Version 2.6 · Last updated: October 17, 2026
Zest Delicious Software LLC ("Zzest", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our service (the "Service") — whether you are a food creator applying to join Zzest (a "Creator"), or a participant joining a live cooking session (a "Participant" or "Viewer"). A Creator agrees to this policy by applying. A Participant agrees to join a Session when they join, as described in Section 2.7. Loading a post is not that agreement. If the Creator has enabled the plugin, loading a post does send the visitor's IP address to Zzest as described in Section 2.5.
Contact: Zest Delicious Software LLC, 8 The Green Ste A, Dover, DE 19901, USA · Privacy: privacy@zzest.io · Legal: legal@zzest.io
When you apply to become a Creator, we collect the information you provide, which may include: your email address (required), your blog domain (if you have a blog), your Instagram and/or TikTok handle(s) (if you have social media accounts), and your self-reported audience size (monthly blog visitors and/or social media followers). We may also collect your name and any other information you choose to provide, such as your referral source or correspondence with us.
To verify social-media Creator applications, Zzest personnel may review publicly available information associated with the Instagram or TikTok handle(s) you provide, including your public profile, posts, and follower information. We only collect information that is publicly available and that you have directed us to review.
Participants who join a live cooking session are not required to create a Zzest account. We do not ask for an email address, a birth date, or an identity document. Entering the kitchen asks for a first name, so other cooks can see who is there. That name is a display name. We keep it as the name shown for that session. It is not an identity check. Email privacy@zzest.io to ask us to delete it, and we will reply when it is deleted.
The camera and microphone start off. Turning a camera on is the person's own statement that they are at least 18, as described in Section 3.1 of the Terms of Service. We do not ask a separate age question, and we do not store an age answer, because we do not collect one. For a new participant who does not yet have a reputation on Zzest, video from a newly turned-on camera is time-shifted so a moderator can see it before the rest of the room does. We do not detect a child standing in the frame behind an adult. If we learn that a minor was captured, we delete that recording when we learn of it, as described in Section 2.4 and Section 12.
A moderator may watch a session while it is live. For a new participant who does not yet have a reputation on Zzest, video from a newly turned-on camera is time-shifted so a moderator can see it before the rest of the room does. A recording is kept for 7 days so a report made during the session, or shortly after, can be reviewed, and is then deleted. If we learn that a minor was captured, we delete that recording when we learn of it. We do not use a recording to train anyone, to improve the product, or to advertise Zzest. We disclose a recording only pursuant to a court order, or as needed to review that report. Please disconnect from a session when you are finished. If you leave a session connected, the recording may capture content you did not intend to share. You are responsible for disconnecting when you are no longer actively participating. (See Section 10.)
Once a Creator has enabled the plugin, loading any WordPress post sends the visitor's IP address to Zzest, including a post that is not a recipe. We use that IP only to derive an approximate location so people can be placed near each other. We do not keep that IP as part of a user profile. Server access logs may keep the IP for up to 7 days for operations and are then deleted. The Creator's own privacy policy is what tells their readers about this. After a person agrees and joins a Session, we also collect device information (type, operating system, browser), usage data, and log files. The plugin does not set its own cookies before that person agrees to join. Agreement to join a Session happens when the person joins, not when the post loads.
If a request fails while the person is trying to enter a kitchen, the script may tell them to turn off a VPN or proxy and, if they are not using one, to contact us and name their internet provider. That message does not send us the provider's name. The approximate-location request described above has already run, when the post loaded. We receive the provider's name only if the person emails it to us.
After a person joins a Session, we use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Service. These include strictly necessary cookies, required for the Service to function, and functional cookies, to remember preferences during a Session. The plugin does not set its own cookies on a post before the person agrees to join. You can control cookies through your browser settings, though disabling them may limit some features.
Local storage is not a cookie. On the Creator's domain, the script does not write local storage when the post loads. It may read __zzOverrideUrlPrefix, __zzOverrideAssetUrlPrefix, or __zzOverrideMockKitchenUrl if something else on that browser has already set them. When the person continues into the kitchen, the script writes __zzestUserId, a random id stored on the Creator's domain. The kitchen frame at reader.zzest.io stores its own data on that host, not on the Creator's domain. A dev-only message from the frame can also write zzestFakeFocusPurchase on the Creator's domain. Email privacy@zzest.io to ask us about deleting a stored id.
Zzest does not keep a visitor's IP address as part of a user profile before that person joins a Session. Joining is when the person agrees to this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Service. Before that, if the Creator has enabled the plugin, we receive the IP only to derive an approximate location, as described in Section 2.5. The Creator's privacy policy should already tell readers that a third party may receive an IP address, or the Creator should add that sentence before turning the plugin on. If a privacy claim is brought against a Creator because of Zzest's collection or use of Participant information, Zzest will defend the Creator and pay the claim, including reasonable attorneys' fees, as stated in Section 16.2 of the Terms of Service.
| Category | Examples | Who | Primary purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity and contact data | Email address, name, blog domain | Creators | Onboarding, communication, revenue reporting |
| Social media data | Instagram/TikTok handles, public profile information | Creators | Application verification and review |
| Audience data | Self-reported monthly blog visitors and social followers | Creators | Application review and Service planning |
| Session recordings | Video and audio of live sessions | Participants who joined a Session | Kept for 7 days so a report can be reviewed, then deleted. Disclosed only by a court order, or as needed to review that report. Deleted when we learn a minor was captured. |
| IP address on page load | IP address, used only to derive an approximate location | Any visitor of a WordPress post where the Creator has enabled the plugin, before they join, including a post that is not a recipe | Approximate location for session matching. Not kept as a user profile. Access logs may keep the IP for up to 7 days. |
| Technical and usage data | Device, browser, usage patterns | Participants who have joined a Session, and Creators | Operation, security, session matching |
| Commercial data | Upgrade purchase records (Participants); user-minute payout records (Creators) | Participants who buy an Upgrade; Creators | Payments and payout reporting |
| Correspondence | Emails and messages with us | All users | Support, legal, and service matters |
We use your information to provide and maintain the Service, process transactions and manage accounts, communicate with you (including onboarding and session-scheduling communications), and respond to inquiries. A retained recording of a Session is not used to improve the Service. Section 4.3 governs recordings.
We use Creator application information (including audience size and social handles) to review applications, plan Service capacity, and coordinate live sessions. We use approximate location and shared interests to match participants into lively, geographically appropriate sessions ("smart matching").
A moderator may watch a session while it is live. A recording is kept for 7 days so a report made during the session, or shortly after, can be reviewed, and is then deleted. If we learn that a minor was captured, we delete that recording when we learn of it. We do not use a recording to train anyone, to improve the product, or to advertise Zzest. We disclose a recording only pursuant to a court order, or as needed to review that report. Section 6.3 is the same rule.
We use information other than a retained recording to comply with legal obligations, enforce our Terms of Service, protect the rights and safety of Zzest, our users, or others, and prevent fraud and abuse. A recording follows Section 4.3 and Section 6.3: 7 days, then deleted, disclosed only pursuant to a court order or as needed to review a report, and deleted when we learn a minor was captured.
We use information other than a retained recording to understand how the Service is used and to keep it working. This section does not apply to a retained recording of a Session.
With your consent or as otherwise permitted by law, we may send you emails about the Service, including launch announcements and updates relevant to your Creator application or participation. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in any such email or by contacting privacy@zzest.io.
We do not sell your personally identifiable information to third parties. We do not "share" your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as that term is defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act.
We may share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf. These include categories of providers such as cloud hosting and infrastructure, video and streaming infrastructure, analytics, email and communications, payment processing, and customer support. Payment for an Upgrade is handled by a payment processor. Zzest does not store card numbers. They are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which it was shared.
We may disclose information other than a retained recording if required by law or in response to a valid request by a public authority. A recording is disclosed only pursuant to a court order, or as needed to review a report of misconduct, and only during the 7 days it is kept, as described in Section 6.3. If we learn that a minor was captured, we delete that recording when we learn of it.
In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information other than a retained recording may be transferred as part of that transaction. A recording stays subject to Section 6.3. It is kept for 7 days and then deleted. During those 7 days it may be disclosed pursuant to a court order, or as needed to review a report of misconduct. It is not transferred for any other use. If we learn that a minor was captured, we delete that recording when we learn of it.
We may share information with your explicit consent or as otherwise described in this policy.
We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide the Service, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
We retain Creator account and application data (including email, handles, blog domain, and audience-size information) for as long as your Creator account remains active, and for a reasonable period thereafter to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and prevent fraud.
A moderator may watch a session while it is live. A recording is kept for 7 days so a report made during the session, or shortly after, can be reviewed, and is then deleted. If we learn that a minor was captured, we delete that recording when we learn of it, including during the 7 days. We do not use a recording to train anyone, to improve the product, or to advertise Zzest. We disclose a recording only pursuant to a court order, or as needed to review that report.
You may request deletion of your personal information by contacting privacy@zzest.io. We will process your request in accordance with applicable law and our retention policies. A recording is deleted after 7 days in any case. If you tell us a minor was captured, we delete that recording when we learn of it.
We may retain information other than a recording beyond the periods above as required by law, including information subject to a legal hold or a court order. A recording is kept only for the 7 days in Section 6.3, then deleted. During those 7 days it may be disclosed pursuant to a court order, or as needed to review a report of misconduct. If we learn that a minor was captured, we delete that recording when we learn of it.
Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or obtain a portable copy of your personal information, and to opt out of certain processing. This includes rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)/California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as well as similar state laws in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, Tennessee, Delaware, Texas, Oregon, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Nebraska, Maryland, Minnesota, and Rhode Island.
California residents may have the right to know what personal information we collect about them, to request deletion of that information, to correct inaccurate information, to request a portable copy, and to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information as defined by the CCPA. We do not use sensitive personal information (as defined under the CCPA) for purposes other than those permitted by the CCPA. California residents may also have the right to non-discrimination for exercising their privacy rights.
Under California Civil Code Section 1798.83, California residents may request information about our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. Because we do not share personal information for such purposes, no such disclosures are made.
We do not currently respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals. We do not use tracking technologies for cross-site behavioral advertising.
To exercise any of these rights, contact privacy@zzest.io. We will respond within the timeframe required by law and may verify your identity first. A recording is deleted after 7 days. If you tell us a minor was captured, we delete that recording when we learn of it.
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and relevant authorities as required by applicable law, without unreasonable delay.
The Service records video and audio while a session is connected, regardless of whether you are actively participating. If you fail to disconnect, recording continues and may capture personal, private, or other content you did not intend to share. You are responsible for disconnecting from sessions when you are no longer actively using the Service, and for ensuring your camera and microphone are not capturing unwanted content. A recording kept because a session stayed connected is used only as described in Sections 4.3 and 6.3.
Video and audio of a Session may, in some jurisdictions, be considered sensitive or biometric data to the extent they reveal an appearance or a voice. We collect that data only after the person agrees, before they join. A moderator may watch a session while it is live. A recording is kept for 7 days so a report made during the session, or shortly after, can be reviewed, and is then deleted. If we learn that a minor was captured, we delete that recording when we learn of it. We disclose a recording only pursuant to a court order, or as needed to review that report. We do not use it to train anyone, to improve the product, or to advertise Zzest, for identification or authentication, or for automated decision-making or profiling, and we do not sell or share it.
The Service is not intended for individuals under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact privacy@zzest.io and we will delete it, and we will reply when that is done. We ask participants to keep their cameras on the cooking area. We do not detect a child standing in the frame behind an adult. If we learn that a minor was captured in a recording, we delete that recording when we learn of it. That is the same rule as Section 2.4. Email privacy@zzest.io with the approximate time of the session and that a minor was visible. We will reply to that email to confirm the deletion.
The Service may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices and encourage you to review their policies. Third-party service providers we work with are contractually obligated to protect your information.
The Service is currently available to users located in the United States. If you access the Service from elsewhere, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. Where transfers of personal information from the EU, UK, or Switzerland occur, we rely on appropriate safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses, to protect the information.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time and will post changes on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Privacy inquiries: privacy@zzest.io
Legal inquiries: legal@zzest.io
Zest Delicious Software LLC, 8 The Green Ste A, Dover, DE 19901, USA