Privacy Policy

Open Spice Box ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website openspicebox.com (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our Site and use our services. Please read this policy carefully. By accessing or using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

When you create an account, interact with our Site, or contact us, we may collect:

• Account information: name, email address, and password
• Profile preferences: dietary preferences, cuisine interests, and favorite ingredients
• User-generated content: recipe ratings, comments, and saved collections
• Communications: messages you send us via contact forms or email
• Authentication data: if you sign in through a third-party provider (e.g., Google), we receive your name and email from that provider

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information, including:

• Device information: browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and device identifiers
• Usage data: pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, referring URLs, and search queries used on the Site
• Network information: IP address and approximate geographic location
• Cookies and similar technologies: see Section 4 below

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account
• Personalize your experience (e.g., recipe recommendations based on dietary preferences)
• Display your ratings, comments, and public profile information
• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• Send you updates, newsletters, or promotional communications (with your consent)
• Analyze usage trends to improve Site functionality and content
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, or technical issues
• Comply with legal obligations

3. Sensitive Personal Information

Some information you provide — such as dietary preferences and restrictions — may reveal health conditions (e.g., allergies, celiac disease) or religious beliefs (e.g., halal, kosher). Under certain privacy laws, this data may be classified as sensitive personal information. We collect this information only with your explicit consent and use it solely to personalize your recipe and ingredient recommendations. You may update or delete this information at any time through your profile settings.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use the following types of cookies and similar technologies:

Essential Cookies

Required for authentication, session management, and core Site functionality. These cannot be disabled.

Analytics Cookies

Help us understand how visitors interact with the Site. We may use services such as Google Analytics to collect anonymized usage data. These services may set their own cookies.

Advertising Cookies

If we display advertisements, third-party ad networks may use cookies to serve ads relevant to your interests. These partners may collect data across websites.

Managing Cookies

Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically find these options in your browser's "Settings," "Preferences," or "Privacy" menu. Disabling certain cookies may affect Site functionality. You may also opt out of personalized advertising through the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising Alliance.

5. Third-Party Services

We may share information with the following categories of third-party service providers:

• Hosting and infrastructure: to store and serve website content and data
• Authentication providers: to enable sign-in via third-party accounts (e.g., Google OAuth)
• Analytics providers: to measure Site usage and performance
• Advertising networks: to display relevant ads on the Site
• Email service providers: to send transactional and marketing communications

These providers access your information only to perform services on our behalf and are obligated to protect it. We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

6. User-Generated Content

When you post a comment, rate a recipe, or create a public collection, that content may be visible to other users and the general public. Your display name may appear alongside your contributions. You are solely responsible for the content you submit. We reserve the right to remove content that violates our Terms of Service. Please do not include sensitive personal information in public posts.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal, accounting, or security purposes. Anonymized and aggregated data that can no longer identify you may be retained indefinitely for analytics purposes.

8. Data Security

We implement commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL), secure authentication mechanisms, and access controls on our systems. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Privacy Rights

9.1 All Users

Regardless of your location, you may:

• Access and update your personal information through your profile settings
• Delete your account by contacting us
• Opt out of marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link in any email
• Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you

9.2 European Economic Area, UK, and Switzerland (GDPR)

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have the following additional rights:

• Right of access: request confirmation of whether we process your data and obtain a copy
• Right to rectification: request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure: request deletion of your personal data
• Right to restrict processing: request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time
• Right to lodge a complaint: file a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority

Our legal bases for processing include: performance of a contract (account services), consent (marketing, sensitive data), and legitimate interests (analytics, security).

9.3 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Right to know: request details about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we collect
• Right to delete: request deletion of your personal information
• Right to correct: request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Right to opt out: opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information
• Right to limit use of sensitive data: limit our use of sensitive personal information to what is necessary
• Right to non-discrimination: you will not be penalized for exercising your privacy rights

We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA. We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals sent by your browser. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address below.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States, where our servers and service providers are located. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those of your jurisdiction. By using the Site, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries. Where required by law, we use appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses to protect your data during international transfers.

11. Children's Privacy

The Site is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 16, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe a child under 16 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

12. Links to Third-Party Websites

The Site may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit.

13. Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on the Site of any change in ownership or use of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your information.

14. Email Communications

We may send you transactional emails related to your account (e.g., password resets, account confirmations). These are essential to our service and cannot be opted out of. With your consent, we may also send marketing emails such as newsletters, recipe collections, or promotional content. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any email or by updating your preferences in your profile settings.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where required by law, notify you by email or through a notice on the Site. Your continued use of the Site after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about how your information is handled, please contact us:

• Email: privacy@openspicebox.com
• Contact form: openspicebox.com/contact

We will respond to privacy-related requests within 30 days, or sooner where required by applicable law.