Privacy Policy

CuliNect ("we", "us", "our") operates the CuliNect culinary verification and professional portfolio network at culinect.com. For any privacy-related questions, reach us directly at privacy@culinect.com.

We collect the following information when you use CuliNect:

• Account Information — your name, email address, and encrypted credentials.
• Culinary Portfolio Information — work history, verified brigade stations, culinary schools, awards, recipe formulations, and your custom @handle.
• Content You Create — dishes and stories posted to The Pass, direct messages sent to peers, Open Kitchen events, and references you submit.
• Evidence Files — menu attachments, diploma scans, and dish photography stored in secure object storage.
• WhatsApp Messages — if you message our WhatsApp business number (including to sign in with the LOGIN keyword), we store your phone number, the message text and our replies so our team can respond. After your first message we may also send up to five short tips about CuliNect over the following day; reply STOP to stop them. Messages are deleted automatically after 90 days.
• WhatsApp Updates (optional) — if you turn on "WhatsApp updates" in Settings, we also send occasional news and offers to your verified WhatsApp number. This is off unless you switch it on; you can switch it off in Settings or by sending STOP to our WhatsApp number, and we then stop straight away.
• Technical Diagnostics — standard access logs (IP address, user agent, timestamps) retained for 30 days for cybersecurity and fraud detection.

We use Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Google AdSense, and Microsoft Monetize to analyze platform usage and assess campaign effectiveness. These tools load only after you explicitly click "Accept" on our consent banner. Before consent, no third-party tracking scripts load.

• To generate and host your verified digital chef CV and portfolio.
• To display your public profile to employers, collaborators, and clients (if enabled).
• To transmit transactional notifications, shift updates, and booking requests.
• To process ChefSeal verification reviews and reference requests.
• To maintain network integrity and prevent fraudulent credentials.

We engage vetted third-party service providers to assist with platform operations and processing:

• Hetzner Online GmbH — Server hosting. Our servers and database run in Hetzner's data centre in Finland, and Hetzner is a German company.
• Cloudflare, Inc. — DNS and network protection for culinect.com. Requests to our site pass through Cloudflare's network, which operates in many countries.
• Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. and Meta Platforms, Inc. — WhatsApp Cloud API for sign-in codes, support conversations, welcome tips and optional updates. We send your phone number, message text and, for message templates, your first name. Meta may process this data in Ireland and the United States.
• Groq Inc. and Google Gemini — External AI sub-processors for CV document ingestion and text extraction. CV text is transmitted to these providers only after your explicit, affirmative consent during structured CV import.
• Google AdSense and Microsoft Monetize — Advertising and analytics sub-processors loaded conditionally only after affirmative tracking consent to support platform operations.

We review every request from a government or the police for lawfulness, share the minimum needed, and keep a record. Read the details on our requests from public authorities page.

You have full autonomy over your data:

• Data Export — download your complete profile, recipes, and work history as a single JSON file from your Settings page at any time.
• Editing & Removal — modify or delete any portion of your portfolio whenever you choose.
• Account Erasure — delete your account permanently via Settings → Delete Account.

Cookie & Tracker Choices — You can change or revoke your analytics consent at any time by clicking the "Privacy choices" link in our website footer. You can also clear your browser cookies and local storage to reset your choice.

For inquiries regarding privacy, GDPR, or Indian Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) compliance, please contact: privacy@culinect.com.