1. Who we are
BITe Box is an independent mobile app developed and operated by ForTheEase ("we", "us"). It is a campus food‑ordering portal for the BIT Mesra community and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to any educational institution, or to any of the independent food stalls listed in the app. Each stall is operated by its own owner; the app only helps you place an order with them.
2. The information we handle
BITe Box does not run its own servers for your personal data — the information below is processed by the services described and, except where noted, stays on your device.
2.1 Information you provide
- Account information — your name and email address, obtained when you sign in with your Google account via Firebase Authentication. Sign‑in is restricted to @bitmesra.ac.in email accounts (campus‑only access).
- Your WhatsApp number — saved on your device so the app can hand your order to WhatsApp. It can be cleared by signing out or clearing app data.
- Delivery details — your hostel/block and room (inside campus), or a custom delivery address and landmark (outside campus), stored on your device.
2.2 Information generated as you use the app
- Cart and order details — the items you add and the orders you place, stored on your device as your personal order history.
- Device and usage information — when an ad is requested or an error occurs, standard device/log information may be collected by the advertising SDK and logging libraries (see Section 4).
2.3 Information collected by third‑party services
- Google AdMob (advertising). Because BITe Box shows ads, Google Mobile Ads may collect device identifiers (including the advertising ID), coarse location, and usage data to provide and measure advertising and to support fraud prevention. Google may use the advertising ID to personalize ads.
- Firebase (authentication & analytics). Your sign‑in is handled by Firebase Authentication. Firebase may collect limited device and usage data.
3. How information is used
- To authenticate you and gate access to campus accounts.
- To build, store and place your orders, including formatting your order for WhatsApp.
- To remember your delivery details and order history for convenience.
- To display and measure advertising so the app can stay free.
- To diagnose crashes and errors and improve the app.
4. How information is shared
BITe Box does not sell your personal information. We share information only:
- With the stall you order from, when you place an order. The order message is created on your device and sent through WhatsApp only when you tap "order". The stall then receives the order, your delivery details, and the WhatsApp number you provided. The stall's handling of that information is governed by the stall's own practices and WhatsApp's terms — we do not control it.
- With our service providers, namely Google (Firebase Authentication and Google AdMob), as described in Section 2.3. These providers process data per their own policies and may act as independent controllers for some data (e.g., Google's use of the advertising ID).
- Where required by law, or to protect rights, safety or property.
5. Advertising and your choices
BITe Box serves ads through Google AdMob. You can:
- Reset your advertising ID or opt out of ads personalization in your device settings: Settings → Security & privacy → Privacy → Ads (the exact path varies by device). Opting out does not reduce the number of ads you see, but they will be less relevant.
- If you do not wish to see ads, you may stop using the app.
6. Where information is processed
Your account authentication is processed by Google Firebase. Advertising is processed by Google AdMob. As these are global services, information may be processed outside your country of residence subject to Google's privacy practices.
7. Data retention
- On‑device data (delivery details, order history, WhatsApp number) is kept until you sign out or clear the app's data/storage from your device settings.
- Account data held by Firebase follows Firebase's retention practices; you can request deletion via the contact below.
- Advertising/analytics data held by Google follows Google's retention policies for those products.
8. Your rights
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal data we hold by emailing fortheease@gmail.com. You can also control much of this directly: sign out, clear the app's storage, or reset your advertising ID in your device settings. For data held by Google, you can manage it via your Google Account.
9. Children's privacy
BITe Box is not directed to children under 13, and sign‑in is restricted to @bitmesra.ac.in campus accounts. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information, contact us and we will delete it.
10. Security
We use on‑device storage and rely on Google's secure infrastructure for authentication. No method of transmission or storage is fully secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Links to other services
BITe Box can open WhatsApp (to place orders), the phone dialer, and email links. These third‑party services have their own privacy practices, which we do not control.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy. The "Last updated" date above will reflect any change. Material changes will be indicated in the app or here.
13. Contact
For any privacy questions or requests, contact:
ForTheEase
Email: fortheease@gmail.com
This Privacy Policy is provided by the developer of BITe Box and is not a policy of any educational institution or food stall.