Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Sue Chef ("Sue Chef," "we," "us," or "our") operates a web application that helps people cook hands-free using voice guidance and an AI cooking assistant ("Sue"). You can reach us at support@asksuechef.com with any privacy questions.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us

• Account information: your name, email address, an optional phone number, and a password (stored only in encrypted/hashed form — we never store your plain password).
• Recipes and content: recipes you paste, link, email in, or create, along with any collections, meal plans, grocery lists, ratings, reviews, and notes you add.
• Communications: messages you send to our support address or feedback you submit.
• Newsletter preference: whether you opted in to receive our recipe email newsletter.

Information collected automatically

• Usage data: basic information about how you use the app (pages visited, features used, general activity) to operate and improve the service.
• Device and log data: your browser type, IP address, and similar technical information sent automatically by your device.
• Cookies: we use a small number of necessary cookies to keep you signed in and to run the service. We do not use advertising cookies.

Voice data

When you use hands-free voice features, your spoken commands are processed by your browser's speech recognition and by our AI assistant to respond to you. We use this audio/text only to provide the cooking assistance you requested. We do not sell voice data or use it to build advertising profiles.

3. How we use your information

• To provide, operate, and maintain the Sue Chef service and your account.
• To parse, organize, and read your recipes aloud, and to power the AI assistant.
• To send you essential account emails (password resets, important notices) and, if you opted in, our recipe newsletter.
• To personalize your experience, such as recommendations and trending recipes.
• To improve the service, fix bugs, and keep the platform secure.
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

4. How your information is shared

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in these limited situations:

• Service providers: trusted companies that help us run Sue Chef — for example, our hosting and database providers, email delivery, AI processing (for recipe parsing and the assistant), and image generation. They may only use your information to perform services for us.
• Public content you choose to share: if you mark a recipe as public or share it, that recipe and your display name become visible to others and may appear in search engines.
• Legal reasons: if required by law, legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of Sue Chef, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers: if Sue Chef is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. Third-party services we rely on

To operate Sue Chef we use reputable third-party providers, which may process limited data on our behalf, including cloud hosting and databases, email delivery for transactional emails and our newsletter, AI providers that process recipe text and assistant conversations, and text-to-speech and image-generation services. Each provider handles data under its own privacy and security terms.

6. Your choices and rights

• Access and update: you can view and edit your account details in Settings.
• Delete your account: you can request deletion of your account and associated personal data by contacting support@asksuechef.com.
• Newsletter: every newsletter email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can opt out at any time.
• Cookies: you can control cookies through your browser settings, though some features may not work without necessary cookies.

California residents (CCPA/CPRA): you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion, and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell your personal information. To exercise these rights, contact us at the email above.

Users in the EU/UK and elsewhere: where applicable law (such as the GDPR) grants you rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal data, we will honor those rights. Contact us to make a request.

7. Data security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information, including encrypting passwords and using secure connections. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to protect your data and to promptly address any issues.

8. Data retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. If you delete your account, we will delete or de-identify your personal information within a reasonable period, except where we must retain certain data to comply with legal obligations or resolve disputes.

9. Children's privacy

Sue Chef is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, please contact us and we will delete it.

10. International users

Sue Chef is operated from the United States. If you use the service from outside the U.S., your information will be processed in the U.S., where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you. Continued use of Sue Chef after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.

12. Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at support@asksuechef.com.