Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

Overview

Cull is operated by Homespect Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, trading as Cull ("we", "our", or "the app"). We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we handle your data when you use our grocery health scanning app.

The short version: we collect minimal data, we don't run ads, and we never sell your information.

What We Collect

Device Identifier We generate an anonymous, randomly generated UUID stored on your device. It authenticates API requests and associates your data across sessions. It is not your name or email. If you sign in with Apple, this device is linked to the opaque Apple identifier below so your data can sync across your devices.

Camera & Photos Camera access is used to scan product barcodes and labels. Photos taken for scanning are processed on-device and/or sent to our servers for product identification — they are not stored beyond the scan session. When you submit a product to the community database, those photos are uploaded, processed (background removal, quality enhancement), and stored permanently as part of the shared product catalogue.

Country Code We request approximate location permission to determine your country (ISO country code only, e.g. "GB"). This is used solely to suggest products available in your region. We do not collect or store GPS coordinates, city, address, or movement data. If you deny location permission, we fall back to your device's locale setting.

Search Queries Product searches you perform are sent to our servers to return results. Search queries are not permanently stored or linked to your identity.

Scan History & Favourites Products you scan and favourite are stored on your device. When you sign in with Apple, this data also syncs to our servers so it is available across your devices.

Dietary Profile & Allergens Your dietary preferences, goals, and allergens are used to personalise your health scores and to show allergen alerts. This information is stored on your device, and — if you sign in with Apple — it is also synced to our servers (associated with your Apple identifier) so your profile follows you across devices. We treat this as sensitive information: we ask for your explicit consent before storing it, we use it only to personalise your experience, and we never sell or share it. You can delete it at any time (see Data Storage & Deletion).

AI Chat Messages Messages sent to the AI Nutritionist are sent to our servers for processing. Chat conversations are not stored permanently on our servers.

Apple Sign-In If you sign in with Apple, we receive an opaque identifier used to sync your data across devices and to secure your account. We never see your email address unless you choose to share it.

Analytics & Crash Reports We use Firebase (Google) for product analytics and crash reporting. Analytics records how the app is used — for example which screens are viewed and which features are used (such as opening the paywall or saving a dietary profile) — to help us improve the app. We send only event names and counts; we do not send the contents of your dietary profile, your allergens, your chat messages, or your search queries to the analytics service. Crash reports may include device model, OS version, and app state at crash time. We do not use this data for advertising and we do not sell it.

Community Submissions Product photos and data you submit are uploaded to our servers, processed by our image pipeline, and stored in the community database. Submission metadata (status, timestamps) is associated with your device or Apple identifier.

What We Don't Collect

Precise GPS location (country code only)
Your name or email (unless you choose to share it via Apple Sign-In or contact support)
Payment information (subscriptions are handled entirely by Apple)
Advertising identifiers, and we do not track you across other apps or websites
Data from Apple Health / HealthKit, your contacts, or your browsing history

Sensitive Information & Your Consent

Your dietary and allergen information can reveal health-related details about you, so we treat it as sensitive. We only collect and store it after you choose to set up a dietary profile and give explicit consent, and only to personalise your scores and warn you about allergens. You can change or delete it at any time, and you can withdraw consent by clearing your dietary profile in Settings.

Allergen alerts are an aid, not a guarantee. Product data can be incomplete or out of date. Cull never tells you a product is "safe" — always check the actual product packaging before consuming, especially if you have a food allergy or intolerance.

Third-Party Services

Cull API — our own backend, hosted on Vercel, for product data, AI analysis, and community features
Open Food Facts — open-source product nutrition database (no personal data shared)
Apple — authentication (Sign in with Apple) and subscription/payment management
Firebase (Google) — product analytics and crash reporting (no advertising; sensitive data excluded as described above)
Google Gemini — AI-powered data extraction from product photos (server-side, no personal data)
Upstash — database hosting for product, community, and synced user data

Where Your Data Is Stored

Our servers and databases are currently hosted in the United Kingdom / European Union. If you use Cull from outside this region, your data is transferred to and processed there. We rely on appropriate safeguards for international transfers.

Data Storage & Deletion

Scan history, favourites, your dietary profile, and submissions are stored on your device and — when you sign in with Apple — on our servers.

You can clear your local history, favourites, and dietary profile anytime in Settings. You can delete your account and the data synced to our servers from Settings, or by contacting privacy@getcull.com. Community product submissions remain in the shared database after account deletion, as they benefit all users, but personal identifiers are removed from them.

Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or export your personal data, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to withdraw consent. To exercise any of these rights, contact privacy@getcull.com.

Children's Privacy

Cull does not knowingly collect information from children under 13. The app is intended for general audiences making grocery shopping decisions.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted within the app and at getcull.com/legal/privacy with an updated date.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact us at:

Homespect Ltd (trading as Cull) Email: privacy@getcull.com