Privacy Policy | nmartin

Effective Date: August 6, 2025

Normand Martin develops a variety of mobile applications (“Apps”), ranging from social apps (for example, Recipe Book, a cooking app for sharing recipes) to educational and utility apps. This Privacy Policy applies to all of our Apps and explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data. We’ve written this policy in clear, friendly language – we want you to spend more time enjoying our Apps and less time worrying about legal fine print.

Information We Collect

We minimize the data we collect – we only ask for information needed to provide and improve the features of our Apps, and we have no interest in collecting unnecessary personal data. The types of information we may collect include:

• Account Information: Some of our Apps allow or require you to create an account or log in (for example, using Sign in with Apple). When you do so, we receive a unique user identifier from the authentication provider and, if you choose to share them, your name and email address. This lets us create your account and recognize you across devices. Sign in with Apple is designed with privacy in mind – it gives us a distinct user ID for our App and does not share your personal Apple login or any unrelated information with us. We do not receive your Apple account password or any sensitive personal details beyond the name and email you authorize.

• User Content: If an App allows you to create or upload content (such as recipes, comments, photos, or chat messages), we collect and store the content you choose to post in order to display it to you and other users as intended. Please remember that when you share content publicly, other users can view it and may copy or save it. We cannot prevent someone from taking a screenshot or otherwise capturing content that is publicly visible. In essence, once you share something publicly in an App, it may exist beyond our control – so only share content that you are comfortable being public. You can delete your own posts or messages at any time (see Your Choices and Rights below), but we cannot erase copies that other users may have saved outside of our App.

• In-App Purchase Information: Some of our Apps offer optional in-app purchases (for example, a subscription or one-time purchase to unlock premium features). If you decide to make a purchase, it will be processed through the platform’s app store (such as Apple’s App Store). We do not collect or store your payment card information. We only receive a confirmation from the app store that the purchase was successful, so we can update your account and grant you the premium features. All financial transactions are handled by the app store provider (e.g. Apple), so your billing information remains with them and is subject to their privacy and security policies. We simply maintain a record that your account is entitled to the paid features.

• Automatically Collected Data: We do not use any analytics or advertising trackers in our Apps, and we do not actively profile your behavior. However, like most software, some basic technical information is collected automatically to ensure the service works correctly and securely. For example, our backend systems (e.g. Google Firebase/Firestore) may log device information such as your device type, operating system, IP address, and timestamps of certain actions (for instance, when you log in or post content). We use this information solely to provide the service, secure your account (for example, to help prevent fraud or unauthorized access), and to fix bugs or improve performance. We do not use this data to track you across other services or for any kind of advertising purposes. Any data transmission between your device and our servers is encrypted via HTTPS, and our cloud database encrypts all data at rest.

We do not collect any sensitive personal information such as your physical address, phone number, or contact list from your device. Our Apps also do not access your photos or camera unless you explicitly choose to upload an image (for example, adding a photo to a shared post); in that case, the image you select is uploaded and stored securely as part of your content. We do not use your data for marketing purposes, and we do not obtain data about you from third-party sources (aside from the authentication or app store information described above).

Note: Not all of the data types above apply to every App. If an App does not support user accounts or user-generated content, we will not collect those categories of information for that App. In Apps without login or sharing features, the only information collected might be basic technical data and purchase confirmations (if the App includes purchases).

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information only to provide and enhance the functionality of our Apps – nothing more. Specifically, we use your information in the following ways:

• To Provide the Service: We use account data (if applicable) to let you log in and access features of the App. For example, knowing your authenticated user ID allows us to associate your content and preferences with your account and sync them across your devices. Without this, features like saving your progress or showing your own content wouldn’t work properly.

• Community Features: For Apps that include social or community features, any content you publish (like a recipe, comment, or chat message) will be displayed to other users as part of the App’s core functionality. If you participate in a chat or public forum in the App, your messages will be shown to the other participants. This is fundamental to the experience of sharing and discovering content in the App. Remember that content you share publicly may be visible to all users of that App, so please share responsibly.

• In-App Purchases and Subscriptions: When you purchase a premium feature or subscription, we use the confirmation from the app store to enable those features for you. For instance, if you upgrade to unlock certain content or capabilities, we update your account status so you can access the premium features. We keep a record that your account has an active purchase or subscription, so you don’t lose access to those features during the subscription period (or after a one-time purchase). We do not receive or store any of your credit card details – we only receive non-sensitive information like a transaction ID or receipt confirmation from the platform.

• App Improvement and Support: We may use aggregated technical data (like error logs or usage trends) to troubleshoot issues, fix bugs, and improve the performance of our Apps. For example, understanding how many users utilize a particular feature can help us optimize that part of the App. If you contact us for support, we will use the information you give us (such as your email address or user ID and a description of the problem) to help resolve the issue.

• Security and Fraud Prevention: We may use certain information to maintain the security and integrity of our services. This can include using IP addresses or device information to detect and prevent fraudulent or unauthorized activity on our Apps. For instance, requiring Sign in with Apple on an app with user-generated content helps verify each user’s identity in a privacy-friendly way and adds a layer of protection. (Apple even provides a basic fraud-detection signal during the sign-in process, which helps us ensure the account is being used by a real person.) We also monitor for any misuse of our platforms (such as spam, harassment, or other violations of our Terms of Use) and may review available data to investigate and address such issues in order to protect the community.

Importantly, we do not use your personal information for advertising purposes. Our Apps do not display third-party ads, and we do not profile or harvest your data to target ads. Our revenue comes from optional in-app purchases made by users, not from exploiting personal data. Your information is used strictly to run and improve the App experience you signed up for.

How We Share Your Information

Your privacy is paramount. We do not sell or rent your personal information to any third parties. We only share your information in a few limited circumstances, as outlined below:

• Sharing with Other Users: Content you choose to post or share within an App (when the App has social features) will be visible to other users by design. For example, if you publish a recipe or comment in one of our Apps, other users can view that content along with your display name (or the name associated with your account). Similarly, if you participate in a group chat or forum within the App, your messages will be visible to the other participants. This kind of sharing is driven by you – by posting content or sending messages, you are explicitly choosing to share that information with the community or with specific recipients.

• Service Providers: We use certain trusted third-party companies to help us operate and provide our Apps. This includes services like cloud hosting and data storage (for example, Google Firebase/Firestore to store data like user content) and platform services for authentication or payments (for example, Apple for Sign in with Apple and in-app purchase processing). These third-party providers process or store your data only for the purpose of assisting us with the App’s functionality. For instance, if our App stores your recipe posts in a cloud database, that database is run on secure servers by our cloud provider. These partners are not allowed to use your information for any other purposes – our agreements with them require that they keep your data confidential and secure. In short, your data may pass through or be stored with services provided by companies like Apple or Google, but solely so that our App functions properly (e.g. to authenticate you, deliver notifications, or save your content). We do not permit these service providers to access or use your data for their own independent use, and they are bound by strict privacy obligations.

• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities. For example, if we receive a court order or subpoena demanding certain user information, we might be legally obligated to comply and provide that data. We will only share the information that is necessary to satisfy our legal requirements. Additionally, we might disclose information if we believe in good faith that it’s necessary to protect our rights or property, to prevent fraud or abuse, to enforce our App’s terms of service, or to protect the safety of our users or the public. Any such disclosure would be done in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

• Business Transfers: If in the future our company (Normand Martin) is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user information may be transferred to the new owner as part of that transaction. If that happens, we will ensure that the new owner is contractually obligated to uphold the privacy commitments we’ve made in this policy (or will obtain your consent for any material changes). We will also notify you (for example, via an in-app alert or a notice on our website) if your personal information becomes subject to a different privacy policy due to a business transition, and let you know of any choices you may have.

Outside of the scenarios above, we do not share your personal information with anyone else. We do not disclose your data to advertisers, data brokers, or other third parties for their own use. Your personal data (like your name, email, and the content you create in our Apps) stays within the Normand Martin ecosystem and the service providers we utilize to run our services, as explained. In short, we don’t give outsiders access to your information unless it’s absolutely necessary to deliver the service or we are legally compelled.

Data Storage and Security

We take the security of your data seriously and employ industry best practices to protect it. Here’s how we handle data storage and protection:

• Storage Location: Data from our Apps is stored in secure cloud services (for example, databases and file storage provided by Google Firebase/Firestore, or similar reputable providers). These servers may be located in the United States or other countries. Regardless of the location, your data is protected by strong security measures. All data is transmitted using encrypted connections (HTTPS), and it is also encrypted at rest on our database servers. This means that whether your information is in transit between your device and our servers, or stored in our database, it’s in an encrypted form that is unreadable to unauthorized parties.

• Security Measures: We implement up-to-date security practices to safeguard your information. This includes encryption (as noted above), access controls to limit who can see and handle data, and monitoring for unauthorized access or vulnerabilities. For example, access to our database is restricted and requires proper authentication; only authorized team members with a valid need can access user data, and even then, actions are logged and monitored. We also rely on the security features of our platform providers (such as Firebase’s security rules and Apple’s built-in security for account login) to help protect your data. While we strive to use commercially accepted means to protect your personal information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We thus cannot guarantee absolute security, but we continuously update and improve our safeguards. We also encourage you to keep your own credentials safe – for instance, maintain the security of your Apple ID or any login that you use for our Apps, since that is the key to accessing your data within our service.

• Data Retention: We retain your data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy (unless a longer retention is required by law). In practice, this means we keep your account information and user content while you are actively using the App. For example, we will store your recipes, comments, or other posts on our service until you choose to delete them or delete your account. If you remove content, it is no longer accessible to others in the App. If you stop using an App, we may eventually delete or anonymize your data after a period of inactivity, although we generally keep it for a reasonable time in case you return. We do not keep personal data indefinitely without purpose. Moreover, if you request deletion of your data or account, we will promptly fulfill that request (as described below). We do maintain regular backups of our systems for safety and disaster recovery, so your data might remain in encrypted backups for a short time even after deletion, but those backups are purged periodically and are only used for legitimate technical purposes.

• Data Deletion and User Control: You are always in control of the content and information you provide in our Apps. If you have posted something (for example, a recipe or a comment), you can delete it at any time using the App’s interface (for instance, by selecting a “Delete” option on your content). When you delete content, it is removed from our live database and will no longer be visible to other users. Likewise, if you wish to delete your entire account and all associated data, you can typically do this via an in-app account deletion feature. If an automated deletion option is not available, you can contact us directly to request account deletion. Upon verifying your request, we will delete your profile information and all data you have provided from our active systems. (Note: if you used Sign in with Apple, deleting your account on our side does not automatically revoke our app’s access to your Apple account; if desired, you can also revoke access via your Apple ID settings.) We want you to have the ability to “start fresh” – you will always have the capability to remove information you’ve shared or even erase your presence from the App entirely.

• Retention for Legal or Technical Reasons: In certain cases, we may retain some information for a limited time after you delete it, if necessary for legal, security, or operational reasons. For example, we might preserve server logs or certain records to comply with a law enforcement request or to resolve a dispute. We might also retain information if needed to enforce our Terms of Service or investigate violations (for instance, if an account was banned for misconduct, we may keep a record to prevent repeat abuse). Any data retained for these purposes will be restricted to what’s strictly necessary and only kept for the minimum duration required. We will not keep your personal content or information longer than needed for the purpose it was collected, unless we are legally required to do so.

Your Choices and Rights

We believe you should have control over your personal information. Here are the ways you can manage your data and the rights you have:

• Editing Your Information: The personal information we have about you is very limited (usually just your name and email, if those are provided, along with any content you’ve contributed). If an App has a profile or settings section where you can update your display name or other details, you are free to do so at any time to keep your information accurate. If you need to change something that isn’t editable within the App (for example, if your name was imported from your Apple ID and you prefer to use a nickname), you can contact us and we will assist in updating your account info. We want to ensure your information is correct and reflects what you want to share.

• Access and Portability: You have the right to access the personal data we hold about you. If you would like to receive a copy of your data, just let us know. We can provide a summary of the information tied to your account – for most users this will primarily be the content you’ve posted (which you likely already have) and basic account details. If you require it in a portable format (for example, to transfer to another service), we will do our best to provide it in a commonly used machine-readable format.

• Deletion of Content: As noted earlier, you can delete any of your contributions (such as posts, comments, or messages) directly through the App. Once deleted, that content is no longer visible to others and is removed from our active database. We encourage you to only share content that you’re comfortable having online, but it’s your prerogative to remove it whenever you want.

• Account Deletion: If you want to stop using an App altogether and wish to have your entire account deleted, you have the right to do so. Many of our Apps will include a “Delete Account” option in the settings or profile section. Using this will permanently erase your account and all associated personal data from our production systems. If such an option isn’t available in the App, simply contact us and we will take care of deleting your account manually. We may need to verify the request (to make sure it’s really you making the deletion request), and then we will delete your data. Once your account is deleted, all your personal information and content will be removed from the app’s database (with the exception of the temporary backup copies as mentioned in Data Retention above, which will be cleared in due course).

• Opt-Out of Notifications: We do not send marketing emails or newsletters, so you won’t get promotional communications from us. The primary notifications you might receive are push notifications or in-app alerts related to the app’s activity (for example, if someone replied to your post, or a reminder about a feature). If you prefer not to receive push notifications, you can disable them in your device’s settings at any time. You will still be able to use the App normally; you’ll just need to open it to check for new messages or updates. If we ever decide to send any kind of direct communication (like an announcement via email or within the app), we will provide a way to opt out or unsubscribe.

• Privacy Rights (GDPR, CCPA, etc.): Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have additional rights regarding your personal data. For example, users in the European Union, United Kingdom, California, Brazil, and other regions have rights to access their data, correct or delete it, and obtain information about how it’s used. We respect all applicable privacy rights. This means that if you contact us with a request pertaining to your data, we will respond in accordance with the laws that apply. For instance, you can ask to know what data we have about you, request that we delete your personal data, or ask us to correct something that’s wrong – and we will accommodate as required. Notably, because we do not sell or share your data for profit, if your local law gives you the right to opt out of the “sale” of data, that right is already fulfilled by our practices (since we don’t sell data in the first place). We also will not discriminate against you for exercising any privacy rights. In short, whatever privacy rights the law grants you, we intend to honor. If you have questions or specific requests about your personal data, please reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help.

Children’s Privacy

Most Normand Martin apps are suitable for all ages and do not collect personal information from users. However, certain apps (such as Recipe Book) include features like chat or public posting that are not intended for children under 13. Those apps require users to be at least 13 years old, and users between 13 and the age of majority in their jurisdiction should use them with parental consent.

No Third-Party Ads or Trackers

We want to reiterate that our Apps are ad-free and we do not use third-party trackers that collect your personal data. Unlike many other services, we do not utilize external analytics platforms that profile you, and we do not embed advertising SDKs in our applications. You will not encounter banner ads or targeted ads in our Apps, and we are not monitoring your behavior for marketing purposes.

We also do not share your personal information with third parties for their own advertising or marketing. Any information that is collected stays within our system and is used only for the purposes described in this policy – to operate the App, enhance your experience, and meet any legal obligations. We do not sell, trade, or rent user data. Our business model is simple and transparent: we may charge a fee for premium features or rely on subscriptions, but we do not monetize your personal information. In other words, your data is not our product – it’s part of the service we provide to you, and we handle it with care and responsibility.

In summary, what you do in our Apps stays within our Apps (and the secure services we use to run them). You can use our products knowing that we aren’t secretly tracking you for third-party advertisers or analytics companies. Your trust is important to us, and we maintain an environment free of third-party ad targeting.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, or legal requirements. If we make a significant change, we will notify you by appropriate means – for example, by posting a notice on our website or within the App, and updating the “Effective Date” at the top of this document. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

If you continue to use our Apps after a policy update takes effect, it means you accept the revised policy. If you do not agree with any changes to the policy, you should discontinue use of the App and you may request that we remove your data. We will not retroactively expand our data collection or usage without your consent. In other words, if we ever plan to use personal information for a new purpose that is not covered by this policy, we will ask for your permission first.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help and to make sure your privacy needs are addressed. You can reach us in the following ways:

• Email: nmartin1956@gmail.com (Please include the subject line “Privacy Inquiry”.

• In-App Support: If our Apps offer a support or feedback feature, you can send us a message through that.

We will do our best to respond to your inquiries as quickly as possible. Your privacy and trust are extremely important to us, and we welcome any feedback or questions you might have about how we handle your data.

By using any of the Normand Martin apps, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. Thank you for choosing our apps. We appreciate your trust, and we are committed to honoring that trust by keeping your data safe and respecting your privacy at every step.