PRIVACY POLICY for Melbourne Dining

Last Updated: February 7, 2025

1. INTRODUCTION

MELBOURNE DINING ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website melbournedining.com (the "Website").

2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when using our contact forms on the Website. This information includes your name, email address, and the content of your message, as well as any additional information you choose to provide in your communications with us. The provision of such information is entirely voluntary; however, certain features of the Website may not be accessible without providing specific information.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit the Website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and usage. This information includes your browser type and version, operating system, IP address, the time and date of your visits, pages viewed, time spent on pages, and referral sources. This information is collected to improve your browsing experience and help us understand how visitors interact with our Website.

2.3 Tracking Technologies

We employ various tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. These technologies include cookies, pixels, and analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Hotjar, and Microsoft Clarity. These tools help us understand user behavior, improve our services, and provide a more personalized experience for our visitors.

2.4 Restaurant Information

We collect and display publicly available information about restaurants through the Google Maps Platform API. This information is obtained through legitimate API access and includes publicly available details about restaurants such as names, addresses, operating hours, and reviews. We process and display this information in accordance with Google's terms of service and applicable laws.

3. USE OF INFORMATION

The information we collect is used for various purposes related to operating and improving our Website. This includes maintaining and optimizing Website functionality, responding to your inquiries and communications, analyzing Website usage and trends, detecting and preventing technical issues, and compiling anonymous statistical data. We process this information based on our legitimate interests in providing and improving our services.

4. THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS

In the operation of our Website, we engage various third-party service providers. These include analytics services (Google Analytics, Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity), automation services (n8n), and artificial intelligence services for content processing. We also utilize the Google Maps Platform for restaurant information. These service providers have access to your information solely to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are contractually obligated to maintain the confidentiality and security of your information.

5. DATA SECURITY

We implement reasonable security measures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, we must emphasize that no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure. Therefore, while we strive to protect your information using commercially acceptable means, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

6. DATA RETENTION

We maintain your information only for the duration necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. When determining the appropriate retention period, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure, and the purposes for which we process the information.

7. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Our Website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. In the event we discover that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will promptly delete such information from our servers. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

8. YOUR RIGHTS

You maintain certain rights regarding your personal information. You have the right to access your personal information that we hold and to request that we correct any inaccuracies in such information. Furthermore, you may request the deletion of your personal information from our systems, subject to our legal obligations and legitimate business interests. You also maintain the right to opt-out of certain data collection and use practices. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 10 of this Privacy Policy. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable laws and within a reasonable timeframe.

9. COOKIE POLICY SECTION

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our Website. These technologies allow us to store certain information about your preferences and customize your online experience. You maintain the right to configure your browser settings to decline cookies or to be notified when cookies are being transmitted. However, please note that some parts of the Website may not function properly if you choose to disable cookies.

10. INFORMATION SHARING SECTION

We may share your information in specific circumstances, including with service providers who assist in our operations, with legal authorities when required by law or to protect our rights or the rights of others, and with third parties with your explicit consent. We emphasize that we do not sell your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. Any sharing of information is conducted under strict operational procedures to maintain the security and confidentiality of your data.

11. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time at our sole discretion. When we make changes to this Privacy Policy, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy and take any other steps required by applicable law. Your continued use of the Website following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes.

12. CONTACT US

For any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at: [Insert Contact Information]