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™

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 2026
Last Updated: January 2026

Overview

SMRT Box™ is a product of SMRT Solutions, LLC. The app helps you organize your physical storage boxes by taking photos of their contents and using AI to automatically tag and categorize items. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information.

Information We Collect

1. Account Information

  • Email Address: Used for passwordless authentication via Firebase Authentication
  • User ID: Automatically generated by Firebase to identify your account

2. Photos and Content

  • Photos: Images you capture of box contents are stored locally on your device
  • Tags and Categories: Custom labels and organization data you create
  • Box Information: QR Code data, box numbers, colors, and metadata

3. AI Analysis Data (Optional)

When you choose to use AI tagging features:

  • Photos are sent to Google Cloud Vertex AI (Gemini) for object detection
  • We collect:
    • Image data (temporarily processed, then immediately deleted)
    • Detected object labels and positions
    • Box ID and creation date (for improving AI accuracy)
    • Existing tags and categories (to provide better context to the AI)

Important: AI analysis only occurs when you explicitly click the "AI Scan" button. It is OFF by default.

How We Use Your Information

  • Authentication: Verify your identity via email link sign-in
  • Storage Organization: Enable you to catalog and search your box contents
  • AI Tagging: Automatically detect and label objects in your photos (when you opt-in)
  • Semantic Search: Tags and categories are stored to enable intelligent search functionality that understands meaning, not just exact text matches
  • Service Improvement: Analyze scan outcomes (which tags you keep, modify, or delete) to improve AI accuracy

Data Storage and Security

Local Storage

  • All photos, tags, and box data are stored locally on your device
  • We do NOT upload your photos to our servers for permanent storage
  • Data remains on your device unless you delete the app

Cloud Processing

  • AI analysis requests are sent securely via HTTPS to our backend (Google Cloud Run)
  • Images are processed by Google Cloud Vertex AI and immediately deleted after analysis
  • Scan outcomes (tags kept, modified, or deleted) are stored in our database to improve AI models
  • We use Firebase ID tokens to authenticate all requests

Security Measures

  • End-to-end encryption for all network communications (TLS/HTTPS)
  • Firebase Authentication security best practices
  • reCAPTCHA Enterprise bot protection for account creation
  • No passwords stored (passwordless authentication only)

Permissions We Request

Camera Permission (Required)

  • Purpose: Capture photos of box contents and scan QR Codes on labels
  • Usage: Only activated when you open the camera within the app
  • Storage: Photos saved locally to your device

Internet Permission (Required)

  • Purpose:
    • Send email authentication links
    • Process AI image analysis requests (when opted-in)
    • Purchase labels from our shop
  • Note: App functions offline for viewing existing boxes

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

Firebase (Google)

Google Cloud Vertex AI

Stripe

  • Purpose: Payment processing for label purchases
  • Privacy Policy: https://stripe.com/privacy
  • Note: We do not store credit card information

Your Privacy Choices

AI Features

  • AI tagging is OFF by default
  • You can enable/disable AI features anytime in Settings → Preferences → "Allow AI tagging"
  • When disabled, no images are sent to our servers

Data Deletion

  • Delete individual photos or boxes anytime within the app
  • Deleted boxes are moved to "Deleted Boxes" folder (recoverable for review)
  • Permanently delete from "Deleted Boxes" screen
  • Uninstalling the app removes all local data from your device

Account Deletion

  • Contact us at support@thesmrtbox.com to request account deletion
  • We will delete your Firebase account and any associated data within 30 days

Data Retention

  • Local Data: Retained on your device until you delete it or uninstall the app
  • AI Scan Outcomes: Retained in our database until you request deletion. Data is anonymized before any analysis for service improvement.
  • Authentication Data: Retained while your account is active

Children's Privacy

SMRT Box is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

  • Know what personal information we collect
  • Request deletion of your personal information
  • Opt-out of sale of personal information (Note: We do not sell your personal information)

Contact us at support@thesmrtbox.com to exercise these rights.

International Users

SMRT Box is operated in the United States. If you are located outside the U.S., your information will be processed in the U.S. where data protection laws may differ from your country.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of changes by:

  • Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top
  • Posting a notice in the app for material changes

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices: