1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information You Provide

When you register for an account or use our Services, we may collect:

• Account Information: Full name, email address, username, password
• Profile Information: Dietary restrictions, allergies, food preferences, cooking goals, skill level
• Contact Details: Phone number (optional), mailing address (if provided)
• Payment Information: Credit card details, billing address (processed securely through third-party payment processors)
• Communications: Messages you send to us, feedback, support requests

1.2 Information We Collect Automatically

When you use the Services, we automatically collect certain information:

• Usage Data: Recipes viewed, saved, or favorited; ingredients added to your pantry; meal plans created; shopping lists generated; search queries; time spent on features
• Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers, mobile network information
• Log Data: IP address, browser type, access times, pages viewed, app crashes, system activity
• Performance Data: App performance metrics, error logs, diagnostic information

1.3 Location Information

With your explicit permission, we may collect location data to:

• Suggest nearby grocery stores and farmers markets
• Provide localized pricing and ingredient availability
• Offer region-specific recipes and seasonal recommendations

You can enable or disable location services at any time through your device settings. Disabling location services may limit some features.

1.4 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third parties, including:

• Social Media: If you connect your account with social media platforms
• App Store Providers: Information from Apple App Store or Google Play
• Analytics Providers: Aggregated usage data from analytics services

1.5 Sensitive Personal Information

We may collect certain categories of sensitive information:

• Health Information: Dietary restrictions, allergies, health goals (e.g., weight management, heart health, diabetes management)
• Precise Geolocation: When location services are enabled

Important: We use sensitive information only to provide the Services and will not use it for any other purpose without your explicit consent. California residents have the right to limit our use of sensitive personal information (see Section 11).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

2.1 To Provide and Maintain the Services

• Create and manage your account
• Deliver personalized recipe recommendations
• Generate customized meal plans and shopping lists
• Track pantry inventory and expiration dates
• Process payments and manage subscriptions
• Provide customer support and respond to inquiries

2.2 To Personalize Your Experience

• Tailor content and recommendations to your preferences
• Remember your settings and preferences
• Suggest recipes based on your dietary restrictions and goals
• Provide seasonal and local content

2.3 To Communicate With You

• Send account updates and service notifications
• Deliver transactional emails (password resets, purchase confirmations)
• Send reminder notifications for pantry restocks and expiring items
• Provide promotional communications (only if you opt in)
• Respond to your questions and requests

2.4 To Improve and Develop the Services

• Analyze usage patterns and trends
• Conduct research and development
• Test new features and functionality
• Monitor and improve app performance
• Troubleshoot technical issues

2.5 For Safety and Security

• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and illegal activity
• Protect the security and integrity of the Services
• Enforce our Terms of Service
• Comply with legal obligations

2.6 For Legal Compliance

• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Respond to lawful requests from public authorities
• Protect our rights, property, and safety, and that of our users

3. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

3.1 With Your Consent

• When you explicitly authorize us to share information
• For features like recipe sharing or connecting with friends
• When you link third-party accounts (social media, smart home devices)

3.2 With Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate the Services:

• Cloud Hosting: AWS, Google Cloud (data storage and infrastructure)
• Analytics: Google Analytics, Mixpanel (usage analytics)
• Payment Processing: Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay (payment transactions)
• Customer Support: Zendesk, Intercom (support ticket management)
• Email Services: SendGrid, Mailchimp (transactional and marketing emails)
• Push Notifications: Firebase, OneSignal (mobile notifications)

These providers are contractually bound to protect your information and use it only for the services they provide to us.

3.3 For Legal Reasons

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:

• Valid legal processes (subpoenas, court orders, search warrants)
• Government or regulatory requests
• Requests to protect rights, property, or safety
• Enforcement of our Terms of Service
• Prevention of fraud or illegal activity

3.4 Business Transfers

If Digital Galactica Labs is involved in a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change and any choices you may have.

3.5 Aggregated and De-Identified Data

We may share aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you. This may be used for research, analytics, marketing, or other purposes.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Retention Periods

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 90 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal, tax, audit, or security purposes.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and destruction.

Security Measures Include:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit using TLS/SSL and at rest using AES-256
• Access Controls: Strict authentication and role-based access controls
• Secure Servers: Data stored on secure, monitored servers with firewalls and intrusion detection
• Regular Audits: Periodic security assessments and penetration testing
• Employee Training: Staff trained on data protection and privacy best practices
• Secure Development: Security built into our development lifecycle

Your Responsibility

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. Please:

• Use a strong, unique password
• Enable two-factor authentication if available
• Do not share your login credentials
• Log out of shared devices
• Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access

Limitation: While we take reasonable measures to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Breach Notification

In the unfortunate event of a data breach that compromises your personal information, we are committed to transparency and prompt action.

Our Breach Response Process

• Investigation: Immediately investigate the breach and take steps to contain it
• Assessment: Determine the scope, nature, and impact of the breach
• Notification: Notify affected users within 72 hours of confirming the breach (or as required by applicable law, whichever is sooner)
• Regulatory Reporting: Notify relevant regulatory authorities as required by law
• Remediation: Take corrective action to prevent future breaches
• Support: Provide credit monitoring or identity theft protection services where appropriate

What We'll Tell You

Breach notifications will include:

• Description of what happened and when
• Types of information that may have been compromised
• Steps we're taking to address the breach
• Steps you can take to protect yourself
• Contact information for questions

Notifications will be sent to the email address associated with your account. Please keep your contact information current.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, pixels, tags, and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities and to personalize your experience.

Types of Cookies We Use

Your Cookie Choices

You can control cookies through:

• Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or delete them
• App Settings: Manage tracking preferences in the app's privacy settings
• Opt-Out Tools: Use tools like the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page

Note: Disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of the Services.

Do Not Track

Some browsers support "Do Not Track" signals. Our Services do not currently respond to Do Not Track signals because there is no industry standard for compliance.

8. Third-Party Links and Services

The Services may contain links to third-party websites, apps, or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you interact with. Our Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites or services, even if accessed through the Services.

Third-Party Services We Integrate With

The Services may integrate with:

• Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)
• Recipe sharing platforms
• Grocery delivery services (Instacart, Amazon Fresh)
• Smart home devices (Alexa, Google Home)
• Fitness and health tracking apps

When you connect these services, you authorize us to access certain information as permitted by that service's privacy policy.

9. Children's Privacy

The Services are not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at AskChef@easyChefPro.com. We will take steps to delete such information from our systems.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 18 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information.

General Rights

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations)
• Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection: Object to processing of your information for certain purposes
• Restriction: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for processing based on consent
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time

How to Exercise Your Rights

We will respond to your request within 30 days (or as required by applicable law). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

Marketing Communications

You can opt out of marketing emails by:

• Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email
• Adjusting your preferences in account settings
• Contacting us at privacy@easychefpro.com

Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we will still send you transactional emails related to your account and use of the Services.

11. Additional Rights for California Residents

If you are a California resident, you have additional privacy rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA).

Your California Rights

California residents have the right to:

• Know: Request disclosure of:
  • Categories and specific pieces of personal information we collected
  • Categories of sources from which we collected information
  • Business or commercial purposes for collecting or selling information
  • Categories of third parties with whom we share information
  • Categories of personal information disclosed for business purposes
• Delete: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
• Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: Direct us not to sell or share your personal information
• Limit Use of Sensitive Information: Limit our use of sensitive personal information to what is necessary to provide the Services
• Non-Discrimination: Not receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your CCPA rights

We Do Not Sell Your Personal Information

Categories of Personal Information We Collect

In the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information from California residents:

How We Use Sensitive Personal Information

We use sensitive personal information (dietary restrictions, allergies, health goals, precise geolocation) only to:

• Provide the Services you requested
• Ensure security and integrity
• Perform services on your behalf
• Comply with legal obligations

We do NOT use or disclose sensitive personal information for any other purpose without your explicit consent.

How to Exercise Your California Rights

Verification: To protect your privacy, we will verify your identity before processing your request. We may ask for additional information to confirm your identity.

Authorized Agents: You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. The agent must provide proof of authorization.

Response Time: We will respond to verifiable requests within 45 days. If we need more time, we will notify you.

California "Shine the Light" Law

California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits California residents to request information about our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

We do not disclose personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

California Auto-Renewal Law

For subscription services, we comply with California's Automatic Renewal Law (Business and Professions Code Section 17600 et seq.) by:

• Providing clear disclosure of auto-renewal terms before purchase
• Obtaining your affirmative consent to the auto-renewal terms
• Sending renewal reminders before each billing cycle
• Providing easy cancellation methods

See our Terms of Service, Section 9 for complete auto-renewal details.

12. International Users and Data Transfers

The Services are operated from the United States. If you access the Services from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.

Legal Basis for Processing (EEA/UK Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, we process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

• Contract Performance: Processing necessary to provide the Services
• Consent: Where you have given explicit consent
• Legitimate Interests: For our business operations and to improve Services
• Legal Obligations: To comply with applicable laws

International Data Transfers

We transfer data internationally using appropriate safeguards, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
• Adequacy decisions by relevant authorities
• Consent where required

Additional Rights for EEA/UK Users

EEA and UK residents have additional rights under GDPR, including:

• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to withdraw consent at any time

Export Compliance

The Services are subject to U.S. export control laws. By using the Services, you represent that you are not located in, or a resident of, any country subject to U.S. trade sanctions or embargoes.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

How We Notify You of Changes

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• For material changes, we will provide prominent notice through:
  • In-app notification
  • Email to your registered email address
  • Banner on our website or app
• We will provide at least 30 days' notice before material changes take effect

Your continued use of the Services after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the changes, you must stop using the Services and delete your account.

Previous Versions

We maintain an archive of previous versions of this Privacy Policy. You can request prior versions by contacting us at AskChef@easyChefPro.com.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Response Time: We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 5 business days.