Privacy Policy — FreeScan Android Security App

This Privacy Policy describes how FreeScan ("we", "our", or "us") collects, uses, stores, and protects information when you use the FreeScan mobile application ("App") and visit our website at freescan.cc ("Website"). By using FreeScan, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

We are committed to protecting your privacy. FreeScan is designed with a privacy-first approach — most features work without an account, and we collect only what is necessary to provide and improve the service.

// Section 01

Age Requirements

⚠ Age Restriction FreeScan is rated for users aged 13 years and older. You must be at least 13 years old to create an account or use features that require registration.

The App does not require an account to perform scans, boost performance, or use the password vault. These core features are available to all users. Account registration is optional and unlocks cloud-based features such as device history and scan result sync.

If you are between 13 and 18 years of age (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction), you confirm that you have obtained parental or guardian consent to use the App and to the collection of your information as described in this policy.

We do not knowingly allow anyone under 13 to register an account. If we discover that a user under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will promptly delete that account and all associated data. If you believe a child under 13 has registered, please contact us immediately at privacy@freescan.cc.

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Information We Collect

We collect information in three ways: information you provide, information collected automatically, and information about your device.

A. Information You Provide (Registered Users Only)

Email address — used to create your account, send verification emails, and handle account recovery.
Display name — optional name you choose when registering.
Password — stored as a one-way cryptographic hash; we never store your plaintext password.

B. Device & App Information (All Users)

Device model & manufacturer — e.g., "Samsung Galaxy A52"
Android version — e.g., "Android 13"
App version — the version of FreeScan installed
Device language & locale — used to serve the App in your language
Anonymous device identifier — a randomly generated hash that identifies your device without revealing any personal details. This is not linked to any real-world identity unless you log in.

C. Scan & Security Data

Package names & app names of installed applications on your device — collected during scans to check against our malware database.
MD5 hashes of APK files — fingerprints of installed apps, used to identify known malware signatures. These hashes cannot be used to reconstruct the original file.
Scan type and results — whether a scan was Quick, Full, or Speed Boost, the number of apps scanned, threats found, and scan duration.

✓ What We Do NOT Collect We do not collect the contents of your files, photos, messages, contacts, call logs, location, microphone, or camera data. We never access your password vault contents — that data is encrypted on-device and never transmitted to our servers.

D. Summary Table

Data Type	Collected From	Purpose	Required?
Email address	Registered users only	Account auth, password recovery	For account only
Display name	Registered users only	Personalisation	Optional
Password hash	Registered users only	Authentication	For account only
Device info & locale	All users	App localisation, support	Yes
Anonymous device ID	All users	Session management, rate limiting	Yes
Package names / MD5 hashes	All users (during scan)	Malware detection	Yes (for scanning)
Scan results & history	All users	Threat reporting, dashboard	Yes (for scanning)

// Section 03

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect exclusively to operate and improve FreeScan:

Malware detection — matching app MD5 hashes against our threat signature database to identify malicious software.
Account management — verifying your email, authenticating logins, and enabling account recovery.
Service delivery — providing scan results, Speed Boost functionality, and live database updates to your device.
Security & abuse prevention — rate-limiting API calls, detecting abnormal usage patterns, and preventing unauthorised access.
App improvement — analysing aggregated, anonymised scan statistics to improve detection accuracy and App performance.
Transactional emails — sending email verification codes, password reset links, and account deletion confirmation. We send no marketing emails.

ℹ No Advertising We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or any form of targeted marketing. Your data is never sold to or shared with advertisers or data brokers.

// Section 04

Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored on secured servers. We implement the following technical safeguards:

Passwords are hashed using bcrypt with a cost factor of 12. Plaintext passwords are never stored or logged.
Database connections use parameterised queries throughout to prevent SQL injection.
HTTPS/TLS encrypts all data in transit between the App and our servers.
API tokens are randomly generated 256-bit values unique to each device.
Admin access to our systems is protected by password authentication and two-factor authentication (TOTP).
Rate limiting is applied to all authentication and API endpoints to prevent brute-force attacks.
Password vault data is encrypted on your device using AES encryption and is never transmitted to our servers.

While we take security seriously, no system is completely immune to attack. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

// Section 05

Third-Party Services

FreeScan interacts with a small number of trusted third-party services:

Google Play Store

The App is distributed via Google Play. When you download or update FreeScan, Google's standard terms and privacy policy apply. We do not receive personal information from Google Play beyond anonymised install counts.

VirusTotal (Threat Intelligence)

To enrich our malware signature database, we may submit MD5 hashes of unknown app files to VirusTotal, a service owned by Google LLC. These hashes are file fingerprints only — no file contents or personal information are ever transmitted. VirusTotal's privacy policy applies to these submissions.

Email Delivery (SMTP)

Transactional emails (verification, password reset, deletion requests) are sent via our own SMTP infrastructure hosted at Hostinger. Email addresses are used only to deliver these messages and are not shared with any other service.

ℹ No Analytics SDKs FreeScan does not embed any third-party analytics SDKs (e.g., Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics, Amplitude) in the App. All telemetry is first-party and minimal.

// Section 06

Data Retention

We retain your data only for as long as necessary:

Data	Retention Period
Account data (email, name, password hash)	Until you delete your account, or 3 years of inactivity
Scan results & device history	12 months from the date of each scan
Device registration record	Until the account is deleted or 3 years of inactivity
Email verification / reset tokens	24 hours (tokens expire automatically)
Rate-limit records	Up to 24 hours after the rate-limit window
Account deletion request records	90 days after the request is resolved
Server access logs	30 days

After the applicable retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymised so it can no longer be associated with any individual.

// Section 07

Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data. We honour these rights for all users regardless of jurisdiction:

Right of Access — you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification — you may request correction of inaccurate data.
Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten") — you may request deletion of your account and all associated personal data. See Section 8 for how to do this.
Right to Data Portability — you may request an export of your data in a machine-readable format.
Right to Restriction — you may request that we limit how we process your data in certain circumstances.
Right to Object — you may object to processing based on our legitimate interests.
Right to Withdraw Consent — where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@freescan.cc. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom and believe we have not addressed your concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

// Section 08

Account Deletion

You have the right to delete your FreeScan account and all associated data at any time. To submit a deletion request:

Visit our Account Deletion page.
Enter the email address linked to your account.
Verify your identity using the one-time code sent to that email.
Your verified request will be reviewed by our team.

Upon approval, we will permanently delete your account record, display name, email address, and all scan history linked to your account. Deletion is completed within 7 business days of your verified request.

⚠ Note on Anonymised Data Aggregated, anonymised scan statistics that cannot be linked back to you (e.g., total threat count across all users) may be retained for product improvement. This data does not identify you in any way.

If you do not have an account but wish to request deletion of device-level data, contact us directly at privacy@freescan.cc with your device model and the approximate date you first used the App.

// Section 09

Children's Privacy

⚠ For Parents & Guardians FreeScan is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13.

In compliance with the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and equivalent international regulations, FreeScan does not permit registration by users under the age of 13. Our App is rated for audiences aged 13 and older on the Google Play Store.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has created a FreeScan account or submitted personal information to us, please contact us immediately at privacy@freescan.cc. We will promptly delete the account and all associated data upon verification.

Users aged 13–17 may use FreeScan with parental or guardian awareness and consent, as required by the laws of their country or state. Parents and guardians are encouraged to monitor their child's use of the App.

// Section 10

International Users

FreeScan is operated globally. If you use the App from outside the country where our servers are located, your information may be transferred across international borders. By using FreeScan, you consent to the transfer of your information to our servers in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

We apply the same privacy standards to all users regardless of location. Users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom benefit from the protections of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR. Users in California (USA) benefit from the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). We honour rights under both frameworks for all users globally.

// Section 11

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will:

Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
Display a notice in the App notifying you of the change.
Send an email notification to registered users if the changes are significant.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of FreeScan after a policy update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

// Section 12

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

✉ Privacy Contact privacy@freescan.cc
We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within 30 days.

For account deletion requests, please use our dedicated Account Deletion page for faster processing.