Last updated: 31 October 2026.
SpecialsMate (“we”) sends free food recall alerts and shows official food safety information. We collect as little as we can. We do not ask for your name, email address or phone number, and we do not sell or share your information for advertising.
What we collect
- A random device ID, created when you turn on alerts. It identifies your browser or phone, not you.
- Your area: the suburb, postcode and state you pick, or, if you choose “Use my location”, your position rounded to about 1 km. We never store your exact position or a history of where you go.
- Your settings: alert distance, how often you want alerts, and the items on your “My fridge” list.
- A push address from your browser or phone, so we can send you notifications.
- Technical records: like every website, our host and our security firewall record IP addresses and requests to keep the site safe.
Why we use it
Only to send you the alerts you asked for (for example, recalls sold in your state, or matching your fridge list), to show information for your area, and to protect the service from abuse.
Who else is involved
- Our hosting provider, Hostinger, stores the website and its data. Its servers may be outside Australia.
- Notifications are delivered by your browser or phone maker’s push service (for example Google, Apple, Mozilla or Microsoft). They see the push address and an encrypted message, not your settings.
- Maps are drawn with OpenStreetMap map tiles, which are loaded from OpenStreetMap’s servers and so see your IP address.
How long we keep it, and deleting it
Use Delete my data in the app settings at any time: your device ID, area, settings, fridge list and push address are deleted straight away. If a device has not opened SpecialsMate for 12 months, we delete its data automatically.
Access, correction and complaints
You can see and change your settings in the app. For any privacy question or complaint, email privacy@specialsmate.app. We will reply within 30 days. If you are not satisfied, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.