Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to MealIdeas.ai ("we," "our," or "us"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our AI-powered meal recommendation service.

This policy complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other applicable privacy laws.

2. Data Controller

3. Data We Collect

3.1 Data Stored Locally (Browser)

We primarily use local storage (localStorage) in your browser to store:

• Recommendation history: Your past meal recommendations
• User preferences: Dietary preferences, mood selections, language setting
• App state: UI preferences like theme and display settings
• Consent preferences: Your cookie and privacy consent choices

Important: This data never leaves your device unless you explicitly use features that require it (like AI recommendations).

3.2 Data Sent to AI Service

When you request a meal recommendation, we send the following to our AI provider:

• Selected mood (e.g., tired, happy, stressed)
• Dietary preferences (e.g., vegetarian, gluten-free)
• Available ingredients (if provided)
• Language preference
• Time of day context

3.3 Analytics Data (Optional)

With your consent, we use Google Analytics to collect:

• Pages visited and time spent
• Device type and browser
• Geographic region (country/city level)
• Referral sources

Note: IP addresses are anonymized. You can opt out of analytics at any time.

4. Cookies & Tracking

We use the following types of cookies:

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your data based on:

• Consent: For analytics, AI recommendations, and optional features
• Legitimate Interest: For essential site functionality and security
• Contract: To provide the meal recommendation service you request

6. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

7. Data Retention

• Local storage data: Stored indefinitely until you clear it or delete via our data management tool
• AI request data: Not retained after processing your recommendation
• Analytics data: Retained for 14 months (Google Analytics default)
• Server logs: Automatically deleted after 30 days

8. Your Rights (GDPR)

Under GDPR, you have the right to:

To exercise your rights, email us at fullstack.crew@gmail.com or use the self-service data management tools in the app.

9. Managing Your Data

You can manage most of your data directly without contacting us:

10. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), including the United States. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) with service providers
• Data processing agreements with all third parties
• Encryption in transit and at rest where applicable

11. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• Secure API endpoints with authentication
• Regular security assessments
• Minimal data collection principle
• No storage of sensitive personal data on our servers

12. Children's Privacy

MealIdeas.ai is not directed at children under 13 (or 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us immediately.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. For significant changes, we may provide additional notice (such as a banner on the website).

14. Contact Us

For privacy-related inquiries or to exercise your rights: