1. Information we collect

A. Voluntarily provided data

• Newsletter archives — name and email when you opt in; managed securely through Brevo (GDPR-compliant).
• Community comments — data shown in the comment form, plus IP address and browser user agent for spam prevention.
• Direct inquiries — correspondence retained only to assist with culinary or travel questions.

B. Diagnostic data

• Traffic analytics — Google Analytics 4 for anonymous metrics such as device type, time on page, and broad geography.
• Cookies — preferences and performance; you may disable cookies in your browser settings.

2. AI data governance

Original narratives and photography belong to the Mayerhoffer family. Comments and reader stories are personal. We actively protect our community from unauthorized AI harvesting.

We reserve rights regarding text and data mining. AI crawlers (including GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and CCBot) are prohibited from scraping this site or harvesting reader data. User-generated content is not licensed to third-party AI companies for model training.

3. How we use your data

We apply data minimization — information is used to deliver newsletters (opt-in only), respond to inquiries, audit site performance, and prevent spam or fraudulent access.

4. Third-party tools

We do not sell, rent, or trade your data. Verified providers include Brevo (encrypted email), Google Analytics (aggregate traffic), and security firewalls for comment integrity.

Affiliate links may place tracking cookies on your browser. See our affiliate disclosure for full transparency.

5. Your data rights (GDPR & CCPA)

• Access — request a copy of personal data we hold.
• Rectification — request corrections to inaccurate information.
• Erasure — request deletion including newsletter removal and comment purging.
• Opt-out — unsubscribe from newsletters via any email footer link.

6. Children’s privacy (COPPA)

While our stories feature Victor, the website is directed at adults (parents and home cooks). We do not knowingly collect identifiable data from anyone under thirteen. Contact us immediately if you believe a minor submitted personal data.

7. Security and retention

SSL/HTTPS encryption protects data in transit. Personal data is retained only as long as functionally necessary — for example, your email for the duration of an active newsletter subscription.

Privacy FAQ