Privacy Policy

1. Information we collect

We collect information you give us directly and information we gather automatically as you use TasteBud, and we keep it to what we need to recommend dishes you’ll love.

• Information you provide: your email address (to request beta access and to sign in), your answers to the onboarding taste quiz, the dietary restrictions, allergies and exclusions you set, your reactions, ratings and post-meal feedback on dishes, the restaurant or area you choose for recommendations, your language preference, and — if you contact us or use our business form — your name, company, role and message.
• Information we collect automatically: basic device and usage data (such as browser and device type, pages viewed and actions taken), and log and diagnostic data used to operate and secure the Service.
• We do not collect precise GPS location — you tell us which restaurant or area you’re dining in.

2. How we use your information

• Provide, personalize and improve your dish recommendations and build your evolving taste profile (your “flavor fingerprint”).
• Sign you in securely using one-time codes sent to your email (we do not use passwords).
• Respond to your requests and send service messages, such as your beta invite and the occasional taste tip.
• Keep the Service safe — preventing abuse, debugging, and protecting you and other users.
• Improve our recommendation models and develop new features.
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms.

3. Automated processing and AI

TasteBud is powered by automated systems and artificial intelligence. We represent both dishes and your taste as numerical profiles, and we use trusted third-party AI services (currently OpenAI) to generate dish embeddings and the written explanations that accompany each recommendation.

To do this, dish descriptions and de-identified taste features may be processed by these providers. These systems help us recommend food; they do not make legally significant decisions about you, and you can always tell us when a recommendation misses so we can learn.

4. How we share information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with advertisers. We share information only in these limited cases:

• Service providers: companies that host and operate TasteBud, store our data, send our email, and provide the AI features described above — bound by contracts that limit their use of your data to providing those services.
• Aggregated, de-identified insights: we may produce aggregate taste statistics that do not identify you and use them to operate and improve TasteBud and our restaurant-facing product, TasteHub.
• Legal and safety: when we believe it is reasonably necessary to comply with law, enforce our Terms, or protect the rights, safety and integrity of our users and the Service.
• Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing or sale of assets, subject to this Policy.

5. Cookies and local storage

We use a minimal set of cookies and browser local storage to keep you signed in (authentication tokens) and to remember your language preference (the “tastebud-language” setting). We do not use third-party advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. You can clear these from your browser at any time, though you’ll need to sign in again.

6. Data retention

We keep your account information while your account is active. Your taste feedback is weighted with a time decay — older signals gradually fade (over roughly a 21-day half-life) — so your profile reflects your current taste. Beta-waitlist emails are kept until we open to the public or you ask to be removed. We delete or de-identify personal data when it is no longer needed, unless we must retain it to meet legal obligations.

7. Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live — including under the EU/UK GDPR, and laws in Latin America and other regions — you may have the right to access, correct, delete or export your personal data, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to withdraw consent at any time. You can exercise these rights, or ask us to delete your account, by emailing us (see “Contact us” below); we’ll respond within the time required by law.

Some dietary and allergy information may be considered sensitive personal data. We process it only to deliver safe, relevant recommendations, and with your consent. You can update or remove it in your profile at any time.

Where the GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases: performance of our contract with you (providing recommendations), your consent (for example, joining the waitlist and providing dietary data), and our legitimate interests in operating, securing and improving TasteBud.

8. International transfers

TasteBud works with service providers located in the United States and other countries. If you use TasteBud from elsewhere, your information may be transferred to and processed in countries whose data-protection laws differ from your own. Where required, we take steps to protect your information consistent with this Policy.

9. Security

We protect your information with measures including encryption in transit (HTTPS), passwordless one-time-code sign-in, and access controls. No method of transmission or storage is ever completely secure, so while we work hard to protect your data we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children’s privacy

TasteBud is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your country), and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. If you believe a child has provided us personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

11. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as TasteBud evolves. We’ll revise the “Last updated” date above and, for material changes, provide additional notice where appropriate. Your continued use of TasteBud after an update means you accept the revised Policy.

Contact us

Questions about this document, or want to exercise your privacy rights? Email admin@tastebud.com.