Effective Date: October 31, 2026

Privacy Policy & Account Deletion

This Privacy Policy explains how KinderVine handles information across the KinderVine: Vegan Wine Scanner Android mobile application (package ID com.kindervine.app) and the web application at https://kindervine.com.

Core Principle: You do not need an account to scan wine barcodes or browse our verified vegan and non-vegan wine catalog. Camera barcode scanning runs locally on your device, and we never sell user data or serve third-party advertising.

1. Device Permissions & On-Device Camera Processing

Camera Permission (android.permission.CAMERA): Used strictly to detect 12-digit UPC and 13-digit EAN barcodes on wine bottles in real time using on-device barcode recognition (Google ML Kit on Android; browser camera stream on web). Live camera frames are processed ephemerally in device memory and are never recorded, stored, or uploaded to KinderVine servers.
Optional Bottle Photos: Only if you explicitly choose to take or pick a photo while submitting a missing wine bottle is that single compressed bottle photo uploaded to help verify the wine entry.
Local Device Storage & Caching: On Android, KinderVine stores your recent barcode scan history and downloaded wine bottle thumbnails locally in app-private storage so catalog photos load quickly. You can clear recent scans anytime inside the app under Recent Bottles → Clear, or clear all local data by uninstalling the app.

2. Information We Collect & How We Use It

All network communication between KinderVine and our backend services (Google Firebase Authentication, Cloud Firestore, and Open Food Facts product lookup APIs) is encrypted in transit via HTTPS/TLS.

Summary of Data Types, Purpose, and Deletion
Data Category	Collection & Trigger	Purpose & Sharing	Deletion Status
Google Account Profile (Email, Display Name, UID, Photo URL)	Optional — collected only when you sign in with Google.	Authenticates community wine submissions, comments, and inaccuracy flags. Never sold or used for ads.	✓ Deleted upon account deletion.
Pending Wine Submissions & Optional Bottle Photo	Optional — collected when a signed-in user submits an unlisted wine barcode.	Reviewed by KinderVine admins to verify vegan fining status for the public catalog.	✓ Unapproved pending submissions tied to your account are deleted upon account deletion; verified catalog entries remain public without displaying your email.
Community Tasting Comments & Wine Flags	Optional — collected when a signed-in user posts a tasting comment or flags an inaccuracy.	Displays public tasting notes (display name only, never email) and alerts admins to fining changes.	✓ Comments can be deleted anytime in-app by their author; flags/comments are removed on request.
Contact Us & Moderation Reports	Optional — submitted voluntarily via the Contact form or in-app comment report menu (name optional).	Allows KinderVine maintainers to investigate abuse reports, fix fining data, or respond to bug reports.	✓ Deleted by admins after review or upon request.
Device or Other Identifiers (Firebase Installation / Auth Session ID)	Generated automatically by Google Firebase SDKs to maintain database security rules and login sessions.	App functionality, security, and session management only. Never shared with ad networks or data brokers.	✓ Auth session tokens are invalidated upon account deletion or app uninstall.

Third-Party Infrastructure

Google Firebase (Authentication & Cloud Firestore): Provides secure Google Sign-In authentication and cloud database storage (Firebase Privacy & Security).
Open Food Facts API: When scanning an unknown barcode or loading public bottle imagery, KinderVine queries Open Food Facts by product barcode only (no user identity or personal data is sent).

3. Account & Data Deletion (`com.kindervine.app` & Web)

If you have signed in to KinderVine with Google, you can permanently delete your KinderVine account and associated personal data at any time—either directly inside the Android app, right here on the web without needing the app installed, or by email request.

Option A — Instant Deletion Inside the KinderVine Android App

Open KinderVine on your Android device while signed in.
Tap your profile picture / initial in the top-right corner of the Home screen.
Tap Delete Account and confirm Delete Permanently.

Option B — Instant Self-Service Deletion on the Web

Sign in with the Google account you used on KinderVine to permanently delete your KinderVine account and remove any pending wine submissions tied to your email:

Option C — Request Account or Data Deletion by Email

You may also email themadturnip@gmail.com from the email address associated with your account with the subject "KinderVine Account Deletion Request". Manual email requests—including removal of any remaining comments or moderation flags—are completed within 7 days.

What Is Deleted vs. Retained

Deleted Immediately: Your Firebase Authentication account record (email address, display name, Google profile photo URL, and user ID) and all unapproved pending_submissions associated with your account.
Retained Non-Personal Catalog Data: Wines that have already been verified and published into the public KinderVine wine catalog remain part of the shared database (without displaying your email publicly) so barcode lookups remain accurate for the community, along with minimal anti-spam rate-limit timestamps until purged.

4. Community Guidelines & User-Generated Content (UGC) Policy

KinderVine enables signed-in community members to post public wine tasting comments and submit missing wine entries and bottle photos for admin review. Before creating or uploading any User-Generated Content (UGC), users must agree to these Community Guidelines:

Zero Tolerance for Objectionable Content: Hate speech, harassment, bullying, threats, sexually explicit material, illegal content, impersonation, and commercial link spam are strictly prohibited.
In-App Reporting & User Blocking: Every comment inside KinderVine includes an in-app moderation menu (⋮) allowing any user—with or without an account—to Report Comment to KinderVine moderators, Hide Comment immediately, or Block User so all content from that author is immediately hidden on your device. Blocked users can be managed or unblocked anytime from your Profile or About & Contact screen.
Automated Filtering & Active Moderation: KinderVine enforces automated pre-submission content filters alongside human admin moderation. Reported objectionable content is reviewed promptly and offending posts or accounts are permanently removed.

5. Age Requirement & Alcoholic Beverage Reference

KinderVine does not sell, ship, or advertise alcoholic beverages; it provides educational fining-ingredient transparency for wine products. Because the app references alcoholic beverages, KinderVine is intended for adults aged 18 and older (or the legal drinking age in your jurisdiction) and does not knowingly collect personal information from children.

6. Changes & Contact Information

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time by posting the revised date at the top of this page. For any privacy questions, data inquiries, or feedback, contact KinderVine at themadturnip@gmail.com or via the Contact form on kindervine.com.