The Carzam iOS app ("Carzam"), which identifies vehicles from photos, is made by Garded LLC ("Garded", "we", "us", "our"). This Privacy Policy explains what we process and why. Carzam is private by default: there is no account, we don't run ads, and we don't sell your data.
1. Information we process
- Photos you scan. When you scan a car, the photo is sent over an encrypted connection to our processing service and then to our AI provider (Google) to identify the vehicle. Photos are used only to return the identification and are not stored on our servers after processing.
- Photos you choose from your library. If you pick an existing photo, it is processed the same way.
- Your collection (on your device only). Each scan — the photo and the result — is saved only on your device in the app's private storage so you can build your CarDex. We cannot access this data.
- Device integrity check (Apple App Attest). To stop abuse of our service, the app uses Apple's App Attest. A device-generated key identifier and cryptographic assertions are sent to our service to confirm the request comes from a genuine, unmodified copy of Carzam. This is not tied to your identity and is not used to track you.
- Anonymous community counts. We keep aggregate, anonymous counts of how many times each car model has been identified across all users (to power the "community spots" stat). These counts are not linked to you or your device.
- Operational/technical data. Our infrastructure provider (Cloudflare) may process standard technical data (such as IP address) to deliver and secure the service, as happens with any internet request. We don't use this to profile you.
2. What we do NOT collect
No account, name, email, phone number, or login. No advertising identifiers and no third-party ad networks. No analytics SDKs and no behavioral tracking. We never sell or rent your personal information.
3. Camera & photo permissions
The app asks for camera access to scan cars, and photo library access if you choose an existing photo. You can change these anytime in iOS Settings.
4. Third-party processors
Google (Gemini API) identifies the vehicle from the photo you submit. Cloudflare hosts our processing service and provides networking/security. These providers process data on our behalf to deliver Carzam's core function.
5. Data retention
Scans live on your device until you delete them. Deleting a scan or using Clear history in Settings removes them permanently from your device. We do not retain your photos on our servers after processing. Anonymous community counts are retained in aggregate form.
6. Your choices & rights
Delete any scan, or clear your entire CarDex, in the app at any time. Revoke camera or photo access in iOS Settings. Delete the app to remove all on-device data. Depending on where you live (e.g., the EEA, UK, or California), you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal data; because we don't hold an account or a server-side copy of your photos, most data lives on your device and is under your control. For any request, contact us below.
7. Children
Carzam is not directed to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from them.
8. Security
We use encrypted connections (HTTPS) and Apple App Attest, and we do not store your photos server-side. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.
9. International processing
Your requests may be processed on our providers' global infrastructure, which may be located outside your country.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. We'll post the updated version here with a new effective date.
11. Contact
Questions about privacy? Email thisdudestartedsomething@gmail.com.