Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 12, 2026

Art Whisper is a mobile application developed and operated by Bright Star ("we", "us", "our", "Company"), a company registered in Israel. Art Whisper is a museum companion app that helps you identify artworks from photos. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

1. Information We Collect

Account information. When you sign up, we collect your name and email address via Google Sign-In, Facebook Login, or email/password registration. This is used solely for authentication and displaying your profile.

Photos you take. When you scan an artwork or placard, the photo is sent to our servers for identification. To improve our recognition accuracy, some unrecognized scan photos are automatically retained for up to 30 days and permanently deleted once reviewed — this process does not intentionally collect any personally identifiable information, and photos may be reviewed by our team or automated systems. Additionally, you may be offered the option to voluntarily submit an unrecognized scan for review — submitted photos are analyzed and then permanently deleted within 30 days.

Location (optional). If you grant permission, we use your precise GPS coordinates to detect nearby museums and provide context-aware results, such as museum-specific featured artworks and improved scan accuracy. Your coordinates are stored as part of your scan history for service improvement and diagnostics. Your location data is anonymized when you delete your account and cannot be linked to you after deletion. The app works fully without location access.

Usage data. We collect analytics events to improve the app. These events may be linked to your account for internal service improvement purposes and are not used for advertising or profiling.

Error reports. If the app crashes, an automatic error report is sent containing technical information (stack trace, device model, OS version). These reports do not contain personal information.

2. How We Use Your Data

• Identify artworks from your camera photos
• Show nearby museum context when location is available
• Maintain your personal collections and scan history
• Improve the app through usage analytics
• Diagnose and fix bugs through error reports

3. Third-Party Services

We use the following services to operate Art Whisper:

• Firebase Authentication (Google) — handles login and account management
• Cloud processing services — used to support core app functionality. Data is sent per-request and is not retained by these services.
• Analytics and error reporting services — used for usage analytics and crash reporting

We do not sell your data to any third party.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your data based on: performance of our contract with you (account, scans), your consent (location), and our legitimate interest in improving the service (analytics, diagnostics).

5. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers.

6. Data Retention

Scan photos: Deleted after processing. Unrecognized scans retained up to 30 days for review, then permanently deleted.

Account data and collections: Retained for as long as your account is active. Deleted when you delete your account.

Scan history: Retained for as long as your account is active. Anonymized upon account deletion.

Analytics and diagnostics: Retained in anonymized form for service improvement.

Location data: Retained alongside scan history.

7. Your Rights

• Access your data: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct your data: You can request correction of inaccurate personal data.
• Delete your account: You can delete your account from the Settings screen. This permanently removes your profile and collections within 30 days. Your scan history is anonymized — we retain it for service improvement but it can no longer be linked to you.
• Data portability: You can request your data in a portable format.
• Object to processing: You can object to our processing of your data for analytics purposes.
• Revoke permissions: You can revoke camera or location permissions at any time through your device settings.
• Lodge a complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].

8. Children's Privacy

Art Whisper is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe we have collected such information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

9. Security

All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections. User authentication is handled by Firebase, a Google Cloud service with industry-standard security practices.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top will reflect any changes. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.