Privacy Policy

Last updated · May 10, 2026

FlavorTrail ("we", "us", or "our") provides the FlavorTrail mobile application and related services (the "Service"). The Service is offered to and intended for users located in the United States. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, and the rights you have over your information.

By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

• Account information. When you create an account using a third-party sign-in option, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo from that provider.
• Content you provide. Photos, restaurant experiences, ratings, notes, saved restaurants, taste preferences, restaurant invitations, and any other content you submit through the Service.
• Search queries. Restaurant searches and the location they were performed in, used to fetch results from our restaurant data provider.
• Social activity. Followers and following lists, likes, content you share with other users, and reports you submit.
• Location information. If you grant permission, the Service uses your device's location (with your consent) to recommend nearby restaurants and provide map-based features.
• Shared videos. When you share a video to FlavorTrail (for example, a TikTok URL or saved clip), we receive the URL and, when present, the video file itself. Audio is transcribed on your device using Apple's on-device speech recognition; the audio recording itself never leaves your device. Captions and a thumbnail may be sent to our automated content-moderation provider as described under "Automated Content Moderation" below.
• Device and usage information. Device model, operating system version, app version, language, IP address, error reports, and basic interaction events used to operate, secure, and improve the Service.
• Push notification tokens. Identifiers required to deliver notifications, when you enable them.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate, maintain, and provide features of the Service, including personalized recommendations and social interactions.
• Authenticate you and secure your account.
• Display content you choose to share publicly to other users of the Service.
• Send transactional and (where you've opted in) other notifications.
• Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, security issues, and violations of our Terms.
• Diagnose technical problems, monitor performance, and improve the Service.
• Comply with legal obligations.

How We Share Information

We share your information only as described below. We do not sell your personal information.

• With other users. Content you choose to make public (such as your username, profile photo, public experiences, and ratings) is visible to other users of the Service. You control what is public through the app's visibility settings.
• With service providers. We use trusted third-party providers to operate the Service, listed below. These providers process information only on our behalf and only to the extent necessary to perform their functions.
  • Google Firebase (authentication, database, push-notification delivery, crash diagnostics, app integrity).
  • Vercel (web hosting, server-side processing of API requests, IP address in standard server logs).
  • Cloudinary (image storage and delivery for photos you upload).
  • Yelp (restaurant search and place information).
  • Groq (large-language-model inference for personalized recommendations; receives a summary of your restaurant history and preferences).
  • Tavily (web search for dish recommendations).
  • OpenAI (automated content moderation; receives the photo and caption you submit when posting an experience, see "Automated Content Moderation").
  • Upstash Redis (short-lived cache of restaurant search results to reduce upstream API calls).
  • Sentry (crash and performance diagnostics; receives error reports linked to a stable account identifier with email and precise location scrubbed).
  • EmailJS (sending the contact-form messages you submit through our website).
• For legal reasons. We may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of FlavorTrail, our users, or others.
• In a business transfer. If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
• With your consent. For any other purpose with your direction or permission.

Sensitive Personal Information

The only category of "sensitive personal information" (as defined under California privacy law) that we collect is your precise geolocation, and only with your permission. California residents may request that we limit our use of this information to the purposes described in this Privacy Policy by contacting us through the form on our website.

Content You Make Public

By default, content can be configured as public or private. Public content (including photos, restaurant experiences, ratings, your username, and your profile photo) may be viewed, saved, or interacted with by other users and may appear in search results or feeds. You can change the visibility of your content at any time, but copies of public content may have been seen, saved, or shared by others before you change it.

Automated Content Moderation

To keep the Service safe, content you upload, including photos and the captions / notes you write about them, is sent to OpenAI's content-moderation API to detect material that violates our Terms (for example, illegal, sexually explicit, violent, or harassing content). Content that fails this check may be rejected or removed automatically. OpenAI processes this data only to return the moderation result; per OpenAI's terms, moderation data is not used to train their models. We do not use your content to train artificial-intelligence models.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

The mobile app uses local storage and similar device-side technologies to keep you signed in and remember your preferences. Our website may use cookies for similar purposes. You can manage these through your device or browser settings; disabling them may affect functionality.

Our Service does not respond to "Do Not Track" signals from web browsers, and we do not allow third parties to collect personally identifiable information about your online activities over time or across different websites or services through your use of the Service.

Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. After you delete your account, we delete or anonymize your personal information within a reasonable period, except where we are required to retain it longer to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud or abuse, or enforce our agreements. Diagnostic and analytics data may be retained for a limited period in a form that does not identify you.

Security

We use industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information. However, no method of transmission or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Rights and Choices

You can exercise the following choices at any time:

• Access, update, or correct information in your profile through the app.
• Request a copy of your data using the in-app data-export feature.
• Control the visibility of your content (public or private).
• Manage permissions for location and push notifications through your device settings.
• Delete your account from within the app or by contacting us. After deletion we will remove your personal information as described under "Data Retention."

California residents: Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (as amended by the CPRA), you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion or correction, to limit the use of sensitive personal information, and to opt out of "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. We do not sell your personal information. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the form on our website. We will respond within the time required by applicable law. California residents may also designate an authorized agent to submit privacy requests on their behalf, subject to our verification of the agent's authority and your identity.

Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.

Third-Party Links and Services

The Service may contain links to or information from third-party websites and services (for example, restaurant pages or map providers). Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, which we encourage you to review.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you through the Service or by other reasonable means. The "Last updated" date above indicates when this policy was last revised. Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise any of your rights, please contact us through the form on our website.