The short version
Alera collects only what's needed to help you plan meals: your email, family preferences, and recipes you create. We don't track you, sell your data, or show ads. Your information is private and stays that way.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide
When you use Alera, you provide:
- Account Information: Email address, password (encrypted)
- Family Profile: Household size, dietary restrictions, cuisine preferences, available kitchen equipment, pantry items
- Household Members: Names and spice tolerance levels (for meal planning purposes)
- Recipes: Recipes you create, generate with AI, or save to your library
- Meal Plans: Weekly meal calendars you create
- Feedback: Recipe ratings and notes
- Shopping Lists: Generated shopping lists and purchase status
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
We collect minimal technical information to keep the service running:
- Authentication Data: Login sessions, OAuth tokens (for Google/Apple Sign-In)
- Error Logs: Technical errors to fix bugs (no personal data included)
1.3 What We DON'T Collect
- ❌ Browsing behavior or page views
- ❌ Analytics or usage tracking
- ❌ Device identifiers or fingerprinting
- ❌ Location data beyond what you explicitly provide
- ❌ Cookies for advertising or tracking
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your information solely to provide the meal planning service:
- Generate personalized meal plans based on your family's preferences and restrictions
- Create shopping lists that cross-reference your pantry
- Enable family collaboration by sharing meal plans with invited members
- Improve recipe suggestions based on your ratings and feedback
- Communicate with you about your account (password resets, important updates)
- Fix bugs and improve the service using error logs
3. Information Sharing
3.1 We Do Not Sell Your Data
Period. Your family's meal preferences, dietary restrictions, and recipes are never sold, rented, or shared with third parties for marketing purposes.
3.2 Service Providers
We use these third-party services to operate Alera:
- Supabase: Database and authentication (data stored in US servers)
- Vercel: Web hosting (data stored in US servers)
- Anthropic: AI recipe generation (Claude API—prompts and responses processed, not stored by Anthropic)
All providers are contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for providing their service to Alera.
3.3 Google Sign-In (OAuth)
When you sign in to Alera using Google, we receive limited profile information from Google as authorized by you—specifically your name and email address. Alera never receives or stores your Google password. You may revoke Alera's access to your Google account at any time via your Google account settings at myaccount.google.com.
3.4 Family Members You Invite
When you invite someone to join your family group, they will see:
- Your shared meal plans and recipes
- Shopping lists
- Family profile settings (dietary restrictions, preferences)
They will NOT see your email, password, or personal account settings.
3.5 Legal Requirements
We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or court order, or to protect our legal rights. We'll notify you unless prohibited by law.
4. Data Security
We take security seriously:
- Encryption: All data transmitted over HTTPS (encrypted in transit)
- Password Security: Passwords are hashed using industry-standard bcrypt
- Database Security: Row-level security policies ensure users can only access their own data
- API Keys: Stored as environment variables, never in code
However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. Use a strong, unique password for your Alera account.
5. Your Rights and Choices
5.1 Access Your Data
You can view and download all your data at any time from your Profile Settings.
5.2 Correct Your Data
Update your family profile, preferences, recipes, and meal plans directly in the app.
5.3 Delete Your Data
Go to Profile Settings → Account → Delete Account. This permanently deletes:
- Your account and profile
- All recipes you've created or generated
- All meal plans and shopping lists
- Family memberships (if you're the creator)
- All feedback and ratings
Deletion is immediate and cannot be undone.
5.4 Export Your Data
Download your recipes, meal plans, and profile data in JSON format from Profile Settings → Export Data.
6. Children's Privacy
Alera is intended for adults (18+) planning meals for their families. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
While you may enter your children's names and ages in household member profiles for meal planning purposes, we recommend using first names only (not full names) and we never collect data directly from children.
7. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy occasionally. We'll notify you of significant changes by:
- Posting the new policy on this page
- Updating the "Last updated" date
- Sending an email notification for material changes
Continued use of Alera after changes means you accept the updated policy.
8. Contact Us
Questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data?
Email: hello@alera.family
9. State-Specific Rights (US)
9.1 California Residents (CCPA)
If you're a California resident, you have additional rights:
- Right to Know: What personal information we collect and how we use it
- Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
- Right to Opt-Out: We don't sell personal information, so there's nothing to opt out of
- Non-Discrimination: We won't discriminate against you for exercising your rights
To exercise these rights, email hello@alera.family or use the in-app data controls.
10. International Users
Alera is operated in the United States. If you're accessing from outside the US, your data will be transferred to and stored in the US.
Currently, Alera is optimized for US users and does not specifically target or serve EU residents. If you're in the EU and use Alera, you do so at your own discretion.