Privacy Policy for AllerSCAN
Last Updated: October 1, 2025
1. Who We Are and What This Is
Welcome to AllerSCAN. We provide a website and (soon) a mobile application (collectively, the “Service”) to help diners with dietary needs find and verify meal options at food businesses across South Africa.
We take the private nature of your personal information very seriously and are committed to protecting it. To do that, we’ve set up procedures to ensure that your information is handled responsibly and in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). We’re grateful for your trust, and this privacy policy is designed to be transparent about how we handle your data.
This policy describes what information we collect when you use our Service, how we use that information, and what choices we offer you to access, update, and control it.
2. Types of Information
“Personal Information” is any information that we could use to identify an individual. It does not include personal information that is encoded or anonymised, or publicly available information that has not been combined with non-public information.
“Sensitive Personal Information” is information that meets the “Personal Information” criteria and also concerns health or sex life; or reveals race, ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs. For the purpose of our Service, the allergy and dietary information you provide is considered Sensitive Personal Information, and we afford it the highest level of protection.
3. How We Collect Information
We collect information in two primary ways:
A. Information you provide to us directly:
When you sign up for and interact with AllerSCAN, you may provide us with Personal Information. This includes:
Account Information: Your name, email address, and password when you register for an account.
Allergy & Dietary Profile: The specific allergens and dietary preferences you choose to save to your profile. This is Sensitive Personal Information.
Communications: Any information you provide when you contact us via email or our website’s contact forms.
B. Information we get from your use of the Service:
This is primarily non-personally-identifying information that web browsers, servers, and services like Google Analytics typically make available. This includes:
Log Data: Browser type, language preference, referring site, and the time of each visit.
Usage Data: How you use the service (e.g., search queries, pages visited).
Location Information: Your approximate location (e.g., city level) to help you find nearby restaurants.
Device Information: Potentially personally identifying information in the form of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. We do not use this to identify you personally and handle it with the same care as other Personal Information.
Cookies: We use cookies to help us identify and track visitors and their usage preferences.
4. How We Use Your Information
Here are some of the ways we use the personal information you provide us:
To allow you to register for and use our Service, including personalising menus based on your allergy profile.
To communicate with you about our products, services, and related issues.
To evaluate and enhance your experience on our website and future app.
To maintain and administer our Service and comply with our legal or internal obligations.
To transfer information to others as described in this policy or to satisfy our legal, regulatory, compliance, or auditing requirements.
To publish aggregated, non-personally identifying reports on usage trends.
5. Sharing Your Information
Data you provide directly to us is retained by us and not sold or passed to a third party for their own marketing purposes. We only share information under the following limited circumstances:
With your explicit consent.
With service providers who process data on our behalf (e.g., hosting providers), under strict data protection terms.
For legal reasons, if we are legally required to do so or to protect the rights and safety of our users or the public.
6. Data Security
All records containing personal information are considered our property and are afforded confidential treatment at all times. We work hard to protect your data against unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction. All such electronic information is stored on restricted database servers. We only disclose such information to our employees and contractors who need to know that information in order to process it for us and who are subject to strict confidentiality obligations.
7. Your Rights and Choices (POPIA)
In accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, you have the right to:
Access: Request a copy of the Personal Information we hold about you.
Correction: Ask us to update or correct any inaccurate information.
Deletion: Request that we delete your Personal Information from our records.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [privacy@allerscan.co.za]. We will respond to your request in a timely manner.
8. Specific Information for Restaurants
The following applies to our restaurant partners:
Data Ownership: The hosting of menu and ingredient information by AllerSCAN does not transfer ownership of the Restaurant’s data. It remains your property.
Limited License: The Restaurant grants AllerSCAN a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to host, display, and share its menu and ingredient information with diners for the purpose of providing the Service.
9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may need to update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new policy on our website and updating the “Last Updated” date. Your continued use of the Service after any change will constitute your acceptance of such change.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: support@allerscan.co.za