Summary
This is a plain-language summary. It is not a substitute for the full policy below.
- You can browse the site without creating an account. We log basic technical information (IP address, browser, pages visited) to keep the service running and prevent abuse.
- If you create an account, we collect your email address, a hashed password, and any profile information you choose to provide.
- If you submit a deal, vote, or flag content, we record those actions and associate them with your account (or, for anonymous users, a temporary fingerprint).
- If you allow location access or enter a location, we use that to show nearby deals. We do not continuously track your location.
- We use cookies for essential site functions, optional analytics, and ads.
- We do not sell your personal information. We share data only with service providers who help us operate the site (hosting, email delivery, payment processing).
- You can request a copy of your data, correct it, or delete your account by emailing kidsmealdeals@gmail.com.
1. Who we are
This Privacy Policy describes the privacy practices of KidsMealDeals (referred to as "we," "us," or "our"), the operator of the website at kidsmealdeals.com (the "Service").
You can contact us at kidsmealdeals@gmail.com for any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns.
2. What information we collect
Information you provide
- Account information: email address, display name, password (stored as a hash, never in plain text).
- Profile information (optional): home location, notification preferences, language preference.
- User-submitted content: restaurants, deals, photos, votes, flags, and any free-text comments you submit.
- Communications: emails or messages you send us, including support requests.
- Payment information (future v4.1 features): if you subscribe to a paid feature, payment information will be processed by our payment provider (Stripe). We do not store full card numbers ourselves.
Information collected automatically
- Device and connection data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, referring URL.
- Usage data: pages viewed, search queries, deals viewed, time spent on pages, clicks, and similar interactions.
- Cookies and similar technologies: see Cookies & tracking below.
- Approximate location: derived from your IP address unless you grant precise location permission. See Location data.
Information from third parties
- OAuth sign-in providers: if you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive the email address and basic profile information you authorize them to share.
- Geocoding providers: when you enter a location, we may send the query to a geocoding service (such as Mapbox or OpenStreetMap-based services) to convert it to coordinates.
- Anti-abuse providers: we may use third-party services to detect spam, abuse, and bot activity.
3. How we use information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- Operate the Service. Show deals, run search, save your votes — using account info, location queries, and usage data. Legal basis (EU/UK): contract; legitimate interest.
- Account & communications. Authentication, password reset, transactional email — using email, password hash, and session tokens. Legal basis: contract.
- Marketing emails. Daily digests and nearby deal alerts — using email, location, and your preferences. Legal basis: consent (you can unsubscribe anytime).
- Improve the Service. Analytics, debugging, feature development — using aggregated usage data and device data. Legal basis: legitimate interest.
- Show ads. Display advertising on free pages — using device data, approximate location, and page context. Legal basis: consent where required.
- Prevent abuse. Rate limiting, spam detection, fraud prevention — using IP address, fingerprint, and behavioral patterns. Legal basis: legitimate interest; legal obligation.
- Comply with law. Respond to lawful requests, enforce terms — using whatever is required. Legal basis: legal obligation.
4. Who we share information with
We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as described below.
Service providers
We work with third-party companies that help us operate the Service. These providers have access only to the information they need to perform their functions and are contractually required to protect it. Current providers include:
- Hosting: our infrastructure provider (currently Linode/Akamai) hosts the servers running this site.
- Email delivery: Resend sends transactional and marketing emails on our behalf.
- Payment processing (v4.1): Stripe will process subscription payments when paid features launch.
- Geocoding: Mapbox or similar services convert location queries into coordinates.
- Error tracking and analytics: Sentry (errors), and a privacy-focused analytics provider for usage statistics.
- Advertising: Google AdSense and any direct ad partners we work with.
Public content
Information you contribute as part of public content — submitted restaurants, deals, votes, flag counts (in aggregate), and your display name — is visible to anyone who visits the Service. Don't include personal information in public submissions.
Legal disclosures
We may share information when required by law, in response to a valid legal process (such as a subpoena or court order), or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
Business transfers
If KidsMealDeals is acquired, merged, or sells substantially all of its assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change and any new privacy practices that apply.
5. Cookies & tracking technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
- Essential cookies: required for the site to function. These keep you signed in and remember your preferences. You cannot opt out of essential cookies and continue using the Service.
- Analytics cookies: help us understand how the Service is used so we can improve it. We use a privacy-focused analytics tool that does not track you across sites.
- Advertising cookies: used by ad providers to show relevant ads. You can opt out of personalized advertising at any time (see Advertising).
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect site functionality.
We honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal where applicable — if your browser sends a GPC signal, we treat it as an opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
6. Advertising
We display ads on the Service to keep it free for families. Our ad partners may use cookies and similar technologies to show ads that are relevant to you based on your browsing history.
If you create an account and subscribe to our optional ad-free tier (planned for v4.1), ads will be suppressed for the duration of your active subscription.
You can opt out of personalized advertising through:
- The Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out tool
- The Network Advertising Initiative opt-out tool
- Your Google Ads settings
7. Location data
To find deals near you, we need to know your approximate location. We do this in one of three ways:
- You type a location. When you type a ZIP code, city, or address into the search bar, we send that query to a geocoding service to convert it into coordinates. We cache common geocoded locations to reduce repeated lookups.
- You allow precise location access. If you tap "Use my location," your browser shares your device's coordinates with us for that search. We do not continuously track your location, and we don't store your precise coordinates after the search.
- We approximate from your IP address. Even without a query, we can estimate your general region (city or metro area) from your IP. We use this for ad relevance and to default the search bar.
If you set a "home location" in your account, we store it (city + ZIP, not precise coordinates) so we can send you nearby-deal email alerts. You can remove your home location at any time from your profile.
8. How long we keep data
We retain personal information only for as long as needed to provide the Service and meet our legal obligations:
- Account data: kept while your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account closure.
- Submitted content (deals, restaurants, votes, flags): may be retained even after account deletion, in anonymized form, because removal would damage the integrity of community-verified data. Your display name will be replaced with "Former member."
- Logs (IP, request data): typically 90 days, longer if needed for security investigations.
- Backups: rotating, with a 30-day retention window. Deleted data may persist in backups during that window.
- Marketing emails: we keep records of your email subscription preferences. Unsubscribe requests are processed within 10 business days.
9. Your rights and choices
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate information.
- Delete your personal information.
- Port your data to another service in a structured format.
- Object to certain types of processing.
- Withdraw consent for processing that relies on consent.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at kidsmealdeals@gmail.com. We will respond within the time frame required by applicable law (generally 30–45 days). We do not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
10. California residents
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), gives you specific rights regarding your personal information.
Categories we collect
- Identifiers: email address, IP address, account ID, cookies.
- Customer records: account profile, hashed password, payment information (when applicable).
- Internet activity: browsing history on the Service, search history, interactions with deals.
- Geolocation: approximate location from IP, location queries you provide.
- Inferences: preferences inferred from your activity (e.g. neighborhoods you search frequently).
Your rights
You have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, correct inaccurate information, opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, and limit the use of sensitive personal information. We do not sell personal information for money. If our use of advertising cookies is considered "sharing" under the CPRA, you can opt out via the Global Privacy Control or by contacting us.
To submit a request, email kidsmealdeals@gmail.com. We will verify your identity and respond within 45 days.
11. EU and UK residents
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, the GDPR (or UK GDPR) gives you specific rights.
Data controller. KidsMealDeals is the controller of your personal data.
Legal bases. See the How we use information section above for the legal basis for each processing activity.
International transfers. Our infrastructure is located in the United States. When we transfer data from the EEA or UK to the US, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms.
Right to complain. You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. We'd appreciate the chance to address your concerns first by emailing us at kidsmealdeals@gmail.com.
12. Children
The Service is intended for adults — typically parents or guardians searching for kids meal deals. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account or submitted personal information to us, please contact us at kidsmealdeals@gmail.com and we will delete the information promptly.
13. Security
We use industry-standard practices to protect your information:
- HTTPS encryption for all traffic between your browser and our servers.
- Passwords are hashed with argon2id; we never see your plain-text password.
- Access to production systems is restricted to authorized personnel with multi-factor authentication.
- Database backups are stored in a separate secured location.
- We perform regular security reviews and dependency updates.
No system is perfectly secure. If we discover a security incident affecting your information, we will notify you and the appropriate authorities as required by law.
14. 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 at the top of this page.
- Notify users with active accounts by email at least 14 days before changes take effect, where the changes are material.
- Post a notice on the homepage for 30 days following any material change.
Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
15. Contact
For privacy questions, requests, or concerns:
- Email: kidsmealdeals@gmail.com
- Mail: KidsMealDeals, [Your mailing address]
This Privacy Policy was last updated on January 1, 2026. A version history is available on request. See also our Terms of Service.