Privacy Policy

EchoNests (“we,” “us,” “our”) values your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you visit https://echonests.com/ or use our mobile applications (collectively, the “Service”). By accessing or using the Service, you consent to the data practices outlined below.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

  • Account Registration Data: When you sign up, we collect:
    • Full name (if provided)
    • Email address (if provided via Google authentication)
    • Phone number (verification via SMS)
    • Profile photo (optional)
  • Recipe Content: When you upload or record a recipe, we collect:
    • Audio recordings of recipes
    • Photo(s) you choose to add to a recipe
    • Recipe title, description, and tags (e.g., “vegetarian,” “Indian dessert”)
    • Comments and replies you post on other users’ recipes
  • Messages & Chat Content: Any direct messages or group chat messages you send are also collected and stored.
  • Feedback Submissions: If you use our feedback form, we collect:
    • Your name (optional)
    • Your email address (optional)
    • Your feedback message

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

  • Usage Data:
    • Date and time of your visits to the Service
    • Pages you view, features you use, and time spent on each page
    • IP address, device type (mobile, tablet, desktop), operating system, and browser type
  • Device Data & Cookies:
    • We use cookies, localStorage, and similar tracking technologies to collect information about how you interact with the Service, remember your preferences (e.g., language), and enable certain features (e.g., “Remember Me”).
    • See Section 6 (“Cookies & Tracking Technologies”) for more details.

1.3 Third-Party Sources

  • Google Authentication: If you sign up with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo from Google.
  • SMS Verification: We use a third-party SMS service (via Supabase or another provider) to verify phone numbers. We do not store your SMS messages; we only verify ownership of the phone number.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

  • Provide & Operate the Service:
    • Enable account creation, login, and profile management.
    • Allow you to record, upload, and share recipes.
    • Host photos, audio, and chat messages.
    • Send push notifications (e.g., new recipe alerts, comment notifications, recipe requests).
  • Personalize Your Experience:
    • Improve search results and recipe recommendations (e.g., based on tags or past activity).
    • Remember your language preference (English or Hindi) and other display settings.
  • Communicate with You:
    • Send transactional messages (e.g., account verification, password resets).
    • Respond to support tickets or feedback forms.
    • Notify you of major updates, changes to policies, or new features.
  • Security & Fraud Prevention:
    • Monitor for suspicious or abusive behavior.
    • Verify account ownership via SMS or Google.
    • Detect and prevent malicious activity (e.g., unauthorized login attempts).
  • Analytics & Improvements:
    • Analyze usage data to understand trends, measure performance, and improve the Service.
    • Conduct internal research to refine existing features or develop new ones.
  • Legal Compliance:
    • Comply with legal obligations, respond to lawful requests (e.g., subpoenas), and enforce our Terms of Service.

3. Legal Basis for Processing (If Applicable Under Global Privacy Laws)

  • Consent: When you explicitly consent (e.g., agreeing to receive push notifications).
  • Performance of Contract: To fulfill our obligations under these Terms and to provide you with the Service.
  • Legitimate Interests: To administer your account, ensure security, and improve the Service.
  • Legal Obligations: To comply with applicable laws and regulations.

4. Sharing & Disclosure of Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share information in the following circumstances:

  • Service Providers & Subprocessors: We may share data with third-party vendors that help us operate, maintain, or improve the Service, including:
    • Hosting & Storage: Supabase (database), Amazon Cloud Storage (audio/photo storage).
    • SMS Verification: Third-party SMS gateway (for phone verification).
    • Push Notifications: Providers that deliver mobile/web push notifications.
    • Analytics: Services that aggregate usage metrics (e.g., Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics).
    • Email & Customer Support: Third-party email delivery services and helpdesk software (e.g., SendGrid, Mailgun, Zendesk).

    These providers are granted access only to the data necessary to perform their specific functions and are contractually bound to keep your information confidential and secure.

  • Aggregate or De-Identified Data:
    • We may share usage trends, analytics, or demographic information that is aggregated and de-identified. This information cannot reasonably be used to identify you.
  • Legal Requirements:
    • We may disclose personal data if required to do so by law or in response to a valid subpoena, court order, or other legal process.
    • To enforce our Terms of Service, investigate potential violations, or protect the rights, property, or safety of EchoNests, its users, or the public.
  • Business Transfers:
    • If EchoNests is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify affected users via email or a conspicuous notice on the Service before any data transfer occurs.

5. Data Retention & Deletion

  • Account Data: We retain your profile information, recipes, and messages for as long as your account is active.
  • Deleted Accounts: When you delete your account, we will remove your personal profile data (name, email, phone) immediately. However, recipes or comments you posted may remain visible but will be disassociated from your identity (e.g., labeled as “Deleted User”).
  • Backups & Archives: We may retain cached or archived copies of your data for a limited period for legitimate business purposes (e.g., restoring data after an outage), after which it will be permanently deleted.
  • Legal Obligations: We may retain data beyond account deletion if required by law, dispute resolution, or for audit purposes.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, localStorage, and similar technologies to:

  • Authenticate & Maintain User Sessions: To keep you logged in as you navigate through pages.
  • Remember Preferences: Such as language (English/Hindi) and display preferences.
  • Analytics & Performance: Collect usage information to help us improve the Service.
  • Security & Fraud Prevention: Detect suspicious activity or unauthorized access.

Types of Cookies:

  • Necessary Cookies: Required for basic functionality (e.g., session cookies, authentication cookies).
  • Performance & Analytics Cookies: Collect information on how users interact with the Service (e.g., page views, clicks) and may be set by third-party analytics providers.
  • Functional Cookies: Remember user preferences or settings.

You can control cookie settings through your browser. However, disabling necessary cookies may prevent you from using certain features of the Service.

7. Third-Party Links

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites, products, or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third parties. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.

8. Security of Your Information

We implement industry-standard security measures (e.g., encryption in transit via HTTPS/TLS, role-based access controls, secure server configurations) to protect your personal information. Unfortunately, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. If a data breach occurs, we will notify affected users and relevant authorities in accordance with applicable law.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our Service is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided personal data, we will delete such information promptly. If you become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, please contact us at support@echonests.com.

10. International Users & Cross-Border Transfers

EchoNests is operated from Canada. If you access the Service from outside Canada, your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in Canada or other jurisdictions where our service providers operate. By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to Canada and any other country in which our processors are located, where data protection laws may be different from those where you live.

11. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

  • Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Correction: You can request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Deletion (“Right to be Forgotten”): You can request that we delete your data, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal obligations).
  • Restriction of Processing: You may restrict how we process your data in certain circumstances (e.g., if you contest its accuracy).
  • Data Portability: You may request a machine-readable copy of your data.
  • Opt-out of Marketing: If we send you marketing emails, you can opt out at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in the email.
  • Object to Processing: You can object to the processing of your data on grounds relating to your particular situation, if we rely on the legal basis of legitimate interests.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at support@echonests.com. We will respond to legitimate requests in accordance with applicable law.

12. Do Not Track & Advertising

We do not track you across third-party websites for advertising purposes. We do not share your data with advertisers. Any push notifications or emails you receive from us are solely to facilitate your use of the Service (e.g., new recipe alerts, comments on your recipes).

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When changes are made, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email (if you have provided one) or via a prominent notice within the Service. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Email: support@echonests.com

Thank you for trusting EchoNests. We are committed to preserving your culinary heritage while respecting your privacy and protecting your information.