Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The Taste Machine ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our AI-powered image generation platform at thetastemachine.com, including its web workspace and API (collectively, the "Service"). Please read this policy carefully.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address
• Name (if provided)
• Password (encrypted) or third-party auth identifier
• Profile information (optional)
• API keys you generate for programmatic access

2.2 Authentication via Third Parties

If you sign in using Google or other third-party authentication providers, we receive:

• Your email address
• Profile name
• Profile picture (if available)
• Unique identifier from the authentication provider

2.3 Payment Information

Payment processing is handled by Stripe, our third-party payment processor. We do not store your full credit card information. We receive:

• Billing name and address
• Last four digits of your credit card
• Payment transaction history
• Subscription and credit pack purchase records

2.4 Usage Information

We automatically collect information about your use of the Service:

• Briefs and prompts submitted to the taste engine
• Reference images you provide and the generated outputs
• Selected taste profiles, model choices, and generation parameters
• Credit usage and transaction history
• API requests and responses
• Feature usage patterns

2.5 Technical Information

We collect technical data to operate and improve the Service:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device information
• Operating system
• Referring/exit pages
• Date and time stamps

2.6 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to maintain your session, remember your preferences, and analyse usage patterns. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Provide the Service: Process generation requests, manage your account, authenticate API calls, and deliver features
• Process Payments: Handle subscriptions, credit pack purchases, and billing
• Improve the Service: Analyse usage patterns, fix bugs, and develop new features and taste profiles
• Customer Support: Respond to inquiries, resolve issues, and provide assistance
• Security: Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats
• Communications: Send service updates, billing notifications, and promotional messages (with your consent)
• Legal Compliance: Comply with applicable laws and regulations

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate the Service, including:

• Payment Processing: Stripe processes all payment transactions securely
• Authentication Services: Third-party providers for Google sign-in functionality
• AI Generation: Foundational image-generation models (such as Nano Banana Pro and other supported providers) that produce outputs based on prompts our taste engine constructs
• Cloud Infrastructure: Hosting, storage, and content delivery services

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for specified purposes.

4.2 Legal Obligations

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government regulation, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.

4.3 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.

5. Data Storage and Security

5.1 Data Storage

Your data is stored on secure servers provided by our hosting partners. Reference images you provide and generated outputs are stored in encrypted cloud storage. We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service.

5.2 Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encrypted storage for sensitive data
• Hashed and rotated API keys
• Access controls and authentication
• Regular security audits

However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Rights and Choices

6.1 Access and Update

You can access and update your account information through your dashboard. You may also request a copy of your personal data by contacting us.

6.2 Delete Your Data

You may request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting support. Note that we may retain certain information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes.

6.3 Marketing Communications

You can opt out of promotional emails by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email. You will continue to receive transactional emails related to your account and purchases.

6.4 Cookie Preferences

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Service.

6.5 Regional Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have additional rights under privacy laws such as GDPR (Europe) or CCPA (California):

• Right to access your personal data
• Right to correct inaccurate data
• Right to delete your data
• Right to restrict or object to processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to withdraw consent

To exercise these rights, please contact us at the email provided below.

7. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not directed to children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately, and we will delete it.

8. Data Retention

We retain your information for different periods depending on the type:

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period after deletion
• Generated Outputs and Reference Images: Stored until you delete them or close your account
• Transaction Records: Retained for at least 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
• Usage Logs: Typically retained for 90 days

9. Third-Party Links and Services

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any information.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using our Service, you consent to such transfers. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data.

11. AI Generation and Reference Images

11.1 How We Process Your Inputs

Briefs you submit, reference images you provide, and the taste profiles you select are processed by our taste engine to construct prompts for an underlying image-generation model. That generation step may run on third-party AI infrastructure under appropriate data-handling agreements.

11.2 Training Data

We do not use your briefs, reference images, or generated outputs to train AI models or taste profiles without your explicit consent.

11.3 Content Moderation

We may use automated systems and manual review to detect and prevent prohibited content, as outlined in our Terms and Conditions.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes by email or through the Service. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: