Troodie, Corp. Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 26, 2025

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Your Privacy Rights at a Glance

3. Definition and Scope

4. What Personal Information We Collect

5. Diners: Personal Information, Use, and Sharing

6. Creators: Personal Information, Use, and Sharing

7. Data Provided to Restaurants and Their Privacy Responsibilities

8. Your Right and Choices

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

10. Data Security Information

11. International Data Transfer

12. Privacy Compliance for Specific Individuals

13. Resolving Disputes

14. Other Information You May Find Useful

1. Introduction

Eating is a uniquely personal experience. What we search for says a great deal about each of us as individuals. Whether you’re eating or sharing your recommendations with others, we appreciate you trusting Troodie with your personal information. With this Privacy Policy, we intend to provide clear, detailed, and easy-to-read information about how we use the personal information you’ve given us and how we process personal information in general.

It’s true, a lot of people don’t read privacy statements. We hope you’ll read through this one, because the ways in which we use or share your personal information will vary depending on your relationship with us. Regardless, be aware that no matter where you are in the world or where you reside, we offer the same high standards of privacy protection.

2. Your Privacy Rights at a Glance

As a user of Troodie, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: You can request access to the personal information we hold about you.
Correction: You can correct or update your personal information at any time.
Deletion: You can request deletion of your personal information and close your account.
Restriction: You can restrict certain uses of your personal information.
Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a portable format.
Opt-Out of Marketing: You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.
Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for targeted advertising.
Manage Cookies: You can manage your cookie and tracking preferences.
Non-Discrimination: Exercising your privacy rights will not affect your access to our services.
Dispute Resolution: You can contact us to resolve privacy concerns or file a complaint with a data protection authority.

3. Definitions and Scope

When we use the term “personal information” in this Privacy Statement, we’re talking about a broad range of information. Data protection laws around the world define this concept in different ways, but in general, we mean information that relates to an identifiable, living individual person or their household. It does not include aggregated or deidentified data that is maintained in a form that is not reasonably capable of being associated with or linked to you. If we use deidentified data, we will maintain it in deidentified form, and will not attempt to reidentify it. For example, your username on Troodie is personal information, but a Restaurant’s company name and store information is not, because it does not relate to an individual person.

Throughout this Privacy Statement, we’ll talk about our Diners (or “Troodies,”) Restaurants, and our Creators. Our Creators are individuals and entities with websites, blogs, social media presence, agents or agencies, digital publishers and other content platforms, who use our Services to share content or links. Our Diners are individuals who use our Services, including our website, our Apps, or a Troodie link, to shop from or browse the content they like from our Creators. Our Restaurants are businesses and entities with dine-in, takeout, delivery, restaurants, eateries, cafes, breweries, bars, lounges and other types of establishments or businesses, who use our Services to share content, links, connect with Diners and Creators, and access data. When we say “you” in this Statement, we mean Diners, Restaurants, and Creators.

Restaurants are merchants that sell products in collaboration with Creators. Our relationship with Restaurants is a little different, because Restaurants do not provide us personal information.

Remember, some of the posts on Troodie are ads, for instance, because they’re sponsored by our Restaurants. When we’re providing customized content like recommendations based on your favorites, we’re targeting ads to you.

4. What Personal Information We Collect

The following section summarizes the types of personal information Troodie collects, depending on your relationship with us:

Information We Collect From Diners
When you use Troodie as a diner, we may collect the following information to help us operate the app, improve your experience, and keep your account secure:

Username – To identify your account and communicate with you.
Email address – For communication, support, and account management.
Profile information (avatar, bio) – For personalization and identification.
Device ID – For security, analytics, and app functionality.
Location (optional; city/state) – For recommendations and personalization.
Inquiry/support messages – To assist you and improve our services.
Comments/content uploads – For social features and user interaction.
Camera roll/screenshots – For product linking and content sharing.
Event registration information – For event management and identification.
Browsing/email metadata (IP address, etc.) – For analytics, security, and performance monitoring.
Preference/inference data – To offer better recommendations and personalization.
Purchase/order history – For personalized suggestions.
Contacts (referrals/invites) – To invite friends and track referrals.
Publicly available information – For contact, demographics, and marketing.
Analytics/cookie data – To improve the site/app, advertise, and measure analytics.

Information We Collect From Creators
When you use Troodie as a creator, we may collect the following information to help us connect you with opportunities, manage collaborations, and grow your audience:

Username – To identify your account and communicate with you.
Email address – For communication, support, and account management.
Profile information (avatar, bio) – For personalization and identification.
Device ID – For security, analytics, and app functionality.
Location (optional; city/state) – For recommendations and personalization.
Inquiry/support messages – To assist you and improve our services.
Comments/content uploads – For social features and user interaction.
Camera roll/screenshots – For product linking and content sharing.
Browsing/email metadata (IP address, etc.) – For analytics, security, and performance monitoring.
Preference/inference data – To offer better recommendations and personalization.
Contacts (referrals/invites) – To invite friends and track referrals.
Social media profiles – For vetting, account linking, and analytics.
Sensitive information (demographics, ID – optional) – For personalization and identity verification.
Payment/collaboration info – For commission and campaign management.
Uploaded content (photos/videos) – For shop content and marketing.
Publicly available information – For contact, demographics, and marketing.
Analytics/cookie data – To improve the site/app, advertise, and measure analytics.

Information We Collect From Restaurant Representatives
When you use Troodie as a restaurant representative, we may collect the following information to help you manage your account, promote your business, and process payments:

Username – To identify your account and communicate with you.
Email address – For communication, support, and account management.
Profile information (avatar, bio) – For personalization and identification.
Device ID – For security, analytics, and app functionality.
Location (optional; city/state) – For recommendations and personalization.
Inquiry/support messages – To assist you and improve our services.
Comments/content uploads – For social features and user interaction.
Camera roll/screenshots – For product linking and content sharing.
Preference/inference data – To offer better recommendations and personalization.
Purchase/order history – For recommendations and commission payments.
Contacts (referrals/invites) – To invite friends and track referrals.
Restaurant representative info – For account management and support.

5. Diners: Personal Information, Use, and Sharing

Troodie is responsible for making decisions about how the personal information we collect is processed. This makes us a controller (or equivalent) of the data we process.

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us and the services we provide to you. Because the information we collect will vary significantly depending on your relationship with us, we’ll discuss our collection in terms of that relationship.

Diners’ Personal Information

Diners may interact with Troodie in a variety of ways. You may have an account with us, you may be on our website or our app, or you may click on an Troodie-owned link posted on another online site. We collect, process, and share personal information for Diners in essentially the same ways regardless of how you’re initially interacting with us, but if you don’t have an account yet, some of this collection will be more limited.

How we collect and use Diners’ personal information

In short, we collect your personal information to provide our Services or to answer your questions. We collect information about you from different sources and in various ways when you use the Troodie Services, including information you provide directly, information we collect automatically when you interact with our Services, and data we infer or generate from other data. Sometimes we might also collect personal information about you from other sources and third parties. You can scroll down to learn more details about each of these categories of collection. In general, we only use your personal information to provide our service to you, and we only retain your personal information for as long as ecessaryy for those legitimate business purposes. We also use your personal information to provide support and improvements and manage our business operations, secure our systems, detect fraudulent or illegal activity, and meet our legal obligations.

Information Diners share directly

Contact and account information. When you register for an account with Troodie, we collect information like a username, your email address, and profile information. If you’re using our app through a mobile device, we’ll also see your device ID. If you use your real name as your username, we’ll have your real name, but we don’t require it. If you choose to provide your location in your profile, we’ll have that, but again, we don’t require it. We collect this information so we know who you are — this helps us communicate with you if you need support, identify your account, make recommendations to you, connect your account with stores when you make a purchase, and provide other services. We’ll also use your email address to communicate with you via our mailing lists, which you can opt into or out of. If you choose to apply to become a Creator, we’ll communicate with you via your email address or your preferred method of contact.

Inquiry and support information. If you send us messages through the forms or contact information provided on our Services, or send an email to us, we collect personal information and use it to communicate with you for the reasons you expect. This may be to resolve your concerns, to keep track of the inquiries we’ve received from you and from our customers generally, to manage our ongoing relationships with our customers, and for performance improvements.

Comments and content. If you interact with other users on our service in the form of content, messages, and other uploaded content, this content may include your personal information if you choose to share it. We will collect and retain your interactions as a record of messages between users on our Service. You also may have the ability to add information to your profile such as an avatar image, a name, a biography, or other information. We will use your profile information to help identify you.

Screenshots and camera roll data. With your permission, Troodie may access images you select from your device’s camera roll or saved images, such as screenshots you have taken of products with a Troodie link. This access is only used to help you quickly connect with a Creator’s shop on Troodie or to enhance your experience with specific app features. We will only access images that you explicitly select for upload or sharing, and we do not access your camera or photo library without your consent. You can control or revoke this access at any time through your device settings. If you choose not to grant access, certain features of the app may not be available to you.

Event information. If you attend one of our events, we will collect registration information. This will generally include badge information like your name, as well as other contact information. We’ll use this information to identify you during the event and to manage our relationship with our attendees. We’ll also share your information with our event sponsors.

Information we generate or collect automatically

Browsing and email metadata. When you visit and interact with our website or use our apps, click on an Troodie-owned link on our website or another website, read an email from Troodie, or otherwise interact with us, we and our service providers acting on our behalf automatically collect some minimal metadata about you. We collect this both through normal interaction with the Service and through technologies like cookies and web beacons. This information includes your IP address, the pages you view, your referring address, the device and kind of browser you’re using, the date and time of your visit, and any errors that may occur during your visit. We use this information to help us understand how visitors use our website, to track performance, and to maintain security. In addition, we use tracking and session replay technologies to provide support, help improve the navigation experience on Troodie’s Services, and reduce errors.

Please see our section on Cookies for more information.

Preference information and other inferences. If you’re logged in, we keep track of your interactions with the Service, such as posts you’ve liked, Creators you’ve followed, and products you’ve favorited. We use this information to generate information about your likely preferences so we can recommend new Creators to you, help you discover products you might like, and to make other inferences about you (in other words, to create a profile about you). For example, we remember whether or not you want us to set cookies on your computer, and we infer your general, non-precise geographic location (such as city, state, and country) based on your IP address. We don’t collect precise geolocation information.

Purchase history. When you shop using our Services, we collect information on what you purchased. When you follow an Troodie-owned link, we collect the destination of that link. If you make a purchase, we collect some basic information about your order, like the value of it. We use this information to manage our relationship with our Creators and our Restaurants and to pay commissions to our Creators. We also use your purchase history information to make better recommendations.

Information we collect from third parties

In some circumstances, we collect personal information from third parties. When we do, we often combine it with information we’ve already collected directly from you. For example:

Your Contacts. Someone who is already a Customer or Creator on Troodie might send you an invitation to join our Services or share an image with a friend via email or text message, and we may receive your information from that individual.

Creators. Creators you interact with on other social media platforms may refer you to us, such as by using an Troodie-owned link to an item or by linking directly to their Troodie shop.

Service Providers. Our service providers that perform services solely on our behalf, such as payment processors, may collect personal information and share some or all of this information with us. Our payment processors process payments on our behalf; we do not accept or process payment directly through our Services and we will not see or collect your credit card or banking information. In addition, we may from time to time use information providers (such as data licensors or marketing partners) to correct or supplement personal information we collect, for example to provide demographic or interest information.

Publicly Available Sources. We collect personal information about individuals that we do not otherwise have, such as contact information, employment-related information, demographic information, and interest-in-services information, from publicly available sources. We may combine this information with the information we collect from an individual directly. We use this information to contact individuals, to send advertising or promotional materials, or to personalize our Services and to better understand the demographics of the individuals with whom we interact.

How we share Diners’ personal information with others

We do need to share personal information to provide services to you, such as when you follow a link to a Restaurant Partner in order to purchase an item. We share, and in the last twelve months have shared, the categories of personal information above with third parties in the following scenarios:

Service providers. We share your personal information with third party service providers and SDKs who process the information on our behalf to provide or improve our Service. These include service providers we have engaged for payment processing, customer service and support ticketing, marketing communications and survey offerings (including suppression lists), network data transmission, website hosting, infrastructure provisioning, IT services, analytics services, and administrative services. These also include service providers that enable direct purchases from Restaurants through the Troodie platform.

Key third-party partners include:

Analytics providers: (e.g., Google Analytics, Squarespace Analytics) – collect usage data, device identifiers, and performance metrics linked to your account to help us understand and improve app performance.
Advertising and social media partners: (e.g., Facebook (Meta), TikTok, Google Ads) – collect contact information, device identifiers, and app usage data, which may be linked to your identity and used for tracking, personalized advertising, and “lookalike” audience targeting.
Payment processors: (e.g., Stripe, PayPal) – collect your payment details, transaction history, and contact information to process payments securely.
Cloud hosting and infrastructure: (e.g., Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure) – store and process account information, usage data, and content you upload.
Customer support and communications: (e.g., Zendesk, Intercom) – collect contact information, support history, and communications to help resolve issues and respond to requests.

Our service providers also include certain social media providers. We connect with social media services and share aggregate information about our users. This allows us to advertise Troodie events and services to you on other social media sites. In addition, we may share certain personal information with other social media sites for the purpose of targeting similar (or “lookalike”) audiences. This form of outreach enables us to find Diners and Creators similar to you. You can learn more about this kind of outreach on Facebook and TikTok. If you would like to opt out of this use of your personal information, please reach out to Creator Support.

We may update this list of key third-party partners from time to time. For a current list, please contact us at team@troodieapp.com or visit https://www.troodieapp.com/support.

Restaurant Partners and Affiliate Networks. When you click on an Troodie-owned link, whether it’s on our website, on our application, or a link Troodie owns on a third party website, we’ll take you from Troodie to a Restaurant’s website where you can learn more about, and buy, the product you’re interested in. Sometimes, those links take you through an affiliate network — a platform for retailers — before you reach the Restaurant’s website. When you click on these links, we do pass along the typical metadata that gets passed along whenever you click on any link on the internet. That way, the Restaurant knows your destination (the product), your source (Troodie), and some information about which of our Creators referred you. Aside from this, we don’t share any of your personal information with the Restaurant; you may choose to log in to their site and give them your information. If you do, please remember that their sites are governed by their own Terms of Service and Privacy Statements which may differ from ours. Any data you share with them will be shared under their terms.

Compliance with legal obligations. We may disclose personal information to third parties, such as legal advisors and law enforcement, in limited circumstances: (i) if we reasonably believe that disclosure is compelled by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or a valid government request, (ii) to protect our rights and property and the rights and property of others, including to enforce our agreements and policies; (iii) in connection with the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims; (iv) to protect the security or integrity of our services and products; or (v) to protect the health and safety of ourselves, our other customers, and the public at large. Where possible, we object to legal requests for personal information that we do not believe were issued properly, and where possible, we will notify you if we are required by law to disclose your personal information in response to a legal demand.

Business transfers. If we are involved in a merger, sale, or acquisition of corporate entities or business units, personal information we have collected from you may be part of the assets shared in connection with the due diligence process or the change of ownership. This situation might constitute a sale of personal information under applicable law.

Aggregated or deidentified information. We might also share information about our Diners with third parties if the data has been deidentified or aggregated in a way so it cannot reasonably be used to identify individuals. For example, we might share how many Diners liked a product or how popular certain trends are on our site. With respect to deidentified data, we will maintain data in deidentified form, and will not attempt to reidentify it.

Sale of personal information. We use common website tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook pixels, and social media cookies. These tools may collect your IP address, device type, and other metadata to help us analyze usage and deliver relevant advertisements. Under certain U.S. state privacy laws, sharing this information with third-party partners for advertising or analytics purposes may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information, even if no money changes hands.

This is the only context in which we “sell” or “share” your personal information. We do not otherwise sell your personal information to third parties.

You can opt out of this type of data sharing at any time by using our website’s cookie tool or by visiting our “Do Not Sell” page. For more information about our use of cookies and your choices, please see our Cookies section below.

Troodie Affiliates. We share personal information across our subsidiaries, affiliates, and related companies, particularly when we collaborate in providing the Services or where access is needed to operate the Services. Our affiliates will only use your personal information as described in this Privacy Statement.

Otherwise With Consent or Direction. We may disclose personal information about an individual to certain other third parties or publicly with their consent or direction. For example, with your consent, we may post a testimonial on our Services, or if you direct us to connect your account with another social media service, we may receive some information from that connection.

6. Creators: Personal Information, Use, and Sharing

Creators’ Personal Information

Creators have a more complex relationship with Troodie. As a Creator, you expect us to provide a service to you that includes link tracking, paying you commissions when Diners purchase the applicable products you recommend, and providing an online shop where you can connect with Restaurants and post personal information about yourself, and in order to provide that service, we need to process your personal information. In addition, Creators must go through an application process that sometimes includes a recruitment process and a vetting process. We get to know you a little better and, as such, we need to collect a good bit more information from you.

How we collect and use Creators’ personal information

We start by collecting the same personal information for Creators as we collect for Diners. It’s important to start by reading the section on How we collect and use Diners’ personal information. In addition, because of the very specialized service we provide to our Creators, we collect and use a good deal more personal information from our Creators.

Information Creators share directly

Application information. When you apply to become a Creator on Troodie, we need to collect some personal information about you. Some of this is contact and account information, including your full name and email address. We also collect your phone number for the purpose of providing support and response, and for security and account verification. We also collect your profiles on other online media so we can evaluate your fitness for Troodie.

Contact and account information. In addition to our collection of account personal information described in the Shopper section, we collect a good deal of Creator account information. Because we need to contact you and pay you, we will collect your full name, email address, phone number, and general location.

Sensitive information. When you create a Troodie Creator profile, you may choose to share certain sensitive personal information, such as your demographic details (including your race or ethnicity, gender, style, or body type), areas of interest and expertise, and your general location. These fields are entirely optional and are used to help personalize your experience, connect you with relevant opportunities, and support diversity and inclusion initiatives.

In some cases, we may require sensitive information such as a government-issued identification document for identity verification purposes. If we request such documentation, it will be used solely to verify your identity and for no other purpose.

We treat all sensitive personal information with heightened care. This includes:

Collecting sensitive information only when necessary or with your explicit consent;
Limiting access to sensitive information to authorized personnel;
Using encryption and secure storage methods;
Retaining sensitive information only as long as necessary for the stated purpose or as required by law.

You are not required to provide any sensitive personal information to use Troodie as a Creator, but choosing not to provide certain information may limit your ability to access some features or participate in specific programs. Where required by law, we will obtain your explicit consent before collecting or processing sensitive personal information.

Payment, collaboration, and marketing campaign information. As you use your account, we’ll see your Troodie account balances, agency contact (if any), and payment and commission history. We will see your collaboration data, including Restaurant, fulfillment, and earnings information if you engage in sponsored collaborations. If you engage in marketing campaigns, we will see title, date, rate and clicks information. Our payment processors process payments on our behalf; we do not accept or process payment directly through our Services and we will not see or collect your credit card or banking information.

Content such as photos and videos. As a Creator, you may upload content to your Troodie Shop in various media formats, including photos, videos, recordings, and sounds. These may include images of yourself or others. You are responsible for ensuring you have all necessary rights and permissions to upload content featuring other individuals.

With your permission, Troodie may access your device’s camera, camera roll, or saved images, such as screenshots you have taken of products on our Services. This access is only used to allow you to upload content to your shop or participate in app features that require media. We will only access images or media that you explicitly select for upload or sharing, and we do not access your camera or photo library without your consent. You may control or revoke this access at any time through your device settings. If you choose not to grant access, some features of the app may not be available to you.

Information we generate or collect automatically

The data we generate or collect automatically is the same for both Creators and Diners. Please see the section above on Information we generate or collect automatically.

Information we collect from third parties

Contacts, Diners, and references. When an individual chooses to invite you to join Troodie, refers you to our Services, or shares an image with you via email or text message, we may receive your information from that individual. We also collect your information from Diners who engage with your content on other social media sites via Troodie Links so we can track sales and facilitate commissions.

Business Partners. We may receive your information from our business partners who provide our Services by way of a co-Restauranted or private-labeled website or companies that offer their products or services on our Services.

Service Providers. We work with trusted service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as survey and marketing providers, analytics providers, payment processors, and customer support platforms. For example, we may use Google Analytics and Squarespace Analytics to understand how Creators interact with our services, and Stripe or PayPal to process payments.

In addition, we may obtain information about Creators from third-party information providers. These providers may:

Supplement or correct the personal information we have about you (for example, by providing updated contact information if we need to reconnect with you as a Creator);
Provide contact information for individuals who may be interested in using our Services (for example, to invite you to join Troodie as a Creator).

If you have been contacted by Troodie and would like to know which third-party service provider shared your information with us, please contact us at team@troodieapp.com.

All service providers and information providers are contractually required to use your information only for the purposes of providing their services to Troodie and to protect your information in accordance with applicable laws.

For a current list of our key third-party partners, please visit https://www.troodieapp.com/support or contact us directly.

Social Media sites. When you connect to or interact with Troodie through various social media sites, we may receive some information about you that you permit the social media site to share with us. This information may include name, gender, date of birth, geolocation and interests. We also collect data when you interact with and use Troodie through other social media, such as data on traffic, impressions, views, clicks, and similar information. The data we receive is dependent upon your privacy settings with the social media site. You should always review and, if necessary, adjust your privacy settings on third-party websites and apps and social media services before sharing information, linking, or connecting them to other services.

In addition, when you initially apply to become an Troodie Creator, we will pull certain information from your social media sites, such as your follower count.

Publicly Available Sources. We collect personal information about individuals that we do not otherwise have, such as contact information, employment-related information, demographic information, and interest-in-services information, from publicly available sources. We may combine this information with the information we collect from an individual directly. We use this information to contact individuals, to send advertising or promotional materials or to personalize our Services and to better understand the demographics of the individuals with whom we interact.

How we share Creators’ personal information with others

We do need to share personal information to provide services to you, such as when you instruct us to pass your information to a Restaurant in order to collaborate on a campaign. We share, and in the last twelve months have shared, the categories of personal information above with third parties in the following scenarios:

Restaurant Partners, Affiliate Networks, and sale of personal information. When a Shopper clicks on an Troodie shopping link, whether it’s on our website, on our application, or a link Troodie owns on a third party website, the link takes them to one of our third-party Restaurants to get more information about the item they clicked on. Generally, the Shopper’s information will pass through one of our affiliate networks before they reach the Restaurant. That link includes a number that helps us identify you, the Creator, so we can pay you your commission on the sale if they make a valid purchase on a link you recommend.

In some states, this is called a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information, because Troodie doesn’t retain control of your information when we share it with Restaurants or affiliate networks. Our Do Not Sell page provides more detail, including information about opting out of the sale of personal information.

In addition, we share your personal information with Restaurants in other ways. When you choose to feature a Restaurant’s products on your Troodie Shop or use an Troodie link on your external social media site, the Restaurant will see your referral. In some cases, Restaurants will receive information about the Creators who have referred their products, such as a list of the top referrers. If you participate in campaigns with Restaurants on Troodie, then Troodie will provide the Restaurant with certain information about you and the campaign performance.

Creators and API Developers. We may provide information about you to third party sites, networks, platforms or apps and third-party applications, which interface with Troodie application programming interfaces. We share anonymized geo-location data, purchased items, and amount of sale with Partners and Creators. We may combine information internally across different Services so that we may provide better and more customized services. We contract with companies who help with parts of our operations and to enhance our Services.

Social Media sites, Ad Networks and Advertising Partners. We share your personal information with social media sites, ad networks, and advertising partners in several ways. First, we may connect with you or reach out to you on social media. We may also advertise Troodie’s services to you on the social media sites you use or on other platforms.

You may opt in to programs in which we share your personal information with other social media sites, ad networks, and advertising partners on your behalf, such as by boosting your posts. These programs will also share your personal information with third party ad networks and advertising partners to deliver advertising and personalized content on other sites and services.

Creators’ own disclosure and privacy obligations

As a Creator, you have certain privacy obligations of your own.

When you begin using Troodie links, scripts, and other technology we provide on your own website, blog, or social media site, we will collect and store information about you and your readers. You’re responsible for ensuring that your own website or blog complies with applicable laws regarding collection and use of personal information and consumer data.

You’re also responsible for including any required disclosures with respect to marketing to consumers, as described in the Creator Terms of Service.

7. Data Provided to Restaurants and Their Privacy Responsibilities

Data protection considerations for Restaurants

Restaurants do not provide their users’ personal information to Troodie.

Instead, when working with Troodie, Restaurants typically receive personal information of our Creators. A Restaurant receives the personal information of a Creator in a few ways. First, in some circumstances, a Restaurant may receive a Creator’s personal information in the form of a unique identifier when a Shopper clicks on an Troodie link and purchases a product from the Restaurant. This identifier notifies the Restaurant that a product has been purchased via a Creator’s recommendation and allows Troodie to pay commission to the Creator. A Restaurant seeking to collaborate with Creators on a project also receives a Creator’s personal information when shown Creator profiles. Restaurants are responsible for maintaining adequate privacy protections for Creator personal information. We provide a supplemental agreement to our Restaurants and those terms will control our relationship. Please refer to that agreement.

Troodie does not provide Shopper personal information to Restaurants, except as described above in our section on How we share Diners’ personal information with others.

If you are a representative of a Restaurant, you will have an account with us that allows you to log in to our Restaurant Portal. We collect the same personal information for Restaurant representatives as we collect for Diners. Please see our section on Diners’ Personal Information to understand what information we collect, use, and share, and what your choices are with respect to that personal information.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Making choices about your personal information

Your account information. You have rights with respect to your personal information, including the right to access the information we have about you, to correct inaccurate information, to download a copy of your data, to restrict the use of your data, and to delete your data. We provide you with a lot of options to access, correct, control, or delete your personal information within your Troodie account settings. If you are a Creator, you can delete or change any of the optional data settings in the same place you added them. If you are unable to access or change any part of your account and you would like to, please contact us and we’ll help. Please be aware that there may be data elements that we cannot change or delete for security or legal reasons.

If you have connected your account to a third party service like Facebook, Google, or Apple, you can change your settings and unlink from that service in your account settings.

You are responsible for keeping your personal information up to date.

In-App Privacy Controls. Troodie provides in-app controls that allow you to exercise your privacy rights directly from within the app. You can:

Access your personal information: View and update your profile and account information in the app’s Profile > Settings > Account > Privacy & Security section.
Delete your account and data: Request deletion of your account and associated personal information from the Profile > Settings > Account > Privacy & Security section.
Opt out of marketing communications: Manage your marketing and notification preferences in the app’s Profile > Settings > Account > Privacy & Security or Notifications section.
Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information: Use the in-app privacy settings to opt out of data sharing for advertising or analytics purposes.

If you need further assistance, you may also contact us at team@troodieapp.com.

Communications. We use your email — and, if you’ve given us permission, your phone number or third party app ID — to communicate with you. For example, if you’ve told us you’re interested in becoming a Creator, we’ll communicate with you about that process. If you’re interested in our events, we’ll send you information about events in your area. You can opt out of marketing email or text communications by clicking the unsubscribe link in an email or replying STOP to a text message, or by contacting our Customer Support team.

You will not be able to opt out of service emails from us, such as password reset emails or notifications of updates to our terms, unless you deactivate your account.

We may also send push or local notifications to your device to provide updates and relevant messages. You will be able to manage notifications from your account settings in the App or through your device.

Closing your account. You may close your account at any time, either through the deletion process in your account settings in the App or by contacting our Customer Support team. When you delete your account, you will lose access to it and all the content in it. If you are a Creator, we will need to resolve any applicable unpaid commissions before we can close your account.

Data retention. We retain personal information only as long as necessary to provide our Services, fulfill your requests, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, and for other legitimate business purposes. The retention period for your data depends on the type of information and the context in which it is collected.

Typical Retention Period: Deleted within 30 days of account closure
The following information is deleted within 30 days after you close your account, unless retention is required by law or for legitimate business purposes:

Account/profile information – To allow for account recovery and legal compliance.
Uploaded content (photos, videos) – Unless required for legal or dispute purposes.

Typical Retention Period: 90 days
We retain the following information for up to 90 days, unless a longer period is required for legal, security, or business purposes:

Support and inquiry messages – For quality assurance and dispute resolution.
Security logs – For fraud prevention and security monitoring.
Analytics and usage data – For service improvement and analytics.
Marketing communications data – For marketing and communication preferences.

Typical Retention Period: As long as required for tax, accounting, or legal obligations
The following records are kept for the duration required by law to meet financial recordkeeping and compliance requirements:

Payment and commission records – For tax, accounting, and legal obligations.

If you close your account and resolve any outstanding concerns, we will delete your full profile within 30 days of your request, unless retention is required by law. During this period, your information will continue to be protected as described in this Privacy Statement.

Some data, such as payment records or security logs, may be retained for longer periods as required by law or for legitimate business purposes, such as fraud prevention or dispute resolution.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Troodie uses common information-gathering tools such as cookies, web beacons, pixels, and other similar tracking technologies to automatically collect information as you navigate our app, our website, your account, or when you interact with emails we sent to you.

A cookie is a small piece of data, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier, that is sent from a website and stored on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies allow Troodie to identify your device as you navigate our website or your account, to keep you logged in, to remember your preferences, to identify your device for security purposes, and to maintain statistical reports. They make navigating and interacting with our websites or your account more efficient, easy, and meaningful for you.

The cookies on our website fall into four categories:

necessary cookies that are required to use our website, like a login session cookie;
functional cookies that make our website easier to use, like a preferences cookie;
social media cookies that are used for connecting to other social media sites, like a TikTok cookie or Facebook pixel, and may share information about your use of Troodie with those sites; and
advertising or tracking cookies. These cookies may be set by other social media sites and used when we send Troodie’s ads to you on those sites based on the things you’ve liked here on Troodie, like a Facebook cookie, or they may be used to do some basic analytics on our site, like a Google Analytics cookie.

A web beacon is a small, single-pixel clear image contained within a website or email. When your browser loads the image, the server hosting that image is able to log information about your device and set and read its own cookies. Troodie uses web beacons on some of our pages, and we sometimes use web beacons in emails that we send you. These let us know when you open an email or view a page. Troodie also uses embedded scripts and logging technologies.

Managing cookie preferences

You can manage your cookie preferences, and learn more about the cookies we set, using our cookie consent tool. When you visit our website for the first time, a cookie consent banner will pop up and ask you to customize your cookie preferences. You can also manage your cookie preferences in your browser. Please be aware that you cannot opt out of necessary cookies, and if you opt out of functional cookies, your ability to use our site may be impaired. In addition, you can manage cookies in the following ways:

Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a technical specification that you can use to inform websites of your privacy preferences in regard to ad trackers. To set up GPC, you can visit the Global Privacy Control website. If you do choose to set up GPC, we will automatically turn off all non-required cookies on Troodie’s website by default.
Do Not Track (DNT) is a signal that some browsers can send that requests that a website disable tracking activity. If your browser sends a DNT signal, we will automatically turn off all non-required cookies on Troodie’s website by default.
Certain browser extensions, such as Privacy Badger, will manage or block cookies based on your preferences.
You may also visit third party opt-out tools such as the Network Advertising Initiative, the Digital Advertising Alliance, and the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance. These opt-out tools are not provided by Troodie and we cannot assist with them.

10. Data Security Information

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, change or damage. These measures vary based on the sensitivity of the personal information we collect, process, and store and the current state of technology. We also take measures to ensure service providers that process personal information on our behalf also have appropriate security controls in place.

To help us protect your account, we request that you use a strong password and never share your password with anyone or use the same password with other sites or accounts. We encourage you to keep your phone, computer, or any device you use to access Troodie updated to the latest version for security purposes. Please be aware that we will never contact you unexpectedly by phone or email requesting your account ID, password, credit or debit card information, or national identification numbers.

11. International Data Transfer

Global privacy compliance and international transfers

Troodie is proud to be a global company with Creators, Diners, and Restaurants all over the world. As such, our approach to privacy compliance is global. We remain committed to complying with applicable data protection laws and protecting your data whether you’re a Shopper or a Creator on Troodie.

Regions requiring a legal basis for processing personal information

If you are from a region that requires a legal basis for processing personal information (such as the EEA or the UK), our legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described above will depend on the personal information concerned and the specific context in which we collect it.

However, we will normally collect personal information from you only where we need the personal information to perform a contract with you, or where the processing is in our legitimate interests and not overridden by your data protection interests or fundamental rights and freedoms, or where we have your consent to do so. In some cases, we may also have a legal obligation to collect personal information from you or may otherwise need the personal information to protect your vital interests or those of another person, such as in the case where we request personal information from you in the context of a government audit or in response to a request from law enforcement.

Generally speaking, when we use personal information to further our legitimate interests, it is for these limited purposes:

to understand who our Diners and Creators are and what their interests are;
to manage our relationships with our Diners, Creators, and Restaurant representatives, and provide support and product improvements;
to respond to inquiries, concerns, and complaints, and communicate with you when you have a question;
to carry out core business operations such as accounting, filing taxes, and fulfilling regulatory obligations; and
to detect, prevent, or investigate security incidents, fraud and financial crime, and other abuse or misuse of our Services.

Cross border data transfers and onward transfers

Troodie is based in the United States and we process personal information in the United States. We also use service providers around the world. Therefore, we may transfer, store, and process your personal information outside of the jurisdiction where you reside. When we do transfer your personal information, we maintain the same standard of data protection regardless of where the information originates and where it is processed.

When we transfer personal information from the EEA, from the UK, or from Switzerland, we rely on data transfer mechanisms such as Standard Contractual Clauses and the International Data Transfer Agreement. You may obtain a copy of the Standard Contractual Clauses or the International Data Transfer Agreement by contacting us.

When we transfer personal information from countries other than the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, we strive to comply with those countries’ data protection and data transfer laws, such as by cooperating with that country’s data protection authority or providing a written agreement.

12. Privacy compliance for specific individuals.

Job applicant and candidate personal information. If you are applying for a position at Troodie or are a candidate for a job here, our Candidate Privacy Notice provides up to date information about the personal information we collect about you and how we protect it.

Information from children. Troodie is not intended for children under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly permit anyone under 16 to create an account or use our Services. We take the privacy of children seriously and are committed to complying with all applicable laws regarding children’s privacy.

Age Verification:
To help ensure that we do not collect personal information from children under 16, we require users to confirm their age during the account creation process. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 16, we will promptly delete that information from our records.

Parental Requests:
If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child under 16 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at [contact email]. We will take reasonable steps to verify your identity and promptly remove your child’s information from our records.

Ongoing Protection:
If we obtain actual knowledge that we have received personal information from a child under 16, we will take immediate steps to delete that information and prevent the child from accessing our Services.

Children’s Privacy and COPPA Compliance

Troodie is committed to protecting the privacy of children. In accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act ( COPPA ), we do not knowingly collect, use, or disclose personal information from children under the age of 13. Our Services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not permit anyone under 16 to create an account.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will take immediate steps to delete that information from our records. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at [contact email] so that we can take appropriate action.

State-specific privacy information

If you are a U.S. resident, we process your personal information in accordance with applicable U.S. state data privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA), the Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA), and the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA). We don’t discriminate or change our practices based on where you live; all our Diners and Consumers have the same rights, and we won’t change how we offer our Services if you exercise your rights. However, if you ask us to delete or restrict your personal information, it will impact your ability to use Troodie, particularly if you are a Creator. You have the right to request that we (i) provide details about the categories of personal information we collect, use, disclose, share, and sell; (ii) provide access to, and a copy of, the personal information we collect about you; (iii) correct any inaccurate personal information we have about you; (iv) restrict the use and disclosure of your sensitive information; (v) delete your personal information; and (vi) opt you out of future “sharing” of personal information for targeted advertising purposes.

We provide this information here in this Privacy Statement, and our section on Making choices about your personal information offers steps on exercising these rights. You may make these requests yourself or through an authorized agent. If you use an authorized agent, we provide your agent with detailed guidance on how to exercise your privacy rights. However, we will need to take steps to verify that you or your agent are authorized to make the request.

For California residents, we share your personal information as we describe above, for our business purposes. Please contact us if you would like more specific information.

13. Resolving disputes

We hope to resolve any concerns about our data protection practices by working with you directly to understand your issue and take corrective action. If something isn’t right or if you have questions about our privacy practices, please contact us first we want to help.

You can reach us by email at team@troodieapp.com or by mail at:
Troodie, Attn: Office of the Data Protection Officer, [Insert Physical Mailing Address].

Response Timeline

· We will acknowledge your privacy-related inquiry within 7 business days.

· We will provide a substantive response within 30 days, unless a shorter period is required by applicable law.

· If we need more time, we will notify you and explain why.

Dispute Resolution Steps

Unless otherwise required by law, we aim to resolve privacy-related disputes using the following process, free of charge to you:

1. Informal resolution – Direct discussion via email or mail.

2. Mediation – If needed, we may offer a neutral third party to facilitate resolution.

3. Regulatory escalation – If unresolved, you may bring the issue to the appropriate data protection authority.

For contractual disputes relating to your agreement with us (such as Terms of Service), please refer to the dispute resolution provisions in that agreement. In most cases for Diners and Creators, this will involve binding arbitration or small claims court as described in our Terms of Service.

Jurisdiction

Unless otherwise required by local law, this Privacy Policy and any related disputes are governed by the laws of North Carolina without regard to conflict of law principles.

Regulatory Cooperation

Troodie cooperates with:

· EU Data Protection Authorities (DPAs)

· Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner

· UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

We comply with their advice on disputes relating to personal information transferred from the EU, Switzerland, and the UK.
In the U.S., Troodie is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Residents of certain U.S. states (such as California, Colorado, Utah, and Virginia) may also raise disputes with their state privacy regulator or attorney general.

Minors’ Data

If a dispute involves the personal data of a child, we will work directly with the child’s parent or legal guardian to address and resolve the issue in compliance with COPPA, GDPR, or other applicable child data laws.

14. Other information you may find useful

Contacting Troodie

If you have any questions or requests in connection with this Troodie Privacy Policy or other privacy-related matters, please send an email to team@troodieapp.com. We will respond promptly to your questions.

Changes to our Privacy Statement

Troodie may change this Privacy Statement from time to time for a variety of reasons, including to comply with new laws and regulations, to cover new features and functionality, and to increase transparency. If we do, the most recent version will always be available at https://www.troodieapp.com/privacy-policy. These changes might be minor, such as fixing a typo, or they might be changes that affect your rights. If we make a material change — a change that affects your rights — we will provide 30 days’ advance notice of those changes by sending you an email via the address in your account and/or by posting a notice in the App.

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