Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Chow! Nava Teja Tummalapalli (referred to as "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring you have a positive experience while using our Chow application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy outlines our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your information when you use Chow.

It also explains your rights regarding your personal data under various privacy regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for users in California.

2. Data Controller

Nava Teja Tummalapalli (referred to as "we," "us," or "our") is the data controller responsible for the processing of your personal data in connection with the Chow App. I am the individual developer and operator of the Chow App.

3. Personal Data We Collect

When you use Chow, we collect the following categories of personal data:

• Camera and Location Data: When you take a photo using the App, we access your device's camera and location services. We collect:
  • Photos: The images you capture using the App's camera feature.
  • Location Data: Your device's precise location (latitude and longitude) at the time you take a photo. This location data is intended to be saved as a parameter associated with the photo (geo-tagging).

• Account Information: When you create an account or log in to Chow using Apple Sign-In or Google Sign-In, we receive:
  • Email Address: Shared by Apple or Google as part of the sign-in process, used for account management and potentially communication related to your account (e.g., service updates, if applicable).

• Analytics and Crashlytics Data: We collect certain technical data automatically to help us understand how users interact with the App, improve its functionality, and diagnose and resolve crashes. This may include:
  • Usage Data: Information about your interactions with the App's features, frequency of use, and other usage patterns.
  • Crash Reports: Technical information about app crashes and errors to help us identify and fix issues.
  • Device Identifiers (Potentially): Depending on the specific analytics and crashlytics tools we use (e.g., Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics), we may collect device-specific identifiers. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics to understand exactly what data they collect.

4. Purposes of Processing Personal Data and Legal Basis

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

• Providing the Core Functionality of Chow:
  • Camera and Location Data (Photos & Location): To enable you to take photos and record the location where the photo was taken, fulfilling the primary function of the App.
  • Legal Basis (GDPR): For this purpose, the legal basis for processing is likely Article 6(1)(b) GDPR - Performance of a contract: processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract. (Users download and use the app to take and presumably locate photos – this is inherent to the service).
  • Legal Basis (CCPA): This processing is consistent with the ordinary operation and purpose for which we collected the personal information.

• Account Management and Authentication:
  • Email Address: To manage your Chow account, authenticate your logins, and potentially communicate with you regarding service-related announcements.
  • Legal Basis (GDPR): Article 6(1)(b) GDPR - Performance of a contract. (Account creation is part of accessing and using the App).
  • Legal Basis (CCPA): This processing is consistent with the ordinary operation and purpose for which we collected the personal information.

• App Improvement and Technical Support:
  • Analytics and Crashlytics Data: To analyze App usage, understand user behavior, improve the App's features and user experience, and diagnose and fix technical issues and crashes.
  • Legal Basis (GDPR): Article 6(1)(f) GDPR - Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests in improving and maintaining the App, and these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. We have carefully considered the necessity and proportionality of this processing and its impact on your privacy.
  • Legal Basis (CCPA): This processing is consistent with the ordinary operation and purpose for which we collected the personal information, and for debugging to identify and repair errors.

5. Data Storage and Security

• Data Storage: Your photos, location data, and account information are stored in Firebase, a service provided by Google. Data is stored until you choose to delete it within the App.
• Data Security: We utilize Firebase's robust security features to protect your data. Firebase is designed with security in mind and implements various measures to safeguard data integrity and confidentiality, including encryption in transit and at rest. Data within Firebase is logically separated, meaning your data is only accessible to you as the user who created it.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, or as required by law. Specifically:

• Photos, Location Data, and Account Information: We retain this data until you actively delete it through the App's functionalities. Once you delete your data within the App, it will be permanently deleted from our systems, subject to standard Firebase data deletion timelines and potential backups within their systems.
• Analytics and Crashlytics Data: We retain analytics and crashlytics data in accordance with the data retention policies of [Name of Analytics Tool(s) - e.g., Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics]. You should review their respective privacy policies for details. Generally, this data is aggregated and anonymized over time.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not share your personal data with any third parties, except in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers (Sub-processors): Firebase (Google) acts as our service provider for data storage. They process data on our behalf and under our instructions, subject to appropriate data processing agreements.
• Legal Obligations: We may disclose your personal data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., court orders, government regulations). policies for details. Generally, this data is aggregated and anonymized over time.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

8. Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Data

You have certain rights regarding your personal data, depending on your location and applicable privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA). These rights may include:

• Right to Access: : You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data, which you can exercise directly within the Chow App by deleting your data.
• Right to Restrict Processing: In certain circumstances, you may have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data
• Right to Object to Processing: You may have the right to object to the processing of your personal data based on legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR), although we believe our legitimate interests are balanced and necessary.
• Right to Data Portability: Under GDPR, you may have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit those data to another controller. [Consider if data portability is practically feasible for your data and if you want to offer this. If so, you'll need to implement a mechanism for users to export their data.]
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country if you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes applicable law.

Exercising Your Rights: To exercise your rights, please contact us at thechowapp@gmail.com. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable law.

For California Residents (CCPA Specific Rights):

If you are a California resident, the CCPA provides you with specific rights regarding your personal information. In addition to the rights mentioned above (Access, Deletion, and Rectification, which are broadly similar under CCPA), you also have:

• Right to Know: You have the right to request to know what personal information we have collected about you, including the categories and specific pieces of personal information, the categories of sources from which the personal information is collected, the business or commercial purpose for collecting, selling, or sharing personal information, and the categories of third parties with whom we share personal information. You can find much of this information in this Privacy Policy.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale (Although we do not sell your data): The CCPA gives California residents the right to opt-out of the "sale" of their personal information. We want to reiterate that we do not sell your personal information.

9. International Data Transfers

As we use Firebase, your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside of your country of residence, potentially including countries that may not offer the same level of data protection as your country. However, Firebase implements appropriate safeguards for international data transfers, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, to ensure adequate protection of your data in accordance with GDPR requirements.

10. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our data practices or legal obligations. We will post any changes on this page [chow.nsquared.com/privacy] and update the "Effective Date" at the top of this policy. For significant changes, we may provide you with more prominent notice (e.g., in-app notification or email). We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any updates.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: