Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective date: May 28, 2026 · tick-scan.com

Short version: We analyze images you submit to identify ticks. We do not store your images, share your data with third parties for advertising, or create user profiles. The app works without an account.

1. Who We Are

TickScan ("we", "our", "us") operates the tick-scan.com website and the TickScan mobile application. The service uses AI to analyze photos and determine whether they contain ticks.

2. Data We Collect

We collect only what is necessary to provide the service:

Images you submit — photos you take or upload for tick identification. Images are transmitted to our API over HTTPS, processed immediately, and not stored on our servers.
Anonymous usage data — aggregated, non-identifying metrics (scan count, error rates) used to monitor service health. No personal identifiers attached.
Standard server logs — IP address, timestamp, HTTP method, and response code. Retained for up to 30 days for security and abuse prevention, then deleted.

We do not collect names, email addresses, location data, device identifiers, or any information that identifies you personally.

3. How We Use Your Data

To process your image and return a tick identification result.
To detect and prevent abuse or unauthorized API access.
To monitor and improve service reliability.

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose beyond operating the service.

4. Third-Party Services

Image analysis is powered by Google Gemini (Google LLC). When you submit an image, it is sent to Google's API for processing. Google's use of data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy and their API terms. We do not share any user-identifying information alongside your image.

We use Vercel to host this service. Vercel may log network-level data as part of infrastructure operation. See Vercel's Privacy Policy.

5. Data Retention

Images: Not retained. Discarded immediately after the analysis response is returned.
Server logs: Deleted after 30 days.
Aggregated metrics: Retained indefinitely in anonymous, non-identifiable form.

6. Security

All data in transit is encrypted via TLS/HTTPS. API access requires a secret key validated server-side. We do not store images or sensitive user data, which limits the impact of any potential breach.

7. Children's Privacy

TickScan is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has submitted data through our service, contact us and we will take appropriate action.

8. Your Rights

Because we do not collect personal data, most data-subject rights (access, deletion, portability) have limited applicability. If you believe we hold information about you — for example in server logs — contact us and we will investigate and respond within 30 days.

If you are in the EU/EEA, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as the service evolves. Material changes will be reflected in the effective date above. Continued use of TickScan after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact

Questions or concerns about this policy:

Email: privacy@tick-scan.com
Website: tick-scan.com