Privacy Policy
Effective date: July 2, 2026
We built Chouf to help people with dietary needs find great restaurants. Here's exactly what we collect, why we collect it, and what you can do about it.
What we collect
Account information
When you sign up with an email and password, we store your email address. Your password is never stored in plain text — Clerk, our authentication provider, handles password hashing and secure storage. If you sign in with Google, we store OAuth tokens that keep you logged in.
Dietary preferences
The dietary restrictions and preferences you select are saved so we can surface relevant restaurant dishes. You can update or clear these any time in Settings.
Location data
When you search for nearby restaurants, we record your approximate latitude and longitude in our search logs. We use this to find and rank restaurants near you. We do not track your location continuously — only when you actively run a search.
Reviews, ratings, and photos
When you submit a review, star rating, or photo for a restaurant or menu item, we store that content and display it to other users.
How we use your data
- Authenticate you and keep your session active
- Find nearby restaurants that match your dietary preferences using your location
- Display your reviews and photos to other users
- Understand how the app is used, via PostHog analytics (see below for opt-out)
We do not sell your data. We do not use your dietary information for advertising.
Who else sees it
We work with a small number of trusted services to run Chouf:
| Service | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Clerk | Authentication — stores credentials, sessions, and Google OAuth tokens securely |
| PostHog | Anonymized product analytics (page views, feature usage). Does not receive your dietary preferences or search history. |
| AWS S3 | Stores photos you upload to restaurant pages |
| Google Maps / Places | Finds nearby restaurants using your location. Google's Privacy Policy governs how Google processes this data. |
How long we keep it
- Account data and preferences — until you delete your account
- Search logs (location history) — automatically deleted after 90 days
- Photos — stored until you delete them or your account is closed
- Reviews and ratings — displayed until deleted; removed when your account is closed
Your rights and choices
- Request your data — email privacy@choufapp.com and we'll send you a copy of what we have
- Delete your account — go to Settings → Delete account; this removes your profile, preferences, reviews, and photos
- Update your preferences — available any time in Settings
- Opt out of analytics — PostHog respects the browser Do Not Track (DNT) signal; you can also email us to be excluded
Children's privacy
Chouf is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect their data. If you believe we have data from a child, email privacy@choufapp.com and we will delete it promptly.
Changes
When we make material changes, we'll update the effective date above and, where feasible, notify you by email.
Questions?
Email privacy@choufapp.com