Privacy Policy for SafeScan QR
SafeScan QR ("we", "our", or "the app") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines how our application handles permissions, features, and data when you use SafeScan QR.
1. Information Collection and Use
SafeScan QR is built on a Zero-Trust, Privacy-First Architecture. We do not collect, store, sell, or transmit any personal data, user accounts, or personally identifiable information (PII). There are zero advertising SDKs and zero analytics or tracking libraries in the application.
A. Camera Permission (android.permission.CAMERA)
- Purpose: The camera permission is used solely to scan and decode QR codes and barcodes in real time.
- Processing: Camera frames are analyzed entirely on-device using Google ML Kit Barcode Scanning APIs.
- No Storage or Remote Transmission: No photos, videos, or image buffers from the camera are ever saved to persistent storage or transmitted to any remote servers.
B. Internet Permission (android.permission.INTERNET & ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE)
- Purpose: Internet access is used strictly when requested to:
- Inspect and trace redirect chains for scanned web links to protect you from malicious redirects, cloaked destinations, or drive-by downloads.
- Query verified threat intelligence repositories (Google Web Risk and Quad9 Secure DNS) to evaluate whether a URL is associated with known phishing or malware.
- Open verified links in your chosen external browser or Chrome Custom Tabs.
- No User Tracking: We do not track your browsing habits, your identity, or your device identifiers. Network requests are performed directly from your device to the queried servers without passing through any intermediate proxy or collection backend.
C. Wi-Fi Privacy and Connection (android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE)
- Anti-Shoulder Surfing Protection: When scanning Wi-Fi QR codes, network passwords are intentionally never displayed in plaintext on screen, and copy actions copy only the network name (SSID) to prevent sensitive credentials from leaking to the system clipboard.
- Direct System Handshake: Connecting to a suggested Wi-Fi network utilizes the native Android system prompt (
ACTION_WIFI_ADD_NETWORKS). The connection handshake is handled directly by Android with user confirmation, requiring zero location permissions (ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION).
D. Local Scan History (On-Device Storage)
- Local-Only Retention: Scan history and repeat-scan statistics are stored strictly on your local device (in a private SQLite database).
- User Control: You retain full control over your scan records. You can search, edit titles, delete individual entries, or wipe the entire history at any time from the History screen. Scan records are never uploaded to any cloud storage or remote servers.
2. Third-Party Services and Threat Intelligence
When inspecting URLs, the app queries trusted industry-standard security services to protect you from cyber threats:
- Google ML Kit (On-Device): Recognized barcode data is processed locally. Details: Google Privacy & Terms.
- Google Web Risk API: Used to check scanned URLs against Google's real-time index of suspected phishing, malware, and unwanted software. No personal data or user accounts are sent with these lookup queries. Details: Google Web Risk.
- Built-in Threat Lists (On-Device): The app includes lists of known phishing and malware-distribution websites, derived from the open-source Phishing.Database project (MIT License) and from a snapshot of the abuse.ch URLhaus database. Scanned links are matched against them entirely on your device and nothing is sent anywhere for this check. The notices are available in Settings > Open-source licenses.
- Quad9 Encrypted DNS (DNS-over-HTTPS): Used as an encrypted threat-blocking DNS resolver (
9.9.9.9/dns-query) to detect domain-level malicious activity. Quad9 is a Swiss non-profit foundation that does not log your IP address or store personal data, adhering strictly to Swiss and European GDPR privacy standards. Details: Quad9 Privacy Policy. If you choose to turn on the optional, off-by-default advanced decoding setting and agree to its notice, Quad9 also receives the names of the websites that the page being checked connects to, together with your device's IP address, and the device's built-in browser component may send short hash prefixes of the addresses it loads to Google (Google Safe Browsing). No name, account or advertising identifier is sent.
3. Data Retention and Security
- Zero Remote Server Storage: SafeScan QR operates without remote user databases.
- Local Data Security: All settings and scan records remain in the application's sandboxed local storage on your device.
- Sensitive Settings: The optional VirusTotal API key that you enter and your Pro purchase status are stored in encrypted storage protected by Android on your device. If your device cannot provide such protected storage, the Application does not write them in readable form: they are kept only for the current session, and the Application tells you when a change could not be saved. Nothing is sent to us in either case.
- Memory Protection: Transitory data parsed during an active scan session is cleared from memory when the scan dialog is dismissed.
4. Children’s Privacy
SafeScan QR does not knowingly collect or solicit any personal information from children under the age of 13.
5. Security Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability
SafeScan QR provides automated heuristic analysis, scheme gating, redirect resolution, and multi-tier threat intelligence as an informational and assistive cybersecurity utility. However, no automated scanning tool can guarantee 100% detection of all cyber threats, zero-day vulnerabilities, or targeted phishing campaigns.
- No Endorsement: A "Destination Confirmed" or verified security badge verifies that the URL resolution chain reached a structurally valid web resource and did not trigger known threat blacklists at the time of the scan. It does not constitute an endorsement or absolute guarantee of the destination website’s ultimate safety, intent, or content.
- User Responsibility: Users remain solely responsible for exercising caution, inspecting URLs before submitting sensitive passwords or financial credentials, and deciding whether to interact with external sites.
- Limitation of Liability: To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the developers and publishers of SafeScan QR shall not be held liable for any damages, losses, malware infections, unauthorized data disclosure, or phishing scams arising from opening or interacting with external links or downloaded files.
6. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy periodically. Any updates will be published with a revised "Last Updated" date.
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions or feedback regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: privacy@beforeopen.si