🏗️ Technical Architecture

Project Organisation

PrivacyInsights follows a clean, modular architecture with clear separation of concerns:

• Services Layer — Business logic, network operations, device analysis, and data processing
• Views Layer — SwiftUI views for all user-facing screens and interactions
• Models Layer — Data structures, domain models, and serialisation
• Utilities — Shared helper functions and reusable components
• Resources — Embedded databases for offline operation (Bluetooth manufacturers, GeoIP data, network device identification)
• Safari Extensions — Content Blocker (declarative rules) and Web Extension (dynamic rules with native messaging)

Architecture Pattern

MVVM with Services Layer

Services Layer

• Business logic and data processing
• Network operations and API calls
• Device security checks
• Data persistence and caching

Views Layer

• SwiftUI views for UI presentation
• User interaction handling
• State management with @State, @StateObject, @ObservedObject

Models Layer

• Data structures and types
• Codable conformance for serialization
• Business domain models

Technology Stack

Language & Platform

• Swift 6.2 with strict concurrency checking
• iOS 26.0+ deployment target
• SwiftUI for UI framework
• Xcode with native project configuration

Key Frameworks

• CoreBluetooth - Bluetooth device discovery
• Network - Network scanning and connections
• CoreLocation - GPS tracking for monitoring
• AVFoundation - Camera for QR scanning, audio capture
• Speech - On-device speech recognition
• Vision - Image classification and OCR
• Photos - Photo library access and metadata
• WebKit - Cookie inspection and web content
• Security - SSL/TLS certificate validation
• LocalAuthentication - Biometric checks

Safari Extensions

• Content Blocker - Declarative blocking rules
• Web Extension - Dynamic rules with JavaScript
• Native Messaging - Communication between app and extension

Data Storage

App Group Sharing

• Shares data between main app and Safari Extension via iOS App Group
• Custom blocking rules synced between Cookie Inspector and Safari Extension

Embedded Databases

• Bluetooth manufacturer database — 170+ verified Bluetooth SIG Company IDs, loaded at startup
• MAC address OUI database — Network device manufacturer identification
• Country coordinates — Geographic data for map visualisation
• Fallback to hardcoded values if database not found

GeoIP Database

• Memory-mapped binary format for high performance
• City-level resolution with O(log n) lookup via binary search
• LRU cache for repeated lookups

UserDefaults

• @AppStorage for user preferences
• Terms of use acceptance
• App settings and configuration

SwiftUI Best Practices

Modern APIs

• NavigationStack instead of NavigationView
• LazyVStack for scrollable lists
• .foregroundStyle() instead of .foregroundColor()
• .clipShape() instead of .cornerRadius()
• .task modifier for async loading
• sheet(item:) for robust state handling

Concurrency

• @MainActor for all UI-related classes
• async/await for asynchronous operations
• Task { } for async operations in views
• nonisolated for delegate methods

State Management

• @StateObject for view-owned services
• @ObservedObject for injected services
• @State for view-local state
• @AppStorage for persistent preferences

Performance Optimizations

Memory Management

• Memory-mapped files for large databases (GeoIP)
• LRU caching for repeated lookups
• Lazy loading of resources
• Weak references in delegates and closures

Network Optimization

• Connection pooling with NWConnection
• Timeout configuration for network requests
• Parallel scanning with TaskGroup
• Cancel tasks when views disappear

UI Performance

• Extract subviews to prevent unnecessary redraws
• Use LazyVStack for large lists
• Avoid computed properties in body
• Batch UI updates with MainActor.run

Long-Running Task Management

Centralised management for tasks that require extended execution time.

Features

• Screen Lock Prevention - Keeps screen on during active tasks
• State Persistence - Saves task progress when app goes to background
• Task Restoration - Offers to resume interrupted tasks on app restart
• Background Task Handling - Requests extra time when app is suspended

Integrated Features

• Photo privacy analysis (extended profiling)
• Speech and meeting transcription
• Bluetooth device scanning
• Tracker monitoring and locating

Security & Privacy

Data Protection

• No logging of sensitive data
• Secure storage with Keychain (when needed)
• Clear sensitive data from memory
• Validate all external input

Network Security

• HTTPS for all network requests
• SSL certificate validation
• Handle certificate errors gracefully
• Escape special characters in URLs

iOS Sandbox

• Respects iOS security boundaries
• Cannot access other apps' data
• Limited to app-specific permissions
• App Group for extension communication