PDF Lab — Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how PDF Lab (the "App") collects, uses, shares, and protects your information. PDF Lab is designed with privacy in mind: PDF operations (merge, split, compress, convert, sign, watermark, page numbers, rotate, scan, OCR, HTML→PDF, etc.) run locally on your device whenever possible. We do not upload your documents to our servers. We only store limited account and usage information to enable sign-in, apply free‑tier limits, and manage subscriptions.

If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use the App.

Who we are

• Product: PDF Lab (mobile application)
• Data controller: Blue Sparrow Labs (for users in the EU/EEA/UK)
• Contact: privacy@bluesparrow.dev

Summary (quick read)

• Local-first: Your documents are processed on your device. We don't read or store your file contents in the cloud.
• Minimal data: We store your account (Google Sign‑In) basics and feature‑usage counters in Google Firestore to enforce free-tier limits and show stats.
• Subscriptions: Google Play Billing handles purchases; we store status and tier, not your full payment information.
• Permissions: Camera is used only to scan documents; storage/media permissions are used to read/write your PDFs; Internet is used for Google Sign‑In, subscriptions, and optional web previews.
• Your rights: You can request access, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, and objection under GDPR (and similar rights under other laws). Contact: privacy@bluesparrow.dev

1. Information We Collect

We collect only what's necessary to operate PDF Lab and deliver features.

1.1 Account & Identity (via Google Sign‑In)

• What: Google UID, name, email address, profile photo URL
• Why: Authenticate you, personalize your experience, and associate usage limits and subscription status with your account
• Where stored: Firebase Authentication (Auth) and Firestore

1.2 Usage & Subscription Data (Firestore)

• What: Per‑feature counters (e.g., merges this month), subscription tier/status, last reset date, timestamps for feature usage, basic operational logs (e.g., operation type, success boolean, time to complete). No document content or file paths are stored.
• Why: Enforce free‑tier limits, display usage statistics, maintain fair use, improve reliability, and show time until monthly reset

Your actual PDF documents, their contents, filenames, and metadata are never uploaded to our servers or stored in the cloud. All processing happens locally on your device.

1.3 Preferences & Settings

• What: Theme mode, color/appearance settings, default compression quality, watermark preferences, other app preferences
• Why: Save your choices for a consistent experience across sessions/devices

1.4 Saved Signatures (Optional)

• What: User‑created signatures (e.g., drawn or imported image) stored encrypted locally on your device
• Why: Allow reuse when signing PDFs
• Note: Signatures are your data; we do not share them and we never analyze their content

1.5 Device & Diagnostic Information (Minimal)

• What: Basic device and app metadata required to ensure compatibility and performance (e.g., OS version, device model, App version). If a failure occurs, we may record a minimal error message.
• Why: Debug issues, secure the service, and improve app stability

1.6 Web Content for HTML→PDF (Optional)

• What: If you use HTML→PDF with a URL, the App loads the web page you provide. The URL may be stored locally for session context; the page is loaded via the device WebView. We do not crawl or store the page content in our servers.
• Why: Provide the requested conversion feature

2. Data We DO NOT Collect

• We do not upload or store the content of your PDFs or images on our servers
• We do not run server‑side OCR on your content; OCR is performed on‑device using Google ML Kit where possible
• We do not sell your data
• We do not use advertising SDKs
• We do not track your precise geographic location
• We do not access your document filenames, folder structure, or file metadata beyond what's needed for local processing

3. Android App Permissions (What and Why)

• CAMERA: Used only for "Scan to PDF" to capture document images and for features that show a live camera preview. Images are processed locally.
• READ_MEDIA_IMAGES / READ_MEDIA_VIDEO (Android 13+): To select input files for operations like JPG→PDF or PDF→Image, and to save results.
• READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE / WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE (Android ≤ 12): Legacy permissions for reading/writing PDFs when running on older Android versions.
• INTERNET: Required for Google Sign‑In, Firebase access to usage counters and subscription status, and for HTML→PDF web previews.

All permissions are requested only when needed and with clear explanations. You can manage permissions through your device settings at any time.

4. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR/UK GDPR)

We rely on the following legal bases:

• Performance of a contract: To provide the App, run operations you request, and maintain your account
• Legitimate interests: To prevent abuse, secure the App, measure and enforce fair use (e.g., feature usage counters), and improve reliability. We balance these interests against your rights.
• Consent: Where required (e.g., optional features and permissions). You can withdraw consent at any time via OS settings or in‑app controls.
• Legal obligation: To comply with applicable law or valid legal requests

5. How We Use Your Information

• Authenticate your account and keep you signed in
• Provide and improve PDF operations and related features
• Enforce free‑tier usage limits and show monthly usage stats
• Manage subscriptions (tier, status, renewal) via Google Play Billing
• Provide support and respond to inquiries
• Secure the App, detect misuse, and prevent fraud
• Comply with legal obligations
• Analyze app performance, identify bugs, and improve stability
• Develop new features based on usage patterns (using aggregated, anonymized data)

6. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We share only as needed to run the App:

6.1 Service Providers (Processors)

• Google Firebase (Authentication, Firestore database): Identity, usage, and preference data storage
• Google Play Billing: Subscription purchases, renewals, and entitlement checks. We do not receive your full payment details.
• Google ML Kit (on‑device): OCR executes locally; no document content is sent to our servers

6.2 Legal and Safety

We may disclose data if required by law, subpoena, or to protect rights, safety, or security.

6.3 Business Transfers

If we undergo a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, we will notify you and continue protecting your data.

7. International Data Transfers

Our providers (e.g., Google Firebase) may process data in countries outside your own, including outside the EU/EEA/UK. Where applicable, we rely on legally recognized safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and equivalent mechanisms. We monitor legal developments and will update this policy and our practices if required.

8. Data Retention

8.1 Account & Identity

• Kept while your account is active
• If you delete your account, we delete or irreversibly anonymize associated records within 30 days
• Some information may be retained for legal compliance or dispute resolution purposes

8.2 Usage & Subscription Data

• Kept while your account is active
• Monthly counters reset, but historical aggregates or logs may be retained for fraud prevention and diagnostics
• Crash logs and error reports are retained for up to 90 days

8.3 Saved Signatures

• Kept locally on your device until you delete them
• Never uploaded to our servers

8.4 Support Communications

• Retained as needed to address your request and for legitimate business purposes

9. Security

We use administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect your information, including:

• Transport encryption (TLS) for data in transit
• Provider‑managed encryption at rest (Firestore/Firebase)
• Principle of least privilege and role‑based access where applicable
• Secure coding practices and ongoing dependency updates
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Local processing of sensitive documents (PDFs never leave your device)

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to safeguard your data continuously. We will notify you promptly of any data breach as required by law.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Obtain a copy of your personal data
• Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
• Restriction: Ask us to limit processing in certain cases
• Portability: Receive personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine‑readable format and transmit it to another controller
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time
• Lodge a complaint: With your local supervisory authority

To exercise rights, contact privacy@bluesparrow.dev. We may need to verify your identity to process your request. We will respond within 30 days.

11. Children's Privacy

PDF Lab is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the age of digital consent in your jurisdiction). If you believe a child has provided us personal data, contact privacy@bluesparrow.dev and we will take appropriate steps.

12. Region‑Specific Notices

12.1 California (CCPA/CPRA)

• Categories collected: Identifiers (Google account ID, email), usage information (feature counters), subscription information, and device information
• Purposes: Provide and improve the App, enforce usage limits, manage subscriptions, security and fraud prevention, support
• Sale/share: We do not sell or share personal information for cross‑context behavioral advertising
• Rights: Know, delete, correct, opt‑out of sale/share (not applicable), and non‑discrimination. Submit requests to privacy@bluesparrow.dev

12.2 EU/EEA & UK

• Controller: Blue Sparrow Labs
• DPO: We have appointed a privacy contact at privacy@bluesparrow.dev. At our current scale, a formal DPO may not be legally required; we will update this section if that changes.
• Legal bases: See "Legal bases for processing (GDPR/UK GDPR)" section above

13. Third‑Party Policies

• Firebase Privacy and Security: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy
• Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
• Google Play Terms of Service: https://play.google.com/about/play-terms

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version in‑app and/or on our website with a new "Effective date". Continued use of the App after changes means you accept the revised Policy. For material changes, we will provide more prominent notice (e.g., email notification or in-app alert).

15. Contact Us

Questions or requests about privacy? Email: privacy@bluesparrow.dev

For general inquiries: info@bluesparrow.dev

Blue Sparrow Labs
Website: bluesparrow.dev