Privacy Policy

Restaurantica is owned and operated by PointForm, Inc., an Ontario corporation located at 412 Laird Road, Unit 101, Guelph, ON, N1G 3X7, Canada. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you visit Restaurantica ("the Site").

We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation.

By using the Site, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with these practices, please do not use the Site.

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Information Collected Automatically

When you visit Restaurantica, certain information is collected automatically through your browser and our server infrastructure. This includes:

• IP address (used for approximate geographic location and security purposes)
• Browser type and version (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Firefox)
• Operating system and device information (e.g., desktop, mobile, tablet)
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation paths
• Referral source (how you arrived at the Site)
• Date and time of your visit

Analytics Data

We use web analytics services to understand how visitors interact with our content. Analytics data is collected in aggregate and anonymized where possible.

Account Information

When you create an account on Restaurantica, we collect the following information through our authentication provider, Clerk:

• Email address — provided via Google OAuth or direct signup
• Display name — from your Google profile or entered manually
• Profile image — from your Google profile (if using Google OAuth)
• Username — auto-generated from your email address

Your account also stores the following preferences and activity data:

• Email preferences — whether you have opted in to notifications
• Profile visibility — your choice of public or private profile
• Saved restaurants — restaurants you have bookmarked
• Reviews and photos — content you have contributed
• Tag votes — your votes on restaurant menu tags
• Last active timestamp — updated when you visit the Site while signed in

You are not required to create an account to browse the Site. Account creation is only needed to save restaurants, write reviews, upload photos, and vote on tags.

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We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Content improvement: Understanding which restaurants, cities, and features are most valuable to our users
• Traffic analysis: Monitoring overall Site performance and identifying technical issues
• Personalization: Limited to general regional relevance based on IP address
• Communication: If you have opted in, sending you periodic updates and new content alerts. We comply with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and will only send emails where we have obtained your consent
• Security and fraud prevention: Protecting the Site against malicious activity

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Cookies We Use

Restaurantica uses the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Necessary for the Site to function properly, such as authentication session cookies
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the Site. Data is aggregated and anonymized where possible
• Preference cookies: May remember choices you make to provide a more tailored experience

Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to view, delete, or block cookies. Please note that blocking certain cookies may affect your experience on the Site.

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We work with a limited number of third-party service providers to operate the Site:

Each third-party service operates under its own privacy policy. We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties.

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Restaurantica offers an AI-powered chat assistant that can help you discover restaurants. When you use the chat assistant:

• Your chat messages are sent to our AI provider for processing
• Chat messages are ephemeral — they are processed in real time and are not stored after your session ends
• No personally identifiable information (name, email, account data) is sent to the AI provider

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We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Site, but only to the extent necessary for them to provide their services
• Legal requirements: We may disclose personal information if required to do so by law, regulation, or legal process
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction

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We retain personal information only as long as necessary:

• Account data: Retained for as long as your account is active, plus 30 days after deletion
• Reviews and photos: Retained for as long as your account is active
• AI chat messages: Not retained. Discarded immediately after the session
• Server logs: Retained for up to 12 months for security purposes

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Under PIPEDA, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Right of correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to withdrawal of consent: You may withdraw your consent at any time
• Right to deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information
• Right to complaint: You may file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information below.

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Restaurantica is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

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We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Use of encryption (HTTPS/TLS) for all data transmission
• Restricted access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
• Use of reputable, security-conscious third-party service providers

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We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, the updated policy will be posted on this page. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

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If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

PointForm, Inc.
412 Laird Road, Unit 101
Guelph, ON N1G 3X7
Canada

Email: admin@pointform.com