Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account details: name, email, password
• Profile settings & preferences
• Business information (for business owners)
• Recommendations, reviews & comments
• Messages & communications within the platform
• Event RSVPs and participation

Information We Collect Automatically

• General location (city/region level) for local recommendations
• Device and browser type
• Platform usage patterns
• IP address and technical identifiers
• Cookies and similar technologies

Information from Third Parties

• Social media profile data (if you connect accounts)
• Business information from public directories
• Community-submitted business recommendations

2. How We Use Your Information

Core Services

• Power the AltGrocery platform and core features
• Show local food businesses, events, and seasonal content
• Enable community-driven recommendations
• Support QR code generation and business tools
• Facilitate communication between users and followed businesses

Location Use

• No precise tracking — we do not store exact movements or home addresses
• Improve local recommendations
• Verify business listings and prevent fraud
• Quality assurance and anonymous service improvement

Anonymous Data for AI & Recommendations

• Aggregated, non-identifiable trends (e.g., popular food categories, busy times)
• Location heatmaps for general foot traffic
• Interaction patterns to improve search & discovery

3. Data Sharing — You're in Control

When You Follow a Business

That business can see:

• Anonymous engagement metrics (likes, clicks, QR scans)
• City/region location for relevant offers
• Your interests in certain food categories
• Aggregated follower analytics

Paid Advertising Features

For businesses running campaigns, we may share:

• Anonymous foot traffic trends after ad views
• Campaign engagement rates
• Broad demographic insights (e.g., age ranges, interest categories)

What We Never Share

• Your personal contact info
• Private messages
• Exact home or live location
• Payment information
• Data with businesses you don't follow
• Data to external advertising networks

4. Your Rights & Controls

• Update profile and privacy settings anytime
• Follow/unfollow businesses to control data sharing instantly
• Download or delete your personal data
• Correct inaccuracies in your profile
• Opt out of marketing emails and control notifications

5. Security & Data Retention

Security Measures

• Encryption in transit and at rest
• Access controls & authentication
• Regular security audits
• Secure data centers

Retention

• Account data: until you delete your account
• Business listings: while active
• Analytics: anonymized and aggregated for improvements

6. Cookies & Tracking

We use:

• Essential cookies — platform functionality
• Preference cookies — save your settings
• Analytics cookies — understand usage patterns
• Marketing cookies — only with your consent

Control cookies via your browser or our cookie settings panel.

7. Children's Privacy

We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If we discover we have, we'll delete it immediately.

8. International Data Transfers

Your data may be processed outside your country with appropriate safeguards in place.

9. Changes to This Policy

We'll notify you of significant updates via email or in-platform messages. Continued use means you accept the changes.

10. Contact Us