MENUCAL Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 30, 2025

MENUCAL ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the MENUCAL iOS application (the "App") and its related services.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

Category	Examples	Purpose
Images & Menu Text	Photos of restaurant menus you capture; text extracted via Optical Character Recognition ("OCR")	To identify menu items and provide nutritional analysis
Derived Nutritional Data	Calorie estimates, macronutrient breakdown, dietary tags	To display results in‑app
Device Information	Device model, OS version, unique device identifiers, crash logs	App functionality, troubleshooting, analytics
Usage Data	Pages viewed, features used, subscription status	Product improvement, subscription management
Contact Information (optional)	Email address (if you contact us)	Customer support

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information (e.g., health records). If you provide such data through free‑text fields, it will be processed only as necessary to deliver the requested service.

2. How We Collect Information

You provide images directly when you tap the Scan Menu button.
OCR is performed on‑device; extracted text is sent to the Perplexity API for analysis.
Device and usage data are collected automatically through Apple frameworks and our analytics provider (currently Apple's App Analytics).

3. How We Use Your Information

Core Service Delivery – Identify menu items and return nutritional estimates.
App Improvement – Monitor feature usage, diagnose crashes, and refine AI models.
Subscription Management – Verify purchase receipts, enable premium features, and restore purchases.
Customer Support – Respond to your inquiries.
Legal Compliance – Satisfy regulatory obligations and defend our legal rights.

4. Sharing Your Information

We may share your information with the following recipients:

Recipient	Purpose	Safeguards
Perplexity AI	Menu text is sent for nutritional analysis.	Data transmitted via HTTPS; subject to Perplexity's privacy policy (link provided in app/original text).
Apple (App Store, iCloud)	In‑app purchase processing, crash reporting, analytics.	Governed by Apple's privacy terms.
Service Providers	Cloud hosting, logging, or analytics tools (if any future vendors are added).	Contractually bound to protect data and use it only for our instructions.
Legal Authorities	When required by law or to protect rights, property, or safety.	Only as legally necessary.

We do not sell or rent your personal data.

5. Data Retention

Images you capture are not stored on our servers after nutritional data is returned.
Extracted text and nutritional estimates are stored on secure servers for up to 30 days for debugging and model‑training purposes, after which they are permanently deleted or anonymized.
Subscription and purchase records are retained as required by tax and accounting laws (typically 7 years).

6. Data Security

We employ administrative, technical, and physical safeguards such as encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS), least‑privilege access controls, and routine security audits. No system is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to:

Access, correct, or delete personal data we hold about you.
Object to or restrict certain processing.
Receive a portable copy of your data.

You can exercise these rights by emailing privacy@menucalapp.com. We may require verification of your identity before fulfilling your request.

8. Children's Privacy

MENUCAL is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them. If we learn that we have received information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be processed and stored in the United States or other countries where we or our service providers operate. We rely on contractual clauses and other safeguards for cross‑border transfers.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via an in‑app notice or other appropriate means. Your continued use of MENUCAL after the update signifies acceptance.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact us at:

MENUCAL Privacy Team
Email: privacy@menucalapp.com
Address: MENUCAL LLC, 1234 W. Nutrition Way, Chicago, IL 60601, USA