PRIVACY POLICY

1.1 Scope. This Privacy Policy describes how we may collect and use your personal information when you use our products and services, including those offered through our websites, communications (including without limitation phone calls, texts, chatbots and emails), and mobile applications (collectively, the “Service“). The terms “we”, “us”, and “Chowseek” refer to: (i) Chowseek, LLC., a California limited liabilty company, with its headquarters in San Marino, California.

1.2 The Service. As additionally detailed in this Privacy Policy, we process your personal information for various purposes related to the Service, including, but not limited to, providing the Service’s functionality, fulfilling your requests, improving the Service, conducting research and analysis relating to the Service, personalizing your experience, monitoring usage of the Service, providing feedback to businesses listed on the Service, displaying advertising, providing customer support, communicating with you, maintaining system and data backups, enhancing the security of the Service, and complying with legal obligations.

1.3 Acceptance of Privacy Policy. By accessing or using our App, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you create an account, register for our services, or otherwise provide information through the App, you may be required to affirmatively consent to this Privacy Policy before completing registration. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, you should not access or use the App.

When you use our Service, we may collect and use personal information that you share with us as described in this Section 2.

2.1 Personally identifiable information is any information collected by us or provided by you that, with reasonable efforts, could be used to identify you. Personally identifiable information includes the information you give to us directly, the information we automatically collect, and when applicable, information supplied to us by third parties.

2.2 Account information. When your account is created, we collect, store and use certain information that identifies you such information may include: name, age, physical address, zipcode, email address, phone number, birthdate, and gender.

We may use account information to better personalize your experience, make more relevant recommendations, and for advertising or ad attribution. We also collect, store and use any preferences you choose to provide to personalize your user experience, including dining and activity preferences. You can later add to, or modify some of your account information through your account settings

2.3 Sensitive Personal Information. Chowseek may collect certain sensitive personal information, like precise geolocation, to enhance the Services, personalization, and ads. You may choose to allow Chowseek to collect and store certain sensitive personal information about you (e.g., precise geolocation). If you have allowed Chowseek to access your precise geolocation through your device settings, we may use that information to provide our Services, personalize your experience, make more relevant recommendations, and for advertising or ad attribution, including to recognize your visits to a business.

2.4 Automatically Collected Information. Chowseek may collect and store data about your activity, device, and location when using the Service. This includes, for example, your searches, page views, transactions, and device details like IP address, and mobile carrier.

We collect and store information about your use of the Service, such as your search activity, the pages you view, the date and time of certain visits,time spent in app, user preferences, businesses you contact using our mobile applications, and reservations, purchases, or other transactions you make through the Service.

We also collect and store information that your device may provide to us in Service, such as your browser type, type of device, browser language, IP address, WiFi information such as SSID, mobile carrier, phone number, unique device identifier, advertising identifier, location (including geolocation, beacon based location, and GPS location), and requested and referring URLs and mobile applications.

We collect your information in the following ways: directly from you; automatically using technology like cookies, web bugs, and other web technologies; and directly from our partners and vendors.

3.1 Information Directly From You

As you use the App, information we collect directly from you includes information provided in response to our direct request for your name, age, postal address, email address, and phone number. We may also collect information that you provide in correspondence with our company. In addition, when you fill out a form, complete a survey, sign up for an email list, make a purchase, share content, leave a comment on one of our boards, or engage in other similar interactions, you are directly providing us with your personal information.

If you decide to register for an account with us to access additional resources, services, and goods on our App, you will be asked to complete a form requesting information such as your name and email address in order to create a user account. You will be given the option to upload a photograph for your account.

As a company, we may restrict access to certain portions of our site, and you can control certain privacy settings by logging into your account. If you choose to share information publicly, we cannot guarantee that third parties will not have access to the information.

3.2 Information Automatically Collected Using Technology

Our App uses cookies, web beacons, log files, and similar technologies to automatically collect information about who you are and how you use our App.

3.2 (a) Cookies. Cookies are small files stored on your computer that contain information and are used to track information as you navigate different sites. These technologies work together and collect information about

• the type of device you are using,
• browsers you prefer,
• domain names you may access,
• your activities on the device, and
• your IP address.

These technologies may collect information that identifies or relates to your device, browser, activity, or interactions with our App. The information collected may be combined with other information we obtain about you for purposes such as analytics, security, personalization, and improving our services.

3.2 (b) Control. While we control the Cookies that are integrated into our Service, we do not control Cookies that are set on third-party platforms or sites, even where those cookies track your activity across our Service and third-party platforms or sites. Those parties’ use of Cookies and data is governed by their privacy policies, and not Chowseek’s privacy policy.

3.3 Device Information. Chowseek collects data across devices and platforms. You may access the Service through different devices (e.g., your mobile phone or computer) and different platforms (e.g., through the Chowseek website or mobile apps). The information that we collect and store through those different devices and platforms may be cross-referenced and combined.

3.4 Do Not Track. Browsers and devices allow individuals to send “do not track” signals to websites. If you would like to refuse some or all of the browser cookies, you can set your browser preferences accordingly. Please note that disabling cookies may cause portions of the site to be inaccessible or function incorrectly.

3.5 Information From Third Parties. We may use third-party analytics, advertising, authentication, and service providers to help us operate, analyze, secure, and improve our App. These third parties may collect information through cookies and similar technologies in accordance with their own privacy policies. Our Privacy Policy governs only Chowseek's collection, use, and disclosure of information.

3.6 User Behavior Analytics and Recording Technologies. We may use third-party analytics and user behavior tools, including session replay, heat maps, and similar technologies, to better understand how users interact with our App, improve functionality, identify technical issues, enhance user experience, and analyze usage trends. These tools may collect information about your interactions with the App, including pages or screens viewed, clicks, navigation paths, device information, and other usage activity. These technologies may be provided by third-party service providers, including analytics providers described in Section 5 of this Privacy Policy. These providers may collect information through cookies, pixels, or similar technologies and their collection and use of information is governed by their respective privacy policies.

4.1 Purpose. We collect and use information from you for the following purposes:

• to operate and maintain our site
• to present our content to you through our site
• to communicate with you
• to fulfill our obligations to you as presented when you provided the information
• to notify you about changes to our site
• to enhance and optimize your experience
• for marketing and advertising purposes
• for any other purpose within your consent or within our legal obligations.

4.2 Contact and Subscription Communications. We may use the information you provide to respond to your inquiries, communicate with you regarding your use of our site or our services, and, if you subscribe or otherwise opt in, to send you newsletters, legal updates, marketing communications, event announcements, and other information that may be of interest to you. You may unsubscribe from marketing or promotional communications at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link included in our emails, updating your communication preferences (if available), or contacting us at privacy@chowseek.com. Even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may continue to send you transactional or administrative communications that are necessary to provide requested services, respond to your inquiries, or otherwise manage our relationship with you.

4.3 Targeted Advertising. When you visit our site, the data collected by cookies during your visit may also be used to advertise to you. The analytics from your visit help us understand what may be of interest to you.

You can visit https://optout.aboutads.info to control the collection of web data on your computer and to opt out of additional targeted marketing.

4.4 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. We may use artificial intelligence ("AI"), machine learning technologies, or automated tools to improve our App, enhance user experiences, analyze usage patterns, provide recommendations, improve functionality, detect and prevent fraud or security issues, and support our business operations. We may process information collected through your use of the App in connection with these technologies.

We may share your personal information with third-party service providers and other third parties as necessary to operate our website, provide our services, process payments, authenticate users, analyze website usage, improve the performance and security of our services, communicate with you, comply with legal obligations, and for the other purposes described in this Privacy Policy. We do not sell your personal information for monetary consideration. However, certain uses of cookies, analytics tools, pixels, or similar technologies may constitute a a “sale” or "sharing" of personal information under applicable law, including the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, for purposes of cross-context behavioral advertising. If applicable, California residents may exercise their right to opt out of such sharing as described in Section 9 of this Privacy Policy. We may also disclose or transfer your personal information in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, sale of assets, bankruptcy, reorganization, dissolution, or other corporate transaction, in which case your personal information may be transferred as a business asset.

5.1 Third Party Service Providers. We engage third-party service providers to help us operate our website, process payments, analyze website traffic, authenticate users, host data, improve website performance, and provide other business services. Below is a non-exclusive list of some of those providers:

• Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a tool used to discover user demographics and behavior. You can reference Google’s privacy policy regarding how they handle information collected by visiting https://policies.google.com/privacy.
• Stripe. Stripe is a payment processor for online businesses. Its policies regarding data collection are outlined here: https://stripe.com/privacy.
• Microsoft Clarity. Microsoft Clarity is a website analytics and user behavior tool. Its policies regarding data collection are outlined here: https://privacy.microsoft.com/privacy.
• Facebook Login. Facebook Login enables users to authenticate using their Facebook account. Its policies regarding data collection are outlined here: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/.
• Google Login. Google Login enables users to authenticate and sign in using their Google account. Depending on the permissions granted, we may receive certain profile information, such as your name, email address, profile picture, and unique account identifier. Google's policies regarding data collection are outlined here: https://policies.google.com/privacy
• Apple Sign-in. Sign in with Apple enables users to authenticate and sign in using their Apple account. Depending on the permissions granted and your Apple account settings, we may receive certain information, such as your name and email address, including a private relay email address if you choose to hide your email. Apple's policies regarding data collection are outlined here: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/
• Cloudflare. Cloudflare provides content delivery network (CDN), website performance, and security services, including protection against malicious traffic and attacks. Its policies regarding data collection are outlined here: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/
• Supabase. Supabase provides cloud database, authentication, storage, and backend infrastructure services that support the functionality of our site and services. Its policies regarding data collection are outlined here: https://supabase.com/privacy.

5.2 Subject to Change. This list is subject to change at our discretion. If you would like more information about our third-party partners, please visit their specific privacy policy pages that describe their practices.

5.3 Investigations and Legal Disclosures. We may access, preserve, use, or disclose your personal information when we have a good faith belief that doing so is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, court order, subpoena, or governmental request; (b) investigate, prevent, or address suspected fraud, security incidents, illegal activity, or violations of our Terms of Service or other agreements; (c) protect the rights, property, safety, or security of Chowseek, our users, our affiliates, or the public; or (d) establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

6.1 Security Measures. As a company, the protection of your personal information is important to us. We have implemented reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, misuse, or destruction. These safeguards may include secure servers and hosting environments, access controls, encryption where appropriate, multi-factor authentication where available, and security measures implemented by our third-party service providers, including PCI-compliant payment processing through our payment providers.

While we take reasonable measures to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of any information collected through our App or transmitted to us. Any transmission of information is at your own risk.

6.2 Account Security. If you create an account on our App, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials, including your username and password. You should not share your account credentials with any third party and should notify us promptly if you believe your account has been accessed without authorization or if you become aware of any security issue involving your account.

7.1 Age Limits for Children. Children under the age of thirteen are prohibited from accessing the App. Additionally, we do not use our site to knowingly collect personal information from children. Please contact us if you learn or have reason to suspect that a child under the age of thirteen is using the App. We will take prompt action to delete any personal information about the child.

8.1 Correcting or Updating Your Information. If you discover that inaccurate information about you has been collected, or if you would like to update the information we currently have, please contact us via email at privacy@chowseek.com or by mail at Chowseek LLC, 2627 Mission Street, Suite 5, San Marino, California 91108.

8.2 Account Deletion. You may delete your account and associated personal information at any time directly within the App. This will delete your account and personal information from our active systems, subject to the retention exceptions below. If you cannot access the App, you may also request deletion by contacting privacy@chowseek.com or Chowseek LLC, 2627 Mission Street, Suite 5, San Marino, California 91108.

This section is only applicable for individuals who reside in California and should be read in conjunction with our entire Privacy Policy.

9.1 Specific California Resident Rights. If you are a California resident, you have the right to

• obtain additional information about the categories and specific pieces of "personal information" (as defined in the CCPA) we have collected about you;
• request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected, used, disclosed, and sold or shared about you;
• request correction of inaccurate personal information we maintain about you;
• request deletion of your personal information;
• opt out of the sale of your personal information;
• opt out of the sharing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising; and
• limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information to purposes permitted by the CCPA.

The information covered by these specific rights is information that could be reasonably linked to you. It excludes information that cannot be reasonably linked to you.

9.2 Information Table. To help you better understand our practices, the chart below describes the categories of personal information collected, the sources of this information, how we use this information, and with which third parties we have shared this information within the past twelve months.

9.3 Opt Out. To exercise your right to make requests regarding your personal information, please contact us via email at privacy@chowseek.com or by mail at Chowseek LLC, 2627 Mission Street, Suite 5, San Marino, California 91108. We may take steps to verify your identity before providing the requested information.

10.1 Updates to This Policy. We may update this policy from time to time. If any updates are made to this policy, they will be posted here. Additionally, if material changes are made to this policy, we will notify you via a notice to this App, and registered users will receive an additional email. Please check this page frequently for updates.

10.2 International Users. Our App is operated in the United States, and the information we collect may be processed and stored in the United States or other countries where we or our third-party service providers maintain operations. If you access or use our App from outside the United States, you understand that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in jurisdictions that may not have the same data protection laws as your country of residence. By using our App and providing your information, you consent to the transfer, storage, and processing of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law. We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is handled in accordance with applicable privacy and data protection requirements.

10.3 Contact Us. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our services, please contact us via email at privacy@chowseek.com or by mail at 2627 Mission Street, Suite 5, San Marino, California 91108.