Contents
The short version. Alpha-gal helps you manage alpha-gal syndrome (AGS). We store the data you enter to run those features, we never sell it, and you can delete your account and all of your data from inside the app at any time. Some features send what you submit to trusted service providers (for example, a label photo to our AI provider to read its ingredients). We do not use advertising or third-party analytics/tracking.
Who we are
This policy applies to the Alpha-gal mobile and web application ("Alpha-gal", "the app", "we", "us"). Alpha-gal is an informational tool and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Questions: support@alphagalapp.com.
Information we collect
We only collect what you provide or what a feature needs to work. This includes:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Account | Email address; or a Google / Apple sign-in identifier if you use those. An account identifier. |
| Profile & health data | Your (and any dependents you add) alpha-gal sensitivity settings, reaction severity, epinephrine (epi) injector details, display name. |
| Health logs | Reactions, meals, medication lookups, and product/label scan history that you record. |
| Location | If you log a tick bite, the location you attach to it (precise if you allow it, or a pin you drop). "Near me" map searches use your approximate location. |
| Content you submit | Photos you attach (tick, review, or recipe photos, and screenshots added to feedback), recipes, restaurant/business/doctor suggestions and reviews, assistant chat messages, and feedback. |
| Emergency info | Emergency contact names and phone numbers you add. |
| Donations | A record that a donation occurred and its amount. We never receive or store your card number — payments are handled by Apple or Stripe. |
We do not use advertising SDKs or third-party analytics/tracking, and we do not build advertising profiles. Crash reports are diagnostics, not analytics: if crash reporting is enabled in a release, anonymous crash diagnostics are sent to Sentry to help us find and fix faults. They carry no account id, email, or health data, and are never used for advertising or tracking.
How we use your information
- To provide the app's features (personalized ingredient risk information, tracking, emergency card, maps, etc.).
- To read a label photo's ingredients (via our AI provider) and look up barcodes and medications (via public data services).
- To answer questions in the in-app assistant, using your sensitivity profile for context.
- To operate community features (directories, reviews) with moderation.
- To keep the service secure and to comply with law.
Alpha-gal's safety features are informational only and never issue a definitive "safe" verdict.
Health & location data
The health information you enter is stored privately in your account and is protected so that only you (and, for a dependent, the managing account) can read it. Your reaction and meal logs are never shared; when you export a clinician report it is generated on your device and shared only with whoever you send it to. Tick-bite sharing to the community map is off by default and opt-in; when you do opt in, only a coarse, aggregated (grid-snapped, minimum-count) heat signal is shown to others — your exact location is never exposed to other users.
Third-party service providers
We share the minimum necessary with providers that process data on our behalf or that you deliberately query:
| Provider | Purpose | What is sent |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Authentication, database, file storage (our backend) | Your account and app data |
| Sentry (Functional Software, Inc.) | Crash diagnostics, if crash reporting is enabled in a release | The error, a stack trace, and device and OS details — no account id, email, or health data |
| Anthropic (Claude) | Reads label photos; powers the assistant | The label photo / your question + profile context |
| Open Food Facts | Barcode product lookup | The barcode you scan |
| U.S. FDA (openFDA / DailyMed) | Medication ingredient lookup | The drug name or code you enter |
| OpenStreetMap / Nominatim | Map tiles & place search | Map region / search terms (and your IP, as with any web request) |
| Apple & Google | "Sign in with Apple/Google" (if used) | A sign-in identifier |
| Apple / Stripe | Donation payments | Payment details you enter go directly to them; we receive only a confirmation |
| Fastmail | Sends account emails (sign-up, password reset) and delivers notes you send from "Suggest an improvement" to our support inbox | Your email address; the text and any screenshots of a note you send |
Label-scan photos are sent to our AI provider to read the text and are not stored by the app beyond that scan. We do not sell your personal information.
Data retention & deletion
We keep your data while your account exists. You can permanently delete your account and all of your associated data from within the app (More → Account → Delete account). Deletion is immediate and cannot be undone; content you contributed to community areas may be retained in anonymized form. You can also remove individual items (logs, photos, etc.) as you go.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, export, or delete your personal data. The app already lets you view, edit, export (clinician report), and delete your data; for anything else, contact support@alphagalapp.com.
Children
Alpha-gal is intended for adults managing their own or a dependent's AGS. It is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect data directly from children. A parent or guardian may enter information about a dependent (including a child) within their own account; that information is treated as the managing adult's data under this policy.
Security
Data is transmitted over encrypted connections and access is restricted by per-user security rules. No method of storage or transmission is 100% secure, but we work to protect your information and limit access to what each feature needs.
International users
Our providers may process and store data in the United States and other countries. By using the app you understand your information may be processed there.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy; we will revise the "Last updated" date above and, for material changes, provide notice in the app.