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Privacy Policy

Service: MatChelin
Operator: Seung Hyeon Lee
Contact: lavender662713@gmail.com
Last Updated: May 29, 2026
Effective Date: May 29, 2026
This Privacy Policy ("Policy") describes how Seung Hyeon Lee ("Operator") processes personal information in connection with the mobile application "MatChelin" ("Service"), in accordance with the Korean Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) Article 30 and other applicable laws.

This Policy fully replaces the previous privacy policy (effective October 24, 2023), reflecting the transition from MatChelin version 1.x to version 2.0.0.

Article 1 (Purpose of Processing Personal Information)

The Operator processes personal information for the following purposes only, and not for any other purpose:

  1. Member registration and identity verification
  2. Provision of service features such as reviews, comments, direct messages, and follows
  3. Account protection and prevention of misuse
  4. Service operation, troubleshooting, and statistical analysis (in a non-identifiable form)
  5. Handling inquiries and disputes
  6. Compliance with legal obligations
  7. Sending marketing communications to data subjects who have given separate consent

Article 2 (Categories of Personal Information Processed)

(1) Received from external authentication providers at sign-up

The Operator receives information only within the scope consented to by the user from external authentication providers ("SSO Providers") such as Apple, Google, and Kakao.

(2) Information voluntarily entered or created by the user

Nickname, username, bio, profile picture, region, reviews (star rating, text, photos), comments, direct messages, search queries, bookmarks, follow relationships, block and report records, notification settings.

(3) Automatically collected information

IP address, access time, OS version, device model, app version, device identifiers, push tokens, crash logs, service usage records.

Article 3 (Processing of Location Information)

Only when the user explicitly grants location permission, the user's current GPS coordinates are processed temporarily for the sole purpose of sorting nearby restaurant search results, and are not stored separately after the response is returned. Location coordinates that the user voluntarily registers (e.g., to reviews or wishlist items) are stored as part of that content. The user may revoke location permission at any time through their operating system settings.

Article 4 (Retention and Use Period of Personal Information)

The Operator retains personal information until the purpose of processing is achieved or until the user withdraws membership, at which point it is destroyed without delay. However, where applicable law requires retention for a certain period, the information is retained for the period required by such law.

Article 5 (Provision of Personal Information to Third Parties)

The Operator processes personal information only within the scope of the purposes set forth in Article 1, and does not regularly provide personal information to third parties. The Operator does not sell personal information to any third party.

However, the Operator may provide personal information to the minimum extent required by applicable law in the following cases: when the data subject has given separate consent; when required by law or to comply with legal obligations; when requested by investigative authorities through lawful procedures; or when urgently necessary to protect the life, body, or property of the data subject or a third party.

Article 6 (Entrustment of Personal Information Processing)

The Operator entrusts the processing of personal information as follows for the smooth provision of the Service. Any changes to the entrusted business or trustees will be disclosed through this Policy.

TrusteeEntrusted Business
Supabase Inc.Authentication, database, file storage
Google LLC (Firebase)Push notifications, crash logs, usage analytics
Functional Software, Inc. (Sentry)Error diagnostics and performance monitoring
Apple Inc.Push notifications (APNs), Apple Sign in authentication
Google LLCGoogle Sign-In authentication, Google Maps
Kakao Corp.Kakao Login authentication, Kakao Map
NAVER Corp.Restaurant search API

Some of the trustees are located overseas, and personal information may be transferred internationally to the extent necessary for service operation. By agreeing to this Policy, the user is deemed to have consented to such international transfers. When entrusting personal information processing, the Operator stipulates necessary protective measures in contracts in accordance with PIPA Article 26.

Article 7 (Rights and Obligations of Data Subjects and How to Exercise Them)

Data subjects may exercise the following rights against the Operator at any time:

  1. Right to request access to personal information
  2. Right to request correction or deletion of personal information
  3. Right to request suspension of processing
  4. Withdrawal of membership (via in-app "Settings > Delete Account" menu or by emailing the Operator)
  5. Withdrawal of marketing consent (via in-app "Settings > Notification Preferences")

Rights may be exercised through the relevant in-app menu or by emailing the Operator. The Operator processes such requests in accordance with applicable law. The Operator may take reasonable steps to verify the identity of the requester.

However, the exercise of rights may be restricted where required by law, where there is a risk of unjustly infringing on the life, body, property, or other interests of others (e.g., messages sent to the user by other users, report contents created by other users), or where retention is required until the conclusion of dispute proceedings involving content that has been reported by others.

Article 8 (Destruction of Personal Information)

The Operator destroys personal information without delay when the retention period has expired or the purpose of processing has been achieved. Electronic files are deleted or anonymized in a manner that prevents restoration, and backup copies are sequentially deleted according to the backup retention cycle.

Upon withdrawal of membership, identifying information is immediately anonymized. Data that is combined with interactions of other users (e.g., posts on which other users have commented) may be retained in anonymized form to protect the rights of other users and to maintain the integrity of the Service.

Article 9 (Measures to Ensure the Security of Personal Information)

The Operator takes the following measures in accordance with PIPA Article 29:

  1. Minimization of personnel handling personal information and regular self-audits
  2. Access control management, encryption of authentication credentials, and encryption of communication channels
  3. Compliance with the physical security policies of the trustees' data centers

The Operator implements commercially reasonable protective measures at the level required by applicable law. However, due to the nature of the Internet as a medium, the Operator cannot guarantee absolute safety against all risks. This provision shall not be construed as exempting or limiting any obligation or liability of the Operator as required by law.

Article 10 (Automatic Collection Devices)

The Operator does not operate its own cookies, but uses automatic identifiers such as push tokens and device identifiers. Trustees may use anonymous identifiers within their own SDKs. Users may refuse such automatic collection through their operating system settings or in-app notification settings, although doing so may limit some Service features.

Article 11 (Children Under 14)

The Operator does not accept membership registration from children under the age of 14, and if it is confirmed that a child under 14 has registered through improper means, the Operator will immediately destroy the account and related personal information.

Article 12 (Responsibility for User Content and Third-Party Information)

The Service is a social networking service in which users directly post or transmit content (reviews, comments, photos, direct messages, etc.).

  1. Where a user posts or transmits, through content, personal information of themselves or a third party (such as another person's photo, name, or contact information), the responsibility for the lawfulness and accuracy of such information rests with the user who posted or transmitted it.
  2. The Operator does not pre-screen user content but, upon receipt of a report from a rights holder, will promptly review and take action.
  3. Users shall not use information about other users obtained through the Service for purposes other than the use of the Service.

Article 13 (Personal Information Protection Officer)

The Operator designates the following Personal Information Protection Officer to oversee personal information processing and to handle data subject inquiries and complaints:

Data subjects may contact the above for inquiries, and the Operator will respond and act without delay.

Article 14 (Remedies for Infringement of Rights and Dispute Resolution)

Data subjects may contact the following institutions for consultation and remedy regarding personal information infringement:

All disputes arising in connection with this Policy shall be governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea, and the court of first instance jurisdiction shall be the Seoul Central District Court. However, mandatory consumer protection rights guaranteed under applicable law shall not be limited by this provision.

Article 15 (Changes to the Privacy Policy)

The Operator may amend this Policy in response to changes in law, policy, or security technology. Such amendments will be announced on this page at least 7 days before the effective date. Amendments that materially affect data subjects' rights or obligations will be announced at least 30 days in advance, and separate consent will be obtained from data subjects for matters requiring such consent under PIPA. For amendments that take effect through mere notice, a user who continues to use the Service without expressing objection by the effective date is deemed to have agreed to the amended Policy.

The previous version of this Policy (effective October 24, 2023) shall cease to be effective as of the effective date of this Policy (May 29, 2026).


Supplementary Provision
This Policy is effective from May 29, 2026.