Privacy Policy

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

We collect the following personal information:

• Account Information: Name, email address, profile image (from Google OAuth)
• Age Verification: Date of birth (to comply with legal drinking age requirements)
• Location Data: Country, state, postcode, city (for region-specific recommendations)
• Wine Preferences: Favorite varietals, preferred wine types, price range, knowledge level
• Dietary Information: Dietary preferences, alcohol tolerance
• Usage Data: Wine recommendations requested, saved wines, food pairings, taste descriptions

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Session information and authentication tokens
• Device information and browser type
• IP address and general location
• Usage patterns and timestamps

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Delivery

• Provide personalized wine recommendations
• Save and manage your wine cellar
• Pre-fill forms with your saved preferences
• Verify you meet legal drinking age requirements

3.2 Analytics and Insights (with your consent)

• Understand Australian wine buyer preferences and habits
• Improve our recommendation algorithms
• Generate anonymized insights for the Australian wine industry
• Identify trends in wine consumption and preferences

3.3 Communication

• Send important service updates
• Respond to your inquiries
• Notify you of changes to our service

4. Analytics Consent

We ask for your explicit consent to use your data for analytics and wine buyer insights. You can:

• Opt in or opt out of analytics at any time in your Profile settings
• Use our service fully even if you opt out of analytics
• Request details about how your data is used in analytics

When you consent to analytics, your data is anonymized and aggregated with other users' data to generate insights. Individual user data is never shared with third parties.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: Third-party services that help us operate (e.g., Google OAuth, database hosting, AI services)
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our legal rights
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• Anonymized Data: Aggregated, anonymized insights may be shared with the Australian wine industry (only with your analytics consent)

6. Your Rights

Under Australian Privacy Principles and GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data (use “Export My Data” in your profile)
• Correction: Update or correct your information in your profile settings
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and all associated data
• Withdraw Consent: Opt out of analytics at any time without affecting service access
• Portability: Export your data in a machine-readable format (JSON)
• Lodge a Complaint: Contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• Encrypted connections (HTTPS/SSL)
• Secure authentication via Google OAuth
• Database encryption and access controls
• Regular security audits

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. You may delete your account at any time, which will permanently remove all your data.

9. Age Restrictions

Our service is only available to users aged 18 and over (or the legal drinking age in your jurisdiction). We verify age during account creation and do not knowingly collect data from minors.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by updating the “Last updated” date and, where appropriate, sending you an email notification.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us at:

12. Australian Privacy Principles Compliance

This policy is designed to comply with the 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). For more information about your privacy rights in Australia, visit the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) website at www.oaic.gov.au.