Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to ChewIQ ("we," "our," or "us"). ChewIQ is an AI-powered food intelligence platform designed to help users understand restaurant menus, discover new dishes, plan meals, track food spending, and make informed dining decisions. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains our practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of your information when you use our mobile application, web application, browser extensions, and related services (collectively, the "Services"). By using ChewIQ, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your email address, username, and password. You may also provide optional profile information such as your name and profile picture.
• Dietary & Allergy Preferences: We collect information about your food allergies, dietary restrictions (e.g., vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, keto), and food preferences that you choose to save in your profile. This sensitive health-related information is used solely to provide personalized allergen alerts, menu recommendations, and recipe suggestions.
• Taste Profile Data: Based on your interactions, saved favorites, and explicit feedback, we build a taste profile that captures your food preferences, cuisine affinities, and dining habits to provide personalized recommendations.
• User-Generated Content: Any content you submit through our Services, including posts, reviews, comments, photos, saved favorites, recipes you create, and feedback shared with the community.
• Recipes & Meal Plans: Recipes you save, create, or modify, as well as meal plans you build including scheduled meals, grocery lists, and cooking preferences.
• Budget & Spending Information: If you use our budget tracking features, we collect information about your food budgets, spending categories, and financial goals related to food.
• Receipt Data: When you scan receipts, we process and store information about your purchases including store names, items purchased, prices, and dates to provide spending analytics and insights.
• AI Conversation History: Your conversations with our AI food assistant are stored to provide context for ongoing conversations, improve response quality, and enhance our Services.
• Communication Data: Information you provide when you contact our customer support or communicate with us via email or in-app messaging.
• Payment Information: If you subscribe to ChewIQ Pro, payment processing is handled securely by Apple's App Store, Google Play, or Stripe (for web). We do not directly collect or store your credit card numbers or banking information.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Menu Images & Documents: When you scan a menu using our camera feature or upload a PDF menu, we process this image/document data using optical character recognition (OCR) and artificial intelligence to extract and analyze menu content. Menu images are processed in real-time and are not permanently stored on our servers unless you choose to save a menu to your favorites.
• Device Information: We collect information about your device, including device type, operating system version, unique device identifiers, browser type, and mobile network information.
• Usage Data: Information about how you use our Services, including features accessed, menus scanned, recipes generated, AI conversations, search queries, restaurants viewed, dishes favorited, social interactions, and engagement patterns.
• Location Data: With your permission, we collect approximate or precise location data to provide location-based features such as nearby restaurant discovery, location-relevant recommendations, and geographically relevant advertisements. You can disable location services at any time through your device settings.
• Log Data: Our servers automatically collect information when you access our Services, including your IP address, browser type, referring/exit pages, date/time stamps, and clickstream data.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• Third-Party Sign-In: If you choose to sign in using Apple Sign-In, Google Sign-In, or other third-party authentication services, we receive basic profile information as permitted by your privacy settings with that service.
• Restaurant Data Providers: We receive restaurant information (menus, hours, locations, photos) from third-party sources including Yelp, OpenTable, and similar services to enhance our restaurant database.
• Analytics Providers: We receive aggregated analytics data from third-party services to help us understand app performance and user behavior.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide Core Services: Process menu scans, identify potential allergens, generate dish explanations, create and modify recipes, build meal plans, track budgets, and deliver personalized dietary recommendations based on your saved preferences.
• Power AI Features: Use your conversation history, preferences, and usage patterns to provide contextual AI responses, generate personalized recipes, offer relevant restaurant recommendations, and improve the accuracy of our AI assistant.
• Build Your Taste Profile: Analyze your favorites, ratings, and interactions to understand your food preferences and provide increasingly personalized recommendations over time.
• Provide Spending Insights: Analyze receipt data and budget information to generate spending reports, identify patterns, and provide AI-powered budget coaching.
• Enable Social Features: Display your posts to other users, facilitate social interactions, and moderate content to maintain community standards.
• Improve Our Services: Analyze usage patterns to enhance app features, improve our AI models, fix bugs, and develop new functionality.
• Display Relevant Advertising: For free-tier users, we display contextually relevant advertisements, including ads from local restaurants and food-related businesses. We use location and preference data to show you more relevant ads.
• Communicate With You: Send service-related announcements, feature updates, personalized tips, promotional communications (with your consent), and respond to your inquiries.
• Ensure Security: Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, security risks, and technical issues.
• Legal Compliance: Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We share data with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, including:
  • Cloud hosting and infrastructure (e.g., AWS, MongoDB Atlas)
  • AI processing services (e.g., Google Gemini, OpenAI for menu analysis, recipes, and conversations)
  • Location and mapping services (e.g., Apple Maps, Google Places)
  • Payment processors (e.g., Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
  • Subscription management (e.g., RevenueCat)
  • Email delivery (e.g., Resend)
  • Media hosting (e.g., Cloudinary)
  • Analytics providers
  These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.
• Advertising Partners: For free-tier users, we work with advertising partners to display ads. These partners may receive device identifiers and limited usage data to serve relevant advertisements. You can upgrade to ChewIQ Pro to enjoy an ad-free experience.
• Public Content: Content you choose to share publicly (posts, reviews, public recipes) will be visible to other ChewIQ users and may be indexed by search engines.
• Aggregated/De-Identified Data: We may share aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you with restaurants, food industry partners, and researchers for analytics, trends, and industry insights.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of ChewIQ, our users, or others.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.
• With Your Consent: We may share your information for other purposes with your explicit consent.

5. AI and Data Processing

ChewIQ uses artificial intelligence extensively to power our features. Here's how we handle AI-related data:

• AI Providers: We use third-party AI services including Google Gemini and OpenAI to process menu scans, generate recipes, provide dish explanations, power our AI assistant, and create content. Your data sent to these providers is subject to their respective privacy policies and data processing agreements.
• Conversation Data: Your AI conversations may be reviewed to improve response quality and train our systems. Conversations are associated with your account but not used for advertising purposes.
• AI-Generated Content: Recipes, meal plans, and recommendations generated by AI are created based on your preferences and inputs. This content may be stored and associated with your account.
• Continuous Improvement: We analyze patterns in how users interact with our AI features to improve accuracy, relevance, and user experience.

6. Data Storage and Security

• Data Storage: Your data is stored on secure servers using industry-standard cloud infrastructure. Account data, preferences, recipes, meal plans, and conversation history are stored on our secure backend servers. Some data may also be cached locally on your device for offline access and performance.
• Security Measures: We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information, including encryption in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest, access controls, authentication requirements, and regular security assessments. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.
• Data Retention: We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you Services. Specific retention periods:
  • Account data: Until account deletion
  • AI conversation history: 2 years or until account deletion
  • Receipt data: Until account deletion or as required for tax purposes
  • Menu scan images: Processed in real-time, not stored unless saved
  • Analytics data: Aggregated indefinitely, individual data for 2 years

7. Your Rights and Choices

• Access and Portability: You can access and download your personal data through your account settings or by contacting us.
• Correction: You can update or correct your account information, dietary preferences, and taste profile at any time through the app.
• Deletion: You may request deletion of your account and personal data by contacting us at privacy@chewiq.io or through account settings. We will delete your data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it by law.
• Conversation History: You can delete individual AI conversations or your entire conversation history through the app.
• Location Services: You can enable or disable location services through your device settings at any time.
• Marketing Communications: You can opt out of promotional emails by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any email or adjusting your notification preferences in the app. Transactional emails (account verification, subscription confirmations) cannot be opted out of.
• Ad-Free Experience: Upgrade to ChewIQ Pro ($6.99/month or $39.99/year) to eliminate third-party advertisements.
• Do Not Track: We respect Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework. If you opt out of tracking, we will not share your data with third-party advertisers for targeted advertising purposes.

8. Email Communications

By creating an account, you may receive the following types of emails:

• Transactional Emails: Account verification, password resets, subscription confirmations, and important account notices. These cannot be opted out of.
• Service Updates: New feature announcements, app updates, and important changes to our Services.
• Marketing & Promotional: Tips, personalized recommendations, special offers, and promotional content. You can unsubscribe from these at any time.
• Educational Content: Daily insights, food tips, and curated content based on your interests.

Manage your email preferences through your account settings or by clicking "unsubscribe" in any marketing email.

9. Children's Privacy

ChewIQ is not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information. Parents may manage allergen and dietary information for their children through their own account.

10. International Data Transfers

ChewIQ is based in the United States. If you access our Services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. By using our Services, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries that may have different data protection laws than your country of residence.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including:

• The right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
• The right to delete your personal information
• The right to correct inaccurate personal information
• The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• The right to limit use of sensitive personal information
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@chewiq.io.

12. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including:

• Right to access your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing
• Right to withdraw consent

Our legal bases for processing include your consent, performance of our contract with you, compliance with legal obligations, and our legitimate interests (such as improving our Services and preventing fraud).

To exercise your rights or lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, please contact us at privacy@chewiq.io.

13. Third-Party Services and Links

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications including restaurant websites, delivery services, and social platforms. 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 access through our app.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy in the app and/or sending you an email notification. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised. Your continued use of our Services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

15. Contact Us

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

Thank you for trusting ChewIQ with your dining experience.