Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to HeyChef ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the application.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Register on the application
• Express interest in obtaining information about us or our services
• Participate in activities on the application
• Contact us

The personal information we collect may include:

• Name and Contact Data: First and last name, email address, phone number
• Profile Information: Username, profile photo, bio, location (city, state, country)
• Chef-Specific Information: Years of experience, cuisine specialties, service areas, availability, pricing, certifications
• Payment Information: Payment card details processed securely through our payment processor
• Messages: Communications between users and chefs
• User Content: Photos of dishes, reviews, ratings, posts, and comments

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

When you use our application, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including:

• Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers
• Usage Data: Pages viewed, features used, time spent on pages, clicks
• Location Data: Approximate location based on IP address (precise location only with your permission)

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party services you connect to HeyChef, such as:

• Social media authentication services (if implemented)
• Payment processors

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect or receive to:

• Facilitate account creation and authentication
• Provide and improve our services
• Process bookings and transactions between users and chefs
• Send administrative information such as booking confirmations and updates
• Enable user-to-user communications through our in-app messaging
• Respond to inquiries and provide customer support
• Send marketing communications (with your consent)
• Analyze usage and trends to improve user experience
• Prevent fraudulent transactions and monitor against theft
• Comply with legal obligations

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 With Other Users

• Chefs can see: Your name, profile photo, booking requests, and messages
• Users can see: Chef profiles, ratings, reviews, availability, and pricing
• Public content: Posts, cuisine photos, and reviews are visible to all users

4.2 With Service Providers

We share your information with third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf:

• Payment processors (for secure payment processing)
• Cloud hosting providers (for data storage)
• Analytics providers (for usage analytics)
• Communication services (for push notifications)

4.3 For Legal Purposes

We may disclose your information when required by law or to:

• Comply with legal processes or government requests
• Protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property
• Prevent fraud or security issues

4.4 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. Data Retention

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

• Active accounts: Data retained while your account is active
• Deleted accounts: Most data deleted within 30 days; some records retained for legal compliance
• Transaction records: Retained for 7 years for tax and legal purposes

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

6.1 Access and Portability

• Request a copy of your personal information
• Request your data in a portable format

6.2 Correction

• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information

6.3 Deletion

• Request deletion of your personal information (right to be forgotten)
• Email us at privacy@heychef.com to request account deletion

6.4 Objection and Restriction

• Object to processing of your information
• Request restriction of processing

6.5 Withdraw Consent

• Withdraw consent at any time (does not affect prior processing)

6.6 Opt-Out of Marketing

• Unsubscribe from marketing emails via link in email
• Disable push notifications in device settings

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Secure authentication and authorization
• Regular security audits
• Limited employee access to personal data

8. Children's Privacy

Our application is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us, and we will delete such information.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws.

By using HeyChef, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where we operate.

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

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

• Right to Know: What personal information we collect and how it's used
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
• Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to Non-Discrimination: Equal service regardless of privacy choices

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@heychef.com

11. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Legal basis for processing: Consent, contract performance, legitimate interests, legal obligations
• Data protection officer: Contact at dpo@heychef.com
• Right to lodge a complaint: Contact your local data protection authority

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy in the application
• Updating the "Last Updated" date
• Sending you an email notification (for material changes)

Your continued use of the application after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.