Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains what data MealShift ("we," "us," or "our") collects, how we use it, and what rights you have. We've written this in plain language because you shouldn't need a law degree to understand how your data is handled.
🔒 The short version: We collect minimal data, we never sell your personal information, and we don't share it with pharmaceutical companies or insurance providers. Period.
1. What Data We Collect
We collect only what we need to provide and improve the Service:
- Email address — when you sign up for early access or create an account.
- Usage data — which restaurants and menu items you search for, how you interact with the tool, device type, browser type, and general location (city-level, not precise).
- Meal photos — only if you voluntarily submit them through a feature we may offer.
- Communications — if you email us or submit feedback, we keep that correspondence.
We do not collect health records, medical history, prescription information, or any data about medications you may be taking.
2. How We Use Your Data
- To provide the Service — delivering menu scores and recommendations.
- To improve the tool — understanding which restaurants are most searched, which features are used, and where we can do better.
- To communicate with you — sending updates about the Service (only if you signed up).
- Anonymized and aggregated insights — we may analyze usage patterns in aggregate (e.g., "70% of users search for Chipotle") to improve the Service. This data cannot be traced back to you.
3. What We Do NOT Do
Let's be crystal clear:
- 🚫 We do not sell your personal data. Not to advertisers, not to anyone.
- 🚫 We do not share your data with pharmaceutical companies.
- 🚫 We do not share your data with insurance companies or healthcare providers.
- 🚫 We do not build advertising profiles based on your health or wellness interests.
- 🚫 We do not use your data for purposes unrelated to the Service.
4. Third-Party Services
We use a small number of third-party services to operate MealShift:
- Formspree — processes email signups. Your email is transmitted to Formspree when you submit the signup form. See Formspree's Privacy Policy.
- Analytics tools — we may use privacy-respecting analytics (such as Plausible, Fathom, or similar) to understand how people use the Service. These tools do not use cookies and do not track you across websites.
- Hosting providers — standard web hosting infrastructure to serve the website and application.
We do not use third-party advertising networks or tracking pixels.
5. Cookies and Tracking
We keep cookies to a minimum:
- Essential cookies — may be used to maintain your session if you have an account.
- Analytics — if used, our analytics tools are privacy-first and typically do not rely on cookies.
- No third-party advertising cookies. We don't run ads.
6. Data Retention
- Email addresses — retained as long as you have an account or remain on our mailing list. You can request deletion at any time.
- Usage data — retained in identifiable form for up to 12 months, then anonymized or deleted.
- Meal photos — if submitted, retained only as long as needed for the purpose they were submitted, unless you request earlier deletion.
7. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Delete — request that we delete your personal data.
- Opt out — unsubscribe from emails at any time using the link in any email, or by contacting us.
- Correct — request that we update inaccurate information.
- Data portability — request your data in a standard, machine-readable format.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@getmealshift.com. We will respond within 30 days.
8. Children's Privacy
MealShift is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.
9. Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (HTTPS), secure storage practices, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we take it seriously and continually work to improve our protections.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where possible, notify you by email. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
11. California Residents (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):
- Right to know — you can request what personal information we collect, use, and disclose.
- Right to delete — you can request deletion of your personal information.
- Right to opt out of sale — we do not sell personal information, so this right is automatically honored.
- Right to non-discrimination — we will not treat you differently for exercising your privacy rights.
To make a CCPA request, email privacy@getmealshift.com with the subject line "CCPA Request."
12. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: privacy@getmealshift.com