Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 16, 2026

Plates (“we”, “us”) is a food-only rating app where people share real photos of real dishes and rate the food. This policy explains what we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using Plates you agree to this policy.

Information we collect

Account information. When you create an account we collect your email address, a display name, and a username (handle). If you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive your email and basic profile info from them. You may add a profile photo.
Content you create. Photos of dishes, ratings (1–10), captions, dish names, lists, follows, likes, and saved places.
Location (optional). If you grant permission, we use your approximate location to show nearby restaurants and to mark a post as a verified visit. You can turn this off at any time in your device settings.
Contacts (optional, hashed on your device). If you choose “Find friends,” your contacts’ emails/phone numbers are hashed on your device (SHA-256) and only the hashes are sent to match against other users. We never receive your contacts in plain text.
Usage & device data (beta tracking). During the beta we record product usage events (screens used, features tried — via PostHog) and crash/error reports (via Sentry) so we can find and fix problems fast. These are tied to your account so we can follow up on bugs you hit. Using the beta means you're OK with this; if you're not, delete your account in Settings and the associated data goes with it.

How we use your information

Provide the app — show your plates, profiles, follows, and ratings.
Personalize what you see, like recommendations based on your taste and who you follow.
Keep Plates safe — moderation, blocking, and abuse prevention.
Communicate with you about your account.

AI and machine learning

We do not use your content or personal data to train AI or machine-learning models, and we don’t permit our providers to do so on your data. We use AI only in limited, disclosed ways: a per-photo nutrition estimate and an optional photo enhancement generated for your post when you ask for them (the provider processes that single image to return a result — it isn’t used to train models), reading a receipt you submit for verification (below), and querying the aggregated food graph described below.

Receipt verification

You can verify a takeout or delivery plate by submitting a photo of your receipt or a screenshot of your order confirmation (for example from DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Instacart). Here is exactly what happens: the image is uploaded to private storage that no other user can access; an AI provider processes that single image once to read the restaurant name, order date, and address so we can confirm the purchase; and then the image is deleted immediately — whether the check passes or fails. Receipts are never shown on your post or anywhere else, and are never used to train models. What we keep is only the outcome: the verification result, the merchant name and date the AI read, and a one-way fingerprint of the image so the same receipt can't be reused to verify a second plate. Payment details visible on a receipt are neither extracted nor stored.

How information is shared

Public by design. Plates is a discovery feed: the plates you post, your ratings, your handle, and your profile are visible to others. Your footprint map is limited to mutual followers (or only you). Direct messages stay private to you and the recipient.
Aggregated, de-identified “food graph.” We build — and may license — aggregated rating data (dish ratings, restaurant scores, cuisine trends) derived from publicly posted reviews, and may make it queryable by partners and AI agents (so they can answer questions like “best ramen near me”). This is aggregate and stripped of personal identifiers — it describes dishes and places, not you. Any user can opt out in-app: Settings → Anonymized dish data → “Opt out” excludes your ratings from this aggregate.
We do not sell data that identifies you. If we ever wanted to share data that identifies an individual, we would ask for your explicit opt-in first.
Service providers. Supabase (database, storage, auth), Apple/Google (sign-in), Apple Maps and Google Maps (maps; Google on Android), and our photo-AI provider — each under contract to use data only to provide their service.
Legal & safety. We may disclose information if required by law or to protect people.
California residents. In addition to the in-app toggle above, you may opt out of any sharing that could be considered a “sale” or “share” — email hello@rateplates.ai with “Do Not Sell or Share.”

Restaurant data

Restaurant names and locations come from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). That is public map data, not your personal information.

Your choices and rights

Edit your profile and content in the app.
Control location permission in your device settings.
Delete your account. In the app, open Settings & privacy → Delete account. This permanently removes your profile, plates, follows, and other account content.
Request access to or correction of your information by emailing us.

Data retention

We keep your information while your account is active. When you delete your account, your profile and content are removed from our systems (backups age out on a rolling basis).

Children

Plates is not directed to children under 13, and you must be at least 13 years old to use it. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.

Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your information, but no method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

Changes

We may update this policy. We will post the new version here and update the date above; significant changes will be highlighted in the app.

Contact

Questions? Email hello@rateplates.ai.