# Privacy Policy
**App Name:** PakBites
**Effective Date:** June 5, 2026
**Contact:** [email protected]
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## 1. Introduction
PakBites ("we", "our", or "us") is a restaurant discovery app for Pakistan. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have.
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## 2. Information We Collect
### Location
If you use the **Near Me** feature (or ask the in-app assistant for places "near me"), PakBites accesses your device's approximate and precise location and sends your coordinates to our servers. We use them **only to calculate distances and rank nearby restaurants for that request**. Your location is processed transiently to answer the request and is **not stored** on our servers or shared with any third party for marketing. If you do not use Near Me, your location is not collected.
### Report Submissions
When you submit a report about a restaurant, we collect:
- The issues you selected
- An optional description you provide
- Your email address (optional) — only if you provide it for follow-up
This is sent to our internal review system (Discord) so we can review and correct listings.
### Usage Analytics
We collect anonymous usage data to understand how the app is used and improve it — for example which screens are opened, which filters and sorts are used, and that a chat message was sent. We log only the **length** of chat messages, **never the text of your messages or searches**. This analytics data is not linked to your identity.
### Device Identifiers
We generate a random device identifier that is sent with requests to prevent abuse and rate-limit the chat assistant. Our analytics provider also assigns an anonymous app-instance identifier. These are not linked to your name or account (the app has no sign-in).
### Technical Data
When the app contacts our servers, we receive your IP address as a normal part of the connection. We use it transiently for security and rate-limiting and do not use it to identify you.
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## 3. How We Use Your Information
| Data | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| Location | Show and rank nearby restaurants for your request |
| Report content | Review and correct restaurant information |
| Email address (optional) | Follow up on your report if needed |
| Usage analytics | Understand usage and improve the app |
| Device identifier / IP | Prevent abuse and rate-limit requests |
We do **not** use your data for advertising or sell it.
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## 4. Service Providers and Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We use the following third-party service providers to operate the app, and limited data is shared with them only for that purpose:
- **Google Firebase (Analytics)** — anonymous usage analytics.
- **Discord** — receives your report submissions (including optional email) in a private internal channel for review.
- **Mapbox** — provides the map. When the map loads, Mapbox receives your IP address and, if Near Me is active, approximate location to render map tiles.
We do not share your data with advertisers or third-party marketing services.
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## 5. Data Retention
- **Location and IP:** used transiently to answer a request and not retained by us.
- **Report submissions:** retained only as long as needed to review and act on the report. Optional emails are used solely for follow-up and are never added to a mailing list.
- **Analytics:** retained by our analytics provider according to its standard retention settings.
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## 6. Your Choices
- **Location:** You can deny or revoke location permission at any time in your device settings. The app continues to work without it (the Near Me feature will be unavailable).
- **Email:** Providing your email in a report is entirely optional.
- **Data deletion:** Because the app has no account and our data is anonymous, there is little personal data to remove. To request deletion of any report or email you submitted, contact us at the email below.
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## 7. Children's Privacy
PakBites is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
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## 8. Security
All data transmitted between the app and our servers is sent over encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS).
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## 9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will update the effective date at the top of this page when we do.
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## 10. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at:
**[email protected]**