoot, measure performance, debug, and develop new features and classifiers for the scanner.
- Communications: service emails (account, security, updates) and, if you opt in, newsletters or product tips (you can unsubscribe any time).
- Compliance & claims: meet legal obligations; handle disputes; protect our rights and users.
Legal bases (GDPR/UK GDPR): performance of a contract (providing the Services), your consent (e.g., optional due date, marketing, certain cookies), legitimate interests (security, product improvement, basic analytics), and legal obligations.
4) Cookies & similar technologies
We use:
- Essential cookies (login, security, load balancing)
- Preference cookies (language, UI settings)
- Analytics (aggregate usage and performance; no interest-based ads)
- reCAPTCHA for fraud prevention
You can control cookies in your browser and through our cookie banner (where available). Disabling essential cookies may break core features.
5) How we share information
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with:
- Service providers (processors): hosting, storage, analytics, error logging, customer support, reCAPTCHA, and (for scans) OCR/recognition vendors—each under contract and limited to our instructions.
- Other users: anything you post to public forum areas (including your username, role line, and Editorial Verified or Expert Verified badge if applicable) is visible to others and may be indexed by search engines.
- Legal/disclosure: to comply with law, protect rights and safety, or respond to lawful requests.
- Business transfers: if we merge, sell assets, or restructure, your information may transfer under the same protections.
We do not use sensitive data (e.g., due date, pregnancy context, scan photos) for cross-context behavioral advertising.
6) International transfers
We may store or process data in countries other than where you live. When we transfer personal data from the EEA/UK/Switzerland to a country without an adequacy decision, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses and implement additional safeguards as needed.
7) Security
We use administrative, technical, and organizational measures (encryption in transit, access controls, monitoring, and regular reviews). No method is perfectly secure; please use a strong, unique password and keep it confidential.
8) Data retention
- Account data: kept while your account is active. If you delete your account, we delete or de-identify most data within 30–90 days (some logs/backups may persist for a limited period for security, fraud prevention, and legal compliance).
- Scanner images: if processed in the cloud, we keep only as long as needed to return results and improve fraud detection, then delete or de-identify.
- Legal holds: we may preserve data to comply with law or defend legal claims.
9) Your choices & rights
Everyone
- Legal holds: we may preserve data to comply with law or defend legal claims.
- Download your data (portable copy) upon request.
- Withdraw consent (e.g., optional due date, marketing) at any time.
- Opt-out of marketing via unsubscribe links.
- Cookie controls via banner/browser settings.
EU/EEA/UK (GDPR/UK GDPR)
You have the rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict, object, and data portability; and to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw consent at any time.
U.S. state privacy rights (e.g., CA/CPRA, CO, CT, VA, UT)
Residents may have rights to know/access, correct, delete, and opt-out of “sale” or “sharing” for cross-context targeted advertising, plus the right to limit use of sensitive data.
We do not sell personal information. If we ever engage in cross-context targeted advertising that constitutes “sharing,” we will provide a “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link and honor opt-out signals (where required).
Washington/Nevada Consumer Health Data (if applicable)
If you reside in WA or NV, you may request access to, deletion of, or withdrawal of consent for consumer health data (e.g., due date, pregnancy stage). We do not sell consumer health data.
How to make a request: email [email protected] (or use the in-app form if available). We may need to verify your identity. Authorized agent requests are supported as required by law.
10) Community guidelines & public areas
The forum is public. Please don’t post personal contact details, medical histories, or images you prefer to keep private. Community advice is educational only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. We may remove content that violates our guidelines and suspend repeat offenders.
- Expert Verified – licensed clinicians (e.g., “Kacie Barlow, RN, CANS — Licensed Aesthetic Nurse”).
- Editorial Verified – founder/staff/partners (e.g., “Mirte Maas — Founder, Little Bean App”). Badges are for transparency; they are not endorsements or guarantees.
11) Third-party links & social features
Our Services may link to third-party sites, apps, and content. Their privacy practices are not controlled by us—review their policies. Using Google reCAPTCHA is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms.
12) Changes to this Policy
We’ll update this page when we make material changes and revise the “Last updated” date. If changes materially affect your rights, we’ll provide additional notice (e.g., email or banner).
