Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how Tend & Mend ("we," "us," "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use our mobile applications, including Tend & Mend (for individuals with IBS and IBD), Tend & Mend: Feline, and Tend & Mend: Canine (collectively, the "Apps").
By using the Apps, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Apps.
1. Who we are
Tend & Mend is an independent software product developed by Ben McNair-Kim, an individual developer based in Toronto, Canada. We are the data controller for personal information collected through the Apps.
Contact: [email protected]
2. Information we collect
2.1 Information you provide directly
Depending on which App you use, we collect:
Tend & Mend (human IBS/IBD app):
- Food and meal entries (name, time, optional notes)
- Bowel movement entries using the Bristol Stool Scale (BSS score 1–7, time, optional notes)
- Symptom entries (severity score on validated scales, time, optional notes)
- Suspected food triggers you nominate for tracking
- Free-text notes you choose to add
- Free-text content you type or speak into the natural-language logging feature
Tend & Mend: Feline / Canine:
- Pet name, species, optional breed, optional age or weight
- Meal entries (food type, amount, time)
- Vomiting or other symptom entries (time, notes)
All Apps:
- Account information (email address, used for sign-in)
- Subscription status (if you purchase a paid tier)
2.2 Information collected automatically
- Device type, operating system version, App version (for diagnostics and compatibility)
- Crash reports and basic usage events (e.g., feature opens, session length), if you consent to diagnostics sharing in iOS Settings
- Approximate country or region, inferred from App Store locale (not precise GPS location)
We do not collect:
- Precise location data
- Contacts
- Photos from your camera roll unless you explicitly select one to attach
- Microphone input unless you actively use the natural-language logging feature
2.3 Children's data
We do not knowingly collect any information from individuals we know to be under 18 years of age. The Apps are not directed to children. See Section 10 for more.
3. Health data disclosure
Important: The data you log in Tend & Mend (the human IBS/IBD App) qualifies as health data under several laws, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (Article 9), the UK GDPR, the Washington My Health My Data Act, and the California Consumer Privacy Act.
This includes:
- Bristol Stool Scale scores
- Symptom severity scores
- Information about suspected food triggers
- Any free-text content describing bodily functions, symptoms, medications, or diagnoses
We treat this data with heightened protections as described in this Policy.
The Apps are wellness tools, not medical devices. We do not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information shown in the Apps (including posterior probabilities, risk estimates, and trigger confirmations) is for self-experimentation purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your health.
4. How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
- Operate the core functionality of the Apps (log entries, compute statistical estimates, display trends, generate reports you can export)
- Process subscription purchases and maintain your paid status
- Respond to your support requests
- Diagnose crashes and improve the Apps
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not:
- Sell your personal information
- Share your personal information with advertisers
- Use your health data for advertising
- Use your data to train AI or machine learning models
5. Third-party services we use
5.1 Firebase / Google Cloud
We use Firebase (a Google Cloud service) to operate core App infrastructure:
- Firebase Authentication: manages sign-in. Your email address and a unique account identifier are processed by Google.
- Firebase Firestore: a cloud database that stores your activity logs — including daily log entries (meal descriptions, BSS scores, symptom ratings, matched ingredients), trigger ingredients, ingredient observations, and weekly check-in scores. This data is stored under your account identifier and is associated with you.
- Firebase Cloud Functions: processes API requests (including calls to the Claude API). These functions are stateless; they do not store your message content.
What stays on your device: Your health profile — condition (e.g., IBS, Crohn's), biological sex, birth year, height, and weight — is stored locally on your device only and is not transmitted to Firebase or any external service.
Where processing happens: Firebase services are operated by Google LLC. Data may be stored and processed in the United States or other countries where Google operates data centres.
Google's privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
5.2 Anthropic (Claude API)
Some features in Tend & Mend allow you to log food, symptoms, or bowel movements by typing or speaking a description in natural language. To interpret your input, we send the text of your message to the Claude API operated by Anthropic PBC, a US-based company.
What is sent: Only the text content of your message. We do not send your name, email address, device identifier, account ID, condition, or any demographic information as part of the API request.
What Anthropic does with it: Anthropic processes the text to return a structured response. Under Anthropic's standard API terms, inputs and outputs are not used to train Anthropic's models without opt-in. See Anthropic's privacy policy at https://www.anthropic.com/legal/privacy.
Where processing happens: Anthropic's servers, located in the United States.
Your choice: If you do not want your text sent to Anthropic, do not use the natural-language logging feature. All logging can be performed using the manual entry interface.
5.3 Apple
- App Store / StoreKit: subscription billing, handled entirely by Apple. We receive a subscription status flag, not your payment details.
5.4 No other processors
We do not share your personal information with any other third parties except as required by law (see Section 8).
6. Legal basis for processing (GDPR / UK GDPR users)
If you are in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:
| Processing activity | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Operating the core logging and analysis features | Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Storing activity logs in Firebase Firestore | Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Processing health data (symptom logs, Bristol Stool Scale) | Your explicit consent (Art. 9(2)(a)) |
| Sending text to Anthropic for natural-language logging | Your explicit consent |
| Crash diagnostics | Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) |
| Complying with legal obligations | Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) |
You may withdraw consent at any time by disabling the relevant feature or deleting your account.
7. International data transfers
The Apps are operated from Canada. If you are outside Canada, your data will be transferred to and processed in Canada. Canada has been recognized by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection for commercial organizations subject to PIPEDA.
Your activity logs stored in Firebase Firestore are processed by Google, which may store and process data in the United States and other countries. For users in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, this transfer is covered by Google's Standard Contractual Clauses.
If you use the natural-language logging feature, your message text is transferred to the United States to be processed by Anthropic. For users in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, this transfer is covered by Anthropic's Standard Contractual Clauses.
8. How long we keep your data
- Activity logs: stored in Firebase Firestore for as long as you maintain your account. Deleted within 30 days of account deletion request.
- Health profile: stored only on your device. Deleting the App removes this data immediately.
- Text sent to Anthropic: retained by Anthropic for a limited abuse-monitoring period (typically 30 days) then deleted. We do not retain a separate copy.
- Account information: retained until you request deletion.
- Subscription records: retained as long as required for tax, accounting, and legal purposes.
9. Your rights
Regardless of where you live, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:
- Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction: correct inaccurate data
- Deletion: request deletion of your account and associated data
- Portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Withdraw consent: at any time, without affecting prior processing
- Object or restrict: object to or restrict certain processing (where applicable)
- Lodge a complaint: with a supervisory authority in your country
To exercise these rights: email [email protected], or use the "Delete Account" and "Export Data" functions in App Settings.
We will respond within 30 days (GDPR), 45 days (CCPA), or the period required by your applicable law.
9.1 EU / UK / Swiss users (GDPR)
You have the rights listed above under Articles 15–22 of the GDPR / UK GDPR. You may lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority.
9.2 California users (CCPA / CPRA)
You have the right to know, delete, correct, and opt out of sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information as defined by the CCPA.
9.3 Washington State users (My Health My Data Act)
Washington residents have specific rights with respect to "consumer health data." You have the right to confirm, access, withdraw consent to, and delete your consumer health data. We do not sell your consumer health data.
To exercise these rights, email [email protected]. If we deny a request, you may appeal by replying to our denial. You may also contact the Washington State Attorney General at https://www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint.
9.4 Canadian users (PIPEDA)
You have the right to access, correct, and request deletion of your personal information. If you have a complaint, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at https://www.priv.gc.ca.
10. Children's privacy
The Apps are intended for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are a parent and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact [email protected].
11. Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data:
- Your health profile is stored only on your device with iOS file-level encryption
- Activity logs in Firebase Firestore are protected by Google's security infrastructure and transmitted over HTTPS (TLS 1.2+)
- Text sent to the Claude API is transmitted over HTTPS (TLS 1.2+)
- We do not store your Claude API message content on our own servers
No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. In the unlikely event of a data breach, we will notify you and any applicable regulator as required by law.
12. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date, notify you in-App before material changes take effect, and obtain fresh consent where required by law.
13. Contact
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://tendandmend.co