Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, and password (hashed) when you create an account.
• Order Information: Delivery addresses (landmark-based), order history, payment transaction records, and restaurant preferences.
• Location Data: With your permission, we collect device location to enable delivery tracking and find nearby restaurants. Drivers share location during active deliveries only.
• Device Information: Device type, operating system version, and app version for troubleshooting and compatibility.
• Photos: Only when you explicitly grant camera or gallery access for menu scanning (merchants) or support ticket attachments.
• Usage Data: App interactions, feature usage patterns, and crash reports to improve the service.

2. How We Use Your Information

• Process and deliver food orders between customers, restaurants, and drivers.
• Provide AI-powered menu scanning and food recommendations.
• Send order status updates and delivery notifications.
• Operate savings features (Tsom discounts, Equb circles, Gursha gifting, Birr Lock, Bites Score).
• Improve app performance and user experience.
• Prevent fraud and enforce our Terms of Service.

3. Information Sharing

We share limited information only as necessary:

• Restaurants: Your name and order details to prepare your food.
• Drivers: Your delivery landmark and name to complete deliveries.
• Payment Processors: Transaction data to process payments securely.
• We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

4. Data Storage & Security

• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt and never stored in plain text.
• API communications are encrypted via HTTPS/TLS.
• Access to user data is restricted by role-based permissions.
• We implement rate limiting to prevent abuse.

5. Your Rights

• Access: View your personal data in the Profile section of the app.
• Correction: Update your information at any time through Profile settings.
• Deletion: Request complete account deletion from Profile → Delete Account. We anonymize transaction records for legal compliance while removing all personal identifiers.
• Data Export: Contact us to request a copy of your data.

6. Location Data

Location access is requested only when needed (finding restaurants, delivery tracking). You can revoke location permission at any time through your device settings. The app functions with reduced features without location access.

7. Camera & Photos

Camera access is requested only when you actively use menu scanning or photo upload features. Photos are compressed and stored securely. You can revoke camera permission at any time.

8. Children's Privacy

Addis Bites is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify users of significant changes through the app.