Privacy Policy

Our Approach to Privacy

fdsrch is a food search tool that helps you find foods based on your personal preferences. We collect only the information necessary to provide this service and give you control over your data. This policy explains what we collect, why, and how you can manage it.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account information: If you create an account, we collect your username and password (stored securely hashed)
• Preference settings: Ingredients you want to highlight or avoid, saved as part of your profile
• Favorites: Products you choose to save for quick access
• Contact form submissions: Name, email, and message content when you reach out to us
• Product contributions: Photos and information you submit to help expand our database

Information Collected Automatically

• Search queries: What you search for, to improve search relevance
• Usage patterns: Pages visited, features used, and general interaction with the site
• Device information: Browser type, screen size, and operating system for compatibility
• Approximate location: General geographic area (city/region level) derived from IP address, used for analytics only

Information We Do Not Collect

• Medical conditions or diagnoses
• Health records or medical history
• Precise GPS location
• Payment or financial information
• Social security numbers or government IDs

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Provide the service: Show search results filtered by your preferences
• Remember your settings: Keep your highlight and exclude lists available across sessions
• Improve the product: Understand which features are useful and where we can do better
• Respond to inquiries: Reply to your contact form messages
• Maintain security: Detect and prevent misuse of the service

We do not use your preference data to make inferences about medical conditions, sell advertising, or share with third parties for marketing purposes.

3. Cookies and Local Storage

fdsrch uses browser storage to enhance your experience:

• Session cookies: Keep you logged in during your visit
• Local storage: Remember your highlight and exclude preferences, theme settings, and dismissed banners
• CSRF tokens: Protect against cross-site request forgery (security measure)

We do not use tracking cookies from advertising networks. You can clear browser storage at any time through your browser settings, though this will reset your saved preferences.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data in these circumstances:

• Service providers: Hosting and infrastructure services that help us run fdsrch, bound by confidentiality agreements
• Affiliate partners: When you click on product links, our affiliate partners may receive information about the click (not your personal preferences or account details)
• Legal requirements: When required by law, court order, or government request
• Safety: To protect the rights, safety, or property of Enthropic Data LLC, our users, or the public
• Aggregated data: Non-identifying statistics about overall usage patterns (e.g., "X% of searches include allergen filters")

5. Affiliate Links and Advertising

fdsrch may include affiliate links to retailers where you can purchase products. When you click these links:

• We may earn a commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you)
• The retailer may place cookies to track the referral
• Your personal preference settings are not shared with affiliate partners

Affiliate relationships do not influence which products appear in your search results. Results are based solely on your search terms and preference filters.

We may also display relevant product suggestions based on general search patterns. These suggestions are not based on inferences about health conditions and you can always search and filter freely regardless of displayed suggestions.

6. Data Retention

We retain your information as follows:

• Account data: Until you delete your account or request removal
• Preferences and favorites: Until you delete your account or remove them
• Search logs: Retained for up to 12 months for service improvement, then anonymized or deleted
• Contact submissions: Retained as long as needed to address your inquiry, typically up to 2 years

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have control over your data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Preferences: Modify or clear your highlight/exclude settings at any time
• Cookies: Control or delete cookies through your browser settings

To exercise these rights, contact us and we will respond within 30 days.

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information:

• Encrypted connections (HTTPS) for all data transmission
• Secure password hashing (passwords are never stored in plain text)
• Regular security updates and monitoring
• Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis

No system is perfectly secure. While we take precautions, we cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

9. Children's Privacy

fdsrch is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will notify users through a notice on our website. Continued use of fdsrch after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please contact us.