Privacy notice

Who we are

Cannotate is a UK-only personal record-keeping application for adults prescribed cannabis-based medicine, operated by [company name] (“we”, “us”). You can contact us at any time at me@paddybuilds.com.

This notice explains what information Cannotate handles, where it is processed, and the choices you have. It applies to the Cannotate iOS app and this website.

What stays on your iPhone

Everything you record in Cannotate is stored locally on your iPhone using Apple’s on-device storage. This includes:

• Journal entries — products, amounts, times and methods you record
• Observations and private notes you choose to add
• Prescription records you confirm, and products you save
• Your settings, reminders and app-lock preference

We have no access to this information. It is not transmitted to us, and there is no Cannotate account that could hold it. If you delete the app — or use Reset data in Settings — it is erased.

Prescription scanning

When you scan a prescription, the text is read on your iPhone using on-device optical character recognition. The scanned image is processed locally and is deleted after confirmation — including after cancellation, timeout or an unexpected interruption.

• You can optionally keep a device-only copy of a scan. This is off by default, protected by iOS Data Protection, excluded from iCloud backup, and never uploaded.
• Unnecessary image metadata (such as location/EXIF data) is stripped.
• Every extracted field requires your confirmation before it is saved. Records are marked “Not verified by Cannotate”.

App lock and Face ID

If you enable app lock, unlocking is handled entirely by iOS (Face ID or your device passcode). Cannotate never sees, stores or transmits your biometric information.

What leaves your iPhone

Catalogue requests

Cannotate downloads a factual product catalogue (names, cultivar types and stated THC/CBD strengths) from our public API so you can reference products when creating records. These requests carry no account or user identifier.

Allow-listed analytics

The app can send a small set of aggregate, allow-listed events — a fixed event name, the app version and the platform, and nothing else. The API is designed to reject anything beyond those three fields, so journal text, prescription content, search terms, device identifiers and other personal data cannot be uploaded even accidentally.

Advertising

The free version of Cannotate shows banner adverts provided by Google AdMob in a small number of areas (for example the library, document details, settings and after an export). Adverts never appear during onboarding or while you are editing a record.

• Where required in the UK/EEA, you will be asked for your advertising consent choices when you first use the app, and you can change them at any time from Settings → Privacy options.
• Depending on your choices, Google may process certain device and advertising data (such as the advertising identifier) in accordance with Google’s privacy policy.
• Cannotate does not use Apple’s App Tracking Transparency prompt, and the advertising SDK is not connected to Firebase or any analytics backend.
• The one-time Remove Ads Forever purchase permanently removes all advertising.

Purchases

Purchases are processed by Apple through the App Store. We do not see or store your payment details; Apple provides us only with confirmation of your purchase so the app can unlock it.

What we do not collect through the app

• No accounts or sign-ins, and no names or email addresses from your use of the app
• No journal contents, prescription images or health information
• No precise location, contacts or photo library access
• No device identifiers for analytics, and no cross-app tracking

If you choose to contact support, we receive the contact details and message you send so we can reply. Please do not include prescription images or sensitive health information.

Your choices and rights

Because your records live on your iPhone, you can exercise most data rights directly, at any time:

• Access and portability — use Export data in Settings to generate a plain-language copy of your journal and records.
• Erasure — use Reset data to erase everything on-device, or delete the app.
• Rectification — edit any entry, record or product at any time.

For anything we do process (for example support emails), you have the rights provided by UK data-protection law, including access, correction and erasure. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Data retention

On-device information is kept until you delete it, reset the app’s data or remove the app. Exports you create are yours to keep or share. Support correspondence is kept only as long as needed to help you.

Children

Cannotate is for adults aged 18 and over only, and is not directed at children.

International processing

Our catalogue API runs on Cloudflare’s network (data stored in Western Europe) and, where you consent to personalised advertising, Google may process data outside the UK. Where information is processed outside the UK, it is protected by the safeguards required by UK data protection law.

Changes to this notice

We may update this notice from time to time. The “last updated” date above shows the current version; material changes will be highlighted in the app or on this page.

Contact

Questions about this notice or your information: me@paddybuilds.com.