Privacy Policy

1. About Tarkka

Tarkka is a mobile application designed to help consumers in Finland compare grocery prices across major Finnish retailers. Our mission is to help you save money on your grocery shopping by providing transparent price comparisons and smart shopping recommendations.

Core Features of Our App

• Price Comparison: Search and compare prices for grocery products across Finnish retailers including K-Ruoka (Kesko), S-Kaupat (S-Group), and other major chains.
• Shopping Lists: Create and manage shopping lists with your desired products.
• Split Trip Optimization: Receive intelligent recommendations on how to split your shopping across multiple stores to maximize savings.
• Store Comparison: Compare total basket costs across different nearby stores.
• Deal Discovery: Find current discounts and special offers on products you care about.
• Barcode Scanning: Quickly search for products by scanning their barcodes.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information Stored Locally on Your Device

The following data is stored only on your device and is never transmitted to our servers:

• Shopping Lists: All products you add to your shopping lists remain on your device.
• Recently Viewed Products: Your browsing history within the app.
• App Preferences: Theme settings, dietary filters, store preferences, and other customizations.
• Search History: Your previous search queries for quick access.

2.2 Information Collected During App Usage

• Search Queries: To retrieve product prices from our database (not stored on servers)
• Device Type & OS Version: For app optimization and compatibility (aggregated analytics only)
• App Version: For version-specific features and bug fixes (aggregated analytics only)
• Crash Reports: For identifying and fixing technical issues (retained 90 days)
• Feature Usage Statistics: To understand which features are most valuable (aggregated, anonymized)

2.3 Information We Do NOT Collect

• Your name, email address, or phone number (no account required)
• Precise GPS location (we may use approximate location for store distances only if permitted)
• Contacts, photos, or other personal files
• Payment information or purchase history
• Biometric data

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the limited information we collect for the following purposes:

3.1 Providing Our Services

• Processing your product searches and returning relevant price comparisons
• Calculating optimal shopping routes and split-trip recommendations
• Displaying current prices and discounts from Finnish retailers
• Enabling barcode scanning functionality

3.2 Improving Our App

• Analyzing aggregated usage patterns to enhance features
• Identifying and fixing bugs and performance issues
• Understanding which products are most frequently searched
• Optimizing app performance across different devices

3.3 Displaying Advertisements

• Showing relevant advertisements through Google AdMob
• Measuring ad performance and reach

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Contract performance: Providing price comparison services (Terms of Service)
• Legitimate interest: Analytics and app improvement, crash reporting and bug fixes
• Consent: Personalized advertising (can be withdrawn)
• Legal obligation: Legal compliance requirements

5. Data Storage & Security

5.1 Local Storage

Your shopping lists, preferences, and browsing history are stored locally on your device using secure storage mechanisms provided by the operating system. This data is not accessible to other apps and is protected by your device's security features.

5.2 Server Infrastructure

• Our API servers are hosted in secure data centers within the European Union
• All data transmission uses TLS 1.2 or higher encryption
• We implement industry-standard security practices including firewalls, rate limiting, and regular security audits
• Access to our systems is restricted and monitored

5.3 Price Data

Product and price information is obtained from publicly available sources on retailer websites. This data is cached on our servers to provide fast responses and reduce load on retailer systems. We do not store any association between price queries and individual users.

6. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate and improve our app:

6.1 Firebase (Google)

We use Firebase for the following purposes:

• Firebase Analytics: Understanding app usage patterns and feature popularity
• Firebase Crashlytics: Detecting and diagnosing app crashes
• Firebase Remote Config: Managing app configuration without requiring updates

Firebase may collect device identifiers and usage data. For more information, see the Firebase Privacy Policy.

6.2 Google AdMob

We display advertisements through Google AdMob. AdMob may use device advertising identifiers to show relevant ads. You can opt out of personalized advertising in your device settings. See the Google Privacy Policy for details.

7. Advertising

Tarkka displays advertisements to support the free operation of our service. Here's what you should know:

7.1 Types of Ads

• Banner advertisements displayed within the app
• Interstitial ads shown between certain actions

7.2 Ad Personalization

By default, ads may be personalized based on your device's advertising identifier and general usage patterns. You have the right to opt out of personalized advertising.

7.3 How to Opt Out

• iOS: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking, and disable "Allow Apps to Request to Track"
• Android: Go to Settings > Google > Ads, and enable "Opt out of Ads Personalization"

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a user in the European Union, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw previously given consent at any time

Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@tarkka.app. We will respond to your request within 30 days as required by GDPR.

Supervisory Authority

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Finnish Data Protection Ombudsman (Tietosuojavaltuutetun toimisto) or another EU supervisory authority.

9. Data Retention

• Local Data: Data stored on your device remains until you uninstall the app or clear app data
• Analytics Data: Aggregated analytics are retained for up to 14 months
• Crash Reports: Retained for 90 days to allow for bug investigation and fixes
• Server Logs: Basic server access logs are retained for 30 days for security purposes

We do not retain any personal data longer than necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

10. Children's Privacy

Tarkka is not intended for use by children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@tarkka.app and we will take steps to delete such information.

11. International Data Transfers

Our servers are located within the European Union. However, some of our third-party service providers (such as Google/Firebase) may process data outside the EU. When this occurs, these transfers are protected by:

• EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
• Adequacy decisions by the European Commission
• Other legally recognized transfer mechanisms

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes:

• We will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this policy
• We may notify you through the app or other appropriate means
• The updated policy will be available at www.tarkka.app/privacy-policy.html

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

13. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please do not hesitate to contact us: