Privacy Policy for MenuMate

Introduction

Welcome to MenuMate. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the MenuMate mobile application and website.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

• Account Information: Your name and email address when you create an account
• Canteen Connection: Your selected canteen affiliation
• Ratings and Reviews: The ratings and comments you post about dishes

Information Collected Automatically

• User Identifier: A unique ID assigned to your account for system purposes
• Device Information: Basic device type and operating system version (mobile app only)
• Usage Data: Information about how you interact with the app and which features you use

Note: We do not currently use cookies for tracking purposes on our website.

How We Use Your Information

• To create and maintain your MenuMate account
• To display canteen menus relevant to your affiliation
• To allow you to rate and review dishes
• To show your ratings and reviews to other users in your canteen community
• To calculate and display aggregated statistics about dish popularity
• To improve and optimize the app and website experience
• To communicate with you about service updates and support requests

Information Sharing and Visibility

Anonymized Ratings

Important: Your ratings and reviews are anonymized and de-identified before being displayed to other users. Other users can see ratings and reviews, but they cannot see who posted them.

Who Can See Your Information

• Canteen Community: Other users affiliated with your canteen can see anonymized ratings and reviews, but cannot identify who posted them
• Canteen Administrators: Canteen administrators can view aggregated statistics and anonymized ratings within their canteen
• Service Providers: Firebase (Google Cloud Platform) hosts our data and provides backend services

We Do Not

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Share your email address with other users
• Display your name alongside your ratings or reviews
• Use your data for advertising purposes

Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your data, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Secure password hashing (passwords are never stored in plain text)
• Access controls and authentication requirements
• Hosting with Firebase/Google Cloud Platform security infrastructure

However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information in your account settings
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Data Portability: Request an export of your data in a portable format

To exercise these rights, please contact us at menumate@posteo.no

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. If you request account deletion, we will delete your name and email address within 30 days. Your ratings and reviews are already stored in anonymized form and will be retained for statistical and historical purposes.

Children's Privacy

MenuMate is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

Third-Party Services

MenuMate uses Firebase (Google Cloud Platform) for hosting, authentication, and data storage. Firebase's privacy policy can be found at: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy

International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside of your country of residence, including the United States and other countries where Firebase/Google operates data centers. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place as required by applicable law.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy and, where appropriate, by email. Your continued use of MenuMate after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or your personal data, please contact us at:

Email: menumate@posteo.no
App Name: MenuMate
Developer: Alexandra Gerken

Additional Rights for EU Users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Union, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation. See our GDPR page for more information.