Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how CarSnap ("we", "our", or "us") collects, uses, and shares information about you when you use our mobile application (the "App"). By using CarSnap you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the App.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

When you create an account or sign in via Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture from your Google account via Firebase Authentication. We use this data solely to identify your account within the App.

1.2 Camera & Images

CarSnap uses your device camera to capture images of cars for identification. These images are transmitted to our servers and processed by our AI pipeline (YOLO object detection and embedding-based classification). We do not permanently store the raw images — they are discarded immediately after processing. The resulting car identification data (make, model, year) is linked to your account as your in-game collection.

1.3 Gameplay Data

We collect data generated through your use of the App, including: cars captured, card collections, deck configurations, battle history, match outcomes, achievements, XP and level progression, daily challenge status, and wallet balances (in-game currencies only — no real money transactions are processed by us directly).

1.4 Device & Usage Information

We automatically collect certain technical information, including device model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, app version, crash logs, and general usage analytics (features used, session duration, screen views). This helps us diagnose issues and improve the App.

1.5 Advertising Identifiers

The App uses Google AdMob to display in-app advertisements. AdMob may collect your advertising identifier (IDFA on iOS, GAID on Android) and related data to serve relevant ads. You can reset or limit ad tracking in your device's privacy settings.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To create and maintain your account and game progress.
• To operate core game features — car recognition, matchmaking, battle resolution, and reward calculation.
• To sync your collection and progress across devices.
• To display in-app advertising via Google AdMob.
• To send push notifications about match results, daily challenges, and seasonal events (you may opt out in device settings).
• To detect and prevent cheating, fraud, or abuse.
• To analyse usage trends and improve the App.
• To comply with legal obligations.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data in the following limited circumstances:

3.1 Service Providers

• Firebase (Google LLC) — authentication, real-time data storage, and crash reporting. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
• Google AdMob (Google LLC) — in-app advertising. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
• AI model infrastructure — car images are sent to our own backend servers for processing. Embeddings may be computed using HuggingFace-hosted models; no raw images are forwarded to HuggingFace.

3.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or in response to a lawful request by public authorities.

3.3 Aggregated / Anonymised Data

We may share aggregated, anonymised statistics (e.g. total cars spotted per region, most popular car models) that cannot reasonably be used to identify you.

4. Data Retention

We retain your account and gameplay data for as long as your account is active. If you request account deletion, we will permanently delete your personal data and gameplay records within 30 days, except where retention is required for legal or fraud-prevention purposes. Anonymised aggregate data is not subject to deletion requests.

5. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including TLS encryption for data in transit, hashed credentials, and access-controlled infrastructure. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. You use the App at your own risk.

6. Children's Privacy

CarSnap is not directed to children under 13 years of age (or under 16 in the European Economic Area). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

7. Your Rights

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

• Access — request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate data.
• Deletion — request deletion of your account and associated data. See our Delete Account page.
• Portability — request a machine-readable export of your data.
• Opt-out of personalised ads — use your device's privacy settings to limit ad tracking.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support.carsnaptcg@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

8. International Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including countries that may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country. By using the App, you consent to such transfers. We take appropriate safeguards to protect your information in accordance with this policy.

9. Third-Party Links

The App may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any information.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you via in-app notification. Your continued use of the App after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: