Information We Collect

At FlavorShare, we are committed to transparency about the data we collect and how we use it to deliver a safe, personalized, and engaging recipe-sharing experience. This page outlines the specific categories of information we gather when you interact with our platform.

1. Information You Provide Directly

We collect information you voluntarily share when creating an account, contributing content, or interacting with other members:

• Account Credentials: Email address, username, password, and profile details (name, location, bio, dietary preferences).
• Culinary Content: Recipe titles, ingredients, step-by-step instructions, nutritional notes, cooking times, and category tags.
• Media Uploads: Photos and videos of dishes, ingredient prep, and cooking processes. Metadata (EXIF) is stripped unless required for accessibility.
• Community Interactions: Comments, reviews, ratings, direct messages, saved collections, and bookmarked recipes.
• Communications: Content from support tickets, feedback surveys, event registrations, and newsletter subscriptions.

2. Information Collected Automatically

When you use our website or mobile application, certain data is gathered automatically to ensure platform stability, security, and performance:

• Device & Connection Data: IP address, device type, operating system, browser/app version, and network information.
• Usage Analytics: Pages visited, time spent on recipes, search queries, feature interactions, and click-through patterns.
• Location Data: General geographic location derived from IP or explicitly provided to recommend regional recipes and local cooking events.
• Diagnostic Logs: Crash reports, performance metrics, and error logs to troubleshoot technical issues.
• Security Data: Login attempts, account verification status, and anti-fraud indicators to protect against unauthorized access.

3. Information from Third Parties & Integrations

We may receive information from trusted partners to enhance functionality and verify accounts:

• Social Logins: Basic profile information (name, email, avatar) when you sign up via Google, Apple, or Facebook.
• Payment Processors: Transaction details and billing information if you subscribe to Premium features (processed securely by Stripe/PayPal).
• Analytics & Advertising Partners: Aggregated, anonymized usage data to understand traffic sources and measure campaign effectiveness.
• API Integrations: Data from connected services like smart kitchen appliances, meal planning tools, or nutrition databases, only with your explicit consent.

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, local storage, and similar technologies to maintain your session, remember preferences, and analyze platform usage. These fall into three categories:

• Essential: Required for authentication, security, and core functionality (e.g., staying logged in).
• Performance: Help us understand how visitors interact with the site (e.g., page load times, popular recipe categories).
• Personalization: Enable customized feeds, language settings, and dietary filter preferences.

You can manage or disable non-essential cookies through our Cookie Preferences Center.

5. Children's Privacy

FlavorShare is designed for users aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected data from a child under this age, we will take immediate steps to delete it. Parents or guardians who believe their child has shared information with us should contact us immediately using the details below.

6. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or export your personal data. You can exercise these rights by:

• Visiting your Account Settings → Privacy & Data dashboard.
• Submitting a formal data request through our support portal.
• Opting out of marketing communications via the unsubscribe link in any promotional email.
• Requesting data deletion or transfer in standard formats (JSON, CSV, or PDF).

We will respond to verifiable requests within 30 days. Certain data may be retained for legal, security, or archival purposes as required by law.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this policy, how we handle your information, or wish to exercise your data rights, please reach out to our Privacy Team: