Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 26, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how ShareTaste handles your personal data. It is part of the User Agreement.

1. Quick Summary

ShareTaste signs you in through Apple iCloud. We do not see your Apple ID email or real name.
Your private recipes, grocery lists, meal plans, and the meals you log are stored in your own iCloud and synced through Apple's CloudKit. We cannot read that content.
If you publish posts, comments, likes, or a public profile, that content is stored in our shared CloudKit database and is visible to other users of the app.
When you use an AI feature, the text you submit is sent through our backend to OpenAI for processing. A photo you choose to import a recipe or a shopping list from, or the photos you take to log a meal with (up to four), are sent the same way, reduced in size first.
Your meal log is yours alone: it is end-to-end encrypted in your iCloud, never shared — not even in a shared meal plan — and never sent to us. Only if you allow AI meal estimates is the meal you ask about sent to OpenAI for its estimate. When the planner plans a day you have already logged meals on, and you allow your planning profile, it takes what you logged off that day's targets: only the calories and macronutrients left for the day are sent, never the meals themselves.
Your nutrition profile (such as your goal, height, weight, and activity level), daily targets, and the targets chat stay end-to-end encrypted in your own iCloud. Only if you allow AI targets is what you tell the targets chat sent to OpenAI to work out your targets, and only if you allow your planning profile do its rules and your targets go along when the AI plans meals or creates recipes.
If you turn on the calorie balance, the app reads the resting and active energy Apple Health recorded, on your device only. That Health data is never saved to iCloud, never sent to us or to OpenAI, and never shared.
We do not sell your personal data, run advertising, or use third-party tracking SDKs.
You can see, edit, and delete your data inside the app at any time, and you have the rights described in Sections 11–12.

2. Who Is Responsible

The data controller for the personal data described in this Policy is:

Mattias Sundkvist
Germany
support@sharetaste.app

If you have any privacy questions or want to exercise your rights, write to us at the address above. We currently do not have a Data Protection Officer; we will appoint one if EU law requires it.

3. What Data We Process

We process the following categories of personal data:

Account identifier: an opaque identifier from Apple iCloud that lets us recognise you across your devices. We do not receive your Apple ID email or real name.
Profile data: username, alias, optional bio, profile photo, cooking-level information, and the privacy settings you choose (for example whether your profile is discoverable).
Content you create: recipes, ingredients, instructions, grocery lists, meal plans, the meals you log and their calorie estimates, photos, tags, language, region.
Social activity (if you use the social features): posts, comments, likes, follows, share invitations, sender/recipient names of invitations.
AI inputs (if you opt in): the text, URLs, and images you submit to AI features, plus context such as your preferred language, units, and dietary tags — and, for meal estimates you allow, the description, voice note, or photos of that meal (with the planned meal's recipe when you log what you ate of one), for AI targets you allow, what you tell the targets chat about yourself, and for a planning profile you allow, the rules in it and, when the planner plans, your daily targets.
Apple Health data (if you turn on the calorie balance): the resting and active energy Apple Health recorded per day. The app reads it on your device to show your calorie balance and keeps it only in memory there; we never receive it (see Section 7).
Reports and moderation data: content of reports you submit (target, reason, optional notes) and moderation decisions linked to your account.
Blocks and bans: the users you block are stored with their Apple iCloud account identifier, so a block still holds if that person deletes their account and starts a new profile. If we ban an account for breaking the Community Guidelines, we keep a record of its iCloud account identifier with the reason and date, for the same purpose.
Subscription and purchase status: whether you have an active ShareTaste Plus subscription. The actual payment is handled by Apple; we do not receive your payment details.
Diagnostic and technical data: app errors, sync errors, and basic device/OS information necessary to keep the app running. We do not use third-party analytics or advertising SDKs.

4. Why We Process It and Our Legal Basis

Under the EU GDPR we rely on the following legal bases:

Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) — to provide the app and the features you use, including syncing your data, enabling sharing, carrying out the AI actions you ask for, and managing your subscription.
Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR) — to comply with statutory obligations such as moderation and reporting duties under the Digital Services Act, accounting law, and lawful requests from authorities.
Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) — to keep the app secure, prevent abuse, debug crashes, enforce these terms, and improve reliability. We balance these against your rights and use the minimum data needed.
Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) — for any feature that asks you to opt in. You can withdraw consent at any time, with effect for the future.
Explicit consent (Art. 9(2)(a) GDPR) — for AI meal estimates, AI targets, and the planning profile. What you ate, details about your body such as your weight, and the rules in your planning profile, which can name an intolerance or a faith, can be special categories of data, so none of them is sent until you have allowed that feature in the app; each asks separately. You can withdraw any of these consents at any time under Account › Privacy (Meal estimates, AI targets, Planning profile). Your choices follow you to all your devices through iCloud, so withdrawing on one device withdraws on all of them. Withdrawing stops anything further being sent; the meals, estimates, targets, rules, and chat you already have stay in your iCloud until you delete them. Logging a meal, setting your targets by hand, or planning without your profile needs no consent and sends none of it.

Where we rely on consent, withdrawing it does not affect the lawfulness of processing that already happened. Where we rely on legitimate interests, you have the right to object as described in Section 11.

5. AI Features in Detail

AI features run only when you use one, and you can turn them all off under Account › Privacy. When you use one, your input is sent over a secure connection to a Cloudflare Worker that we operate, which forwards it to the appropriate AI provider and returns the result to your device. The specific data flow depends on which feature you trigger:

Text input (recipe text you paste, URLs you import from, prompts for recipe generation or meal planning) — forwarded to OpenAI's text models for parsing, generation, or planning.
Planning profile (the rules and wishes in your planning profile, for example vegetarian, gluten-free, or halal, and your daily targets) — sent only after you allow your planning profile. The rules then go along when the planner plans meals or turns them into recipes, when you create a recipe or a quick meal, and when you ask the cooking assistant; your daily calorie and macronutrient targets go along only when the planner plans, less anything you have already logged that day (as numbers, never the meals). Without that consent the planner plans without them and says so. We do not store them on our backend.
Voice input (audio you record for grocery-list, recipe, or meal transcription) — forwarded to OpenAI's speech-to-text model. The audio is processed to return text; we do not retain the recording on our backend.
Image input (a photo of a recipe page, a shopping list, or a meal you log) — reduced in size on your device, then forwarded to OpenAI's models to read the recipe or list, or to estimate the meal's calories. We do not keep the photo on our backend. A logged meal's photos (up to four, reduced in size) stay in your own iCloud with the log entry, end-to-end encrypted.
Meal estimates (a meal you log, described in text or a voice note, or photographed) — sent only after you allow meal estimates. The request carries only that meal's description, voice note (turned into text first by OpenAI's speech-to-text, as described under Voice input), or photos (up to four, usually one per dish), any correction you add to the estimate, which meal of the day it was, your language setting and, when you log what you ate of a planned meal, that meal's recipe (its name, ingredient list and nutrition estimate) — nothing else from your meal log, such as other meals, daily totals, targets, or body measurements. OpenAI returns an estimate of the meal's calories and macronutrients, which is saved to the meal log on your device. We do not store the description, the photos, or the estimate on our backend; our request logs record only that an estimate was requested.
AI targets (the daily-targets chat) — sent only after you allow AI targets. The request carries what you write in the chat and the profile it builds from your answers — your goal, sex, age, height, weight, activity level, and any background you mention, such as how you train — plus your language setting. OpenAI returns suggested daily calorie and macronutrient targets, and the daily calorie balance they aim for (how far under or over your estimated energy use). We do not store the conversation, the profile, or the targets on our backend; your profile, targets, and the conversation itself are saved only on your devices and in your own iCloud, so the chat can pick up where you left off. Targets are only suggested for people aged 16 or over; below that age the chat suggests asking a school nurse, doctor, or dietitian instead.
Cover-image search keywords — sent to Pexels' search API. These keywords are derived from the recipe and do not include identifying information about you.

Common rules for all AI flows:

We do not use your AI inputs or outputs to train models. OpenAI processes the request as our processor under their API terms; per OpenAI's current API policy, API inputs and outputs are not used to train OpenAI's models by default.
We may keep limited logs (request metadata, error traces) for up to 30 days, matching OpenAI's API abuse-monitoring window, to operate the service, prevent abuse, and debug failures. Logs do not include the raw audio you recorded.
When a meal plan made with your targets is shown, the app reports how close each day came to them, as a share of each target (for example 0.96 of the calories), with how many meals the day had. The report carries no targets, dates, meals, or identifiers; it shows us how well plans meet targets.
Apart from meal estimates, AI targets, and the planning profile, which you allow separately, do not include sensitive personal data about identifiable people in AI inputs.
You can turn AI features off at any time under Account › Privacy, which stops further uploads of any kind.

We share personal data only with the following recipients, and only as needed for the purposes described above:

Apple — provides iCloud, CloudKit storage and sync, App Store and StoreKit, and push notifications. Apple acts as our infrastructure provider; for content stored in your private iCloud, we cannot access it. Apple's own privacy practices apply.
OpenAI Ireland Ltd (Dublin, Ireland) — processes AI requests for opted-in features, and screens posts, comments, and profile details (username, alias, bio, and profile photo) through our automated content-moderation checks, on our behalf. Acts as our processor.
Cloudflare — hosts and routes our backend Worker. Acts as our processor.
Pexels — when you search for a cover image, your search keywords are sent to Pexels and they return image results. We do not send identifying information about you.
Authorities and courts — where we are legally required to disclose data, or where disclosure is necessary to protect rights, safety, or our legitimate interests.
Other users of the app — for content you choose to publish or share (for example posts, comments, likes, public profile, or invited shares). Only you control what you publish or share.

We do not sell or rent personal data and we do not allow our processors to use your data for their own purposes.

7. How CloudKit Works in ShareTaste

Private database — recipes, grocery lists, meal plans, and personal settings live in your private iCloud container. The data syncs across your own devices through Apple's infrastructure. We do not have access to read this data.
Meal log — the meals you log (name, note, day, meal of the day, estimated calories and macronutrients, and up to four optional photos) live only in your private iCloud database and on your devices. Their content is encrypted on your device with keys kept in your iCloud Keychain before it syncs (end-to-end encryption), so we cannot read it; Apple's servers see only that entries exist and when they changed. Meal log entries are never part of a shared meal plan or any other share.
Nutrition profile and planning rules — your nutrition profile (goal, sex, age, height, weight, activity level, and any background you mention), your daily targets, and the rules and routines in your planning profile, which can name dietary needs such as gluten-free or halal, are kept the same way: end-to-end encrypted in your private iCloud database, so we cannot read them, and never part of a share.
Apple Health — the resting and active energy the calorie balance reads from Apple Health is not stored in CloudKit at all. Each of your devices reads it from Apple Health itself, only while you use the meal plan, and keeps nothing once the app closes. You choose what ShareTaste may read in the Health app and can change it there at any time.
Shared database — when you invite someone to a recipe, list, or meal plan, Apple creates a shared zone that the participants can read and (if you allow it) write to. Participants' devices receive a copy through Apple's sync.
Public database — posts, comments, likes, public profile fields, and reports are stored in the app's public CloudKit database, which we operate. Other users of the app can see them in line with the visibility rules.
If you sign out of iCloud or revoke iCloud access for the app, sync stops. Local copies on your device may remain until you reinstall or clear app data.

8. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers process data outside the EU/EEA. When personal data is transferred outside the EU/EEA, we rely on appropriate safeguards under Chapter V GDPR:

OpenAI — our processor is OpenAI Ireland Ltd, which may pass AI requests to its affiliate OpenAI OpCo, LLC in the United States to provide the service. That transfer relies on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, under OpenAI's data processing addendum.
Cloudflare — routes our backend traffic through its global network. Cloudflare, Inc. is certified under the EU–U.S. Data Privacy Framework, and its data processing addendum includes SCCs.

You can ask us using the contact address in Section 17 for more detail about the safeguards in place for a specific transfer.

9. How Long We Keep Data

Account, profile, and content — kept for as long as your account exists. You can delete individual items in the app at any time.
Account deletion — when you delete your account, your profile and content are removed from our active systems. Backups, audit logs, and copies that have already reached other users' devices may persist for a limited period as needed for security, integrity, and legal compliance, and are then deleted on a routine schedule.
Meal log — kept in your iCloud and on your devices until you delete an entry or delete all content (Account › Reset content); we hold no copy. Meal-estimate requests are not stored on our backend; OpenAI may keep API requests for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring, as with all AI features.
Nutrition profile, daily targets, and the targets chat — kept in your iCloud and on your devices until you clear them (Targets › Clear profile, which also removes the chat, or the chat's own Clear conversation) or delete all content (Account › Reset content); we hold no copy. AI-targets requests are not stored on our backend; OpenAI may keep API requests for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring, as with all AI features.
Reports and moderation records — kept for as long as needed to operate the moderation system and to respond to appeals or legal requests, and then deleted.
Ban records — the iCloud account identifier of a banned account, with the reason and date, is kept after that account is deleted for as long as the ban applies, so the same iCloud account cannot return under a new profile. Its legal basis is our legitimate interest in keeping the community safe (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). You can ask us to review a ban using the contact address in Section 17.
Diagnostic and security logs — kept for up to 30 days and then deleted or aggregated.
Subscription records — kept for as long as required by tax and accounting law (in Germany, generally up to 10 years).

10. How We Protect Data

We rely on Apple's iCloud and CloudKit infrastructure for storage, sync, and authentication, which uses industry-standard encryption in transit and at rest. Backend traffic between the app, our Cloudflare Worker, and OpenAI uses HTTPS/TLS. Your meal log, nutrition profile, daily targets, and planning rules are additionally end-to-end encrypted in iCloud (see Section 7).

No system is perfectly secure. If we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in risk to your rights, we will notify the competent supervisory authority and, where required, you, in line with Articles 33–34 GDPR.

11. Your Rights (EU/EEA/UK)

If the GDPR or UK GDPR applies to you, you have the following rights:

Access — confirmation of whether we process your personal data and a copy of it.
Rectification — correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Erasure ("right to be forgotten") — deletion in defined circumstances.
Restriction — limit how we process your data in defined circumstances.
Portability — receive certain data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and have it transmitted to another controller where technically feasible.
Objection — object at any time to processing based on our legitimate interests, including any related profiling.
Withdraw consent — for any processing based on consent, with effect for the future.
Lodge a complaint — with your local data-protection authority. In Germany you can also contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) or your state authority.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@sharetaste.app. You can also delete your account and most content directly in the app. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

12. Your Rights (California)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the CPRA, gives you the following rights:

Right to know what personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the business or commercial purposes, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
Right to delete personal information, subject to exceptions.
Right to correct inaccurate personal information.
Right to limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information. We do not use sensitive personal information for purposes that require a separate opt-out.
Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising.
Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights.

To exercise these rights, contact us using the address in Section 17. You can authorise an agent to act on your behalf, in which case we may verify both your identity and the agent's authority.

13. Children

ShareTaste is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 13.

In the EU/EEA, account, social, sharing, and AI features require you to be at least 16 (or the lower digital age of consent set by your country's law). If you believe we have collected data from a child without proper consent, contact us using the address in Section 17 and we will delete it.

14. Cookies and Tracking

ShareTaste is a native iOS app and does not use browser cookies. We do not use third-party advertising or analytics SDKs and we do not implement Apple's App Tracking Transparency cross-app tracking.

The app stores small amounts of state on your device (preferences, caches) so it can work offline and start quickly. This is not used for tracking.

15. Automated Decisions and Profiling

Some moderation decisions are partly automated. When you publish a post or comment, its text (and, for posts, any images you attach) is sent through our backend to OpenAI's content-moderation service to screen for material that violates our Community Guidelines; content the classifier rates as violating is not published, and borderline results are flagged for priority human review. When you create or edit your profile, your username, alias, and bio are first checked on your device against a list of prohibited words; your username and alias are then sent through our backend to OpenAI for an automated check for sexual, profane, hateful, or impersonating names, and your alias, bio, and profile photo to the same content-moderation service. A profile change that fails these checks cannot be saved until you change it. Reports from other users are weighted by reporter credibility and likewise flag content for priority human review; nothing is hidden or removed automatically. These are safety measures rather than final decisions and do not produce legal or similarly significant effects on you within the meaning of Article 22 GDPR.

Meal estimates, AI targets, and meal plans are suggestions shown to you. They are estimates, not medical advice, and they decide nothing about you; you can change or ignore every one of them.

All other meaningful moderation and account decisions involve a human review. You can appeal any moderation decision by writing to us at the address in Section 17.

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent change. Material changes will be notified inside the app and, where required by law, you will be asked to acknowledge them before continuing to use affected features.

17. Contact

For privacy questions or to exercise your rights, contact: