Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

What We Collect

The Hangry Variable is designed to be privacy-friendly. We collect the minimum needed to provide recommendations:

• Your answers to questions — Stored temporarily in server memory for up to 30 minutes so we can generate your food recommendations. After that, they're gone forever. We do not save them to any database.
• Dietary preferences — If you select dietary restrictions (e.g. gluten-free, vegan, nut-free), this is treated as potentially health-related information. It is used only to guide AI recommendations for your current session and is not stored beyond that session or shared with third parties as personal data.
• Your location — If you choose "Let's Eat" mode and enter your location or use geolocation, it is sent to Google Maps to find nearby restaurants. We do not store your location.
• IP address — Used temporarily for rate limiting (to prevent abuse). Not logged permanently.
• Email address — If you subscribe to our newsletter, your email is sent to Buttondown (our newsletter provider). We do not store your email on our servers.
• Shared results — If you create a share link for your recommendations or recipes, they are stored temporarily (up to 72 hours) so others can view them. Then they're automatically deleted.

What We Don't Collect

• No accounts or sign-ups required
• No advertising or cross-site tracking cookies
• No personal information sold to third parties
• No advertising trackers

Cookie Use

We use only essential cookie/session behavior required for core app functionality and abuse prevention. We do not currently use analytics or marketing cookies. See our Cookie Policy for details.

Third-Party Services

• Google Gemini (AI) — Powers the AI food recommendations. Your vibe-check answers are sent to Google's Gemini API to generate personalized food suggestions. No personal identifiers are included. Subject to Google's Privacy Policy (opens in new tab).
• Google Maps API — Used to display restaurant locations, find nearby restaurants, and provide directions. Subject to Google's Privacy Policy (opens in new tab).
• Brave Search — Used server-side to find trending restaurant information. Your search queries (location + cuisine terms) are sent to Brave's API. No personal identifiers are included. Subject to Brave's Privacy Policy (opens in new tab).
• Buttondown — Handles newsletter subscriptions. If you subscribe, your email is processed by Buttondown. Subject to Buttondown's Privacy Policy (opens in new tab).
• UberEats & DoorDash — We generate outbound search links to these platforms for delivery convenience. No data is shared with them until you click the link and visit their site.

How We Use Data

• Generate personalized recommendations and optional food images
• Find nearby restaurants and trending local options
• Prevent abuse and protect service reliability
• Operate optional newsletter signup through Buttondown

Legal Bases (EEA/UK)

• Performance of a contract — to provide requested recommendation features.
• Legitimate interests — for abuse prevention, reliability, and security.
• Consent — where required (for example, newsletter signup).

External Links & Embeds

Our site contains links to social media platforms (X/Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Reddit) for sharing your results, and a badge from There's An AI For That (TAAFT). Clicking these links takes you to third-party sites governed by their own privacy policies. We do not load third-party tracking scripts.

Data Retention

• Session data: Deleted after 30 minutes
• Shared results and recipes: Deleted after 72 hours
• Recipe detail cache: Stored in-memory, cleared on server restart
• Newsletter emails: Managed by Buttondown — unsubscribe anytime via their link
• All app data is stored in-memory only — there is no persistent database

International Data Transfers

Because third-party providers may process data on infrastructure in multiple countries, your data may be transferred outside your country. We rely on provider safeguards and contractual protections where available.

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or object to processing of personal data. Since we keep only limited, short-lived app data, many requests are naturally resolved by automatic expiry. If you have concerns, contact contact@thehangryvariable.com.

Children's Privacy (COPPA)

This service is not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided personal information through this service, please contact us at contact@thehangryvariable.com and we will take steps to delete such data where feasible. Users aged 13–17 should use the service with parental or guardian awareness.

Changes

We may update this policy as the product evolves. Major changes will be noted on this page.