Hob1. Introduction
Hob ("Hob", "we", "our", or "us") operates the Hob household management platform, available as a mobile application on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and through our website at wichtel.ai (collectively, the "Service").
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information when you use the Service. By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with these practices, please do not use the Service.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information you provide directly to us, information generated automatically when you use the Service, and information from third-party services you connect to Hob.
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
Account and Profile Information
- Email address (used for authentication, account notifications, and account deletion confirmation)
- Household name and configuration
- Household member names, roles, and date of birth (used to determine age-appropriate features and COPPA-required protections for members under 13)
- Member avatar color and display preferences
Grocery, Food, and Meal Data
- Shopping list items, quantities, categories, and assigned member
- Receipt photos and images captured through the in-app camera
- Purchase history including item names, prices, quantities, store names, and purchase dates derived from receipt scanning
- Meal plans, recipes selected or saved, and meal assignments
- Barcode scan data used to look up product information in food databases
Health and Dietary Information
- Dietary restrictions and preferences (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal, kosher, custom)
- Food allergen profiles — including life-threatening allergens — entered on behalf of any household member
- Health and wellness goals when you use the Health & Fitness module (Premium tier)
Task and Calendar Data
- Tasks, projects, due dates, assignees, and completion status
- Calendar events, recurring events, and event visibility settings
- Calendar connections you authorize (Google Calendar, Apple Calendar)
2.2 Information Generated Automatically
- App usage events (screens visited, features used, actions taken) — collected only with your consent per your Privacy Profile setting
- Error logs and crash reports via Sentry
- Device type, operating system version, and app version
- Push notification delivery status
3. How We Use Your Information
- Provide, maintain, and improve the Service
- Personalize your household experience and generate AI-powered suggestions via our Hob Intelligence Engine (HIE)
- Send transactional communications (account confirmations, security alerts)
- Enforce allergen safety checks before grocery items are added to your household list
- Detect errors and improve reliability via crash reporting
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not use your personal information for targeted advertising. We do not sell your personal information.
4. How We Share Your Information
4.1 Service Providers
We share personal information with the following service providers who process it on our behalf:
| Provider | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk | Authentication and identity management | Email, account credentials |
| Supabase | Database and backend infrastructure | All household data |
| Anthropic | AI language model (HIE Tier 2/3 parsing) | Natural language input, household context |
| PostHog | Product analytics (consent-gated) | Usage events (anonymized) |
| Sentry | Error tracking | Error logs, stack traces |
| RevenueCat | Subscription management | Purchase receipts, subscription status |
4.2 Within Your Household
Data you enter is shared with other members of your household account. You control which household members can see event details via the visibility settings in Calendar.
4.3 Legal Requirements
We may disclose personal information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect the rights and safety of our users.
5. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it by law. Backups are purged within 90 days of deletion.
We never delete your data upon subscription lapse — data created during a paid period remains fully accessible.
6. Your Privacy Choices
- Privacy Profile: Choose Standard, Balanced, or Private in Settings → Privacy to control analytics data collection
- Push Notifications: Manage in Settings → Notifications or your device settings
- Data Export: Request a JSON export of all your household data in Settings → Privacy → Export My Data (Standard and Premium tiers)
- Account Deletion: Delete your account and all associated data in Settings → Privacy → Delete Account
- Dietary Data: Edit or remove allergen profiles at any time in Family → Member Details
7. Security
We implement industry-standard security measures including:
- TLS encryption in transit for all API communications
- AES-256 encryption at rest in our database infrastructure
- Row-level security (RLS) policies ensuring household data is isolated
- JWT-based authentication with short-lived tokens via Clerk
- Automated security scanning in our CI/CD pipeline
No system is completely secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact security@wichtel.ai immediately.
8. Children's Privacy (COPPA)
The Service is not directed to children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian adding a child under 13 to your household, we require verifiable parental consent before the child's profile is created. Child members have restricted access to certain features. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent.
If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13 without consent, contact us at privacy@wichtel.ai.
9. Apple App Store Compliance
Our iOS application complies with Apple's App Store Review Guidelines and App Privacy requirements. Our App Store privacy nutrition label accurately reflects our data collection practices. We collect only data necessary to provide the Service.
We do not use device fingerprinting, track users across third-party apps, or share data with data brokers. We do not use the Advertising Identifier (IDFA).
10. Google Play Compliance
Our Android application complies with Google Play's User Data Policy. We have completed the Data Safety section of our Play Store listing accurately. We do not share user data with third parties for advertising or data broker purposes.
11. Important Disclaimers
12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)
California residents have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):
- Right to Know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you
- Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
- Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information
- Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. No opt-out is needed.
- Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: We use sensitive personal information (dietary/allergen data, financial data) only to provide the Service. We do not use it for any secondary purposes.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
To exercise your rights, visit Settings → Privacy → My Privacy Rights in the app, or email privacy@wichtel.ai. We will respond within 45 days.
13. Other U.S. State Privacy Rights
Residents of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, Oregon, and other states with comprehensive privacy laws have similar rights to access, delete, correct, and export their personal data, and to opt out of profiling. Submit requests via Settings → Privacy → My Privacy Rights or email privacy@wichtel.ai.
14. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our mobile applications do not use cookies. Our web application uses strictly necessary session cookies and, with your consent, PostHog analytics cookies and Sentry error tracking. We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking technologies.
15. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date, notify you by email at least 30 days before changes take effect, and display a prominent in-app notice. Older versions are archived and available upon request.
16. Contact Us
| Contact | Details |
|---|---|
| Privacy Inquiries | privacy@wichtel.ai |
| Security Issues | security@wichtel.ai |
| General Support | support@wichtel.ai |
| Rights Requests (In-App) | Settings → Privacy → My Privacy Rights |
17. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Personal Information | Information that identifies, relates to, or could reasonably be linked to a particular consumer or household. |
| Household | A group of individuals sharing a Hob account for managing shared tasks, finances, grocery lists, and scheduling. Up to 8 members. |
| Service | The Hob mobile application (iOS and Android), web application, and any related services provided by Hob. |
| Privacy Profile | Your chosen tier of analytics data collection — Standard, Balanced, or Private — set during onboarding and adjustable in Settings → Privacy. |
| HIE (Hob Intelligence Engine) | The AI system embedded in Hob that generates household management suggestions and insights. HIE outputs are advisory and non-binding. |
| Sensitive Personal Information | Includes dietary restrictions, allergen profiles, health data, and financial credentials. Receives heightened protection. |