Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to AskAlong ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring you have a positive experience while using our mobile application and services (collectively, the "Service").

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application AskAlong. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

• Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your email address, password (hashed and encrypted), and authentication information provided by third-party providers (such as Apple Sign In).
• Profile Information: We may collect your name, profile preferences, and other information you choose to provide.
• User Content: We collect questions you ask, AI-generated answers, podcast listening history, playlists, and other content you create or interact with through the Service.
• Payment Information: When you purchase subscriptions or credits, payment information is processed through RevenueCat and their payment processors. We do not store your full payment card details.

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

• Device Information: We collect device identifiers, device type, operating system, and device settings.
• Usage Data: We collect information about how you interact with the Service, including podcast episodes you listen to, questions asked, features used, and timestamps.
• Audio Data: When you ask questions using voice, we temporarily process your audio recordings for transcription purposes. Audio recordings are not permanently stored after transcription.
• Location Data: We do not collect precise location data, but we may collect general location information based on your IP address.

2.3 Permissions

The Service requires certain permissions to function properly:

• Microphone: Required to record your voice questions. Audio is processed in real-time and not permanently stored.
• Speech Recognition: Used to convert your voice questions into text for AI processing.
• Photo Library (Optional): If you choose to share images with your questions, we may access your photo library.
• Contacts (Optional): If you choose to share content via SMS or other messaging services, we may access your contacts list.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Service
• Process and respond to your questions using AI-powered answer generation
• Transcribe your voice questions into text
• Manage your account, subscriptions, and credits
• Personalize your experience and provide relevant content
• Send you notifications, updates, and customer support communications
• Detect, prevent, and address technical issues and security threats
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service
• Analyze usage patterns to improve our Service

4. Third-Party Services

We use third-party services that may collect information about you:

4.1 Supabase

We use Supabase for user authentication, database storage, and backend services. Supabase's privacy practices are governed by their own privacy policy.

4.2 RevenueCat

We use RevenueCat to manage subscriptions and in-app purchases. RevenueCat processes payment information and subscription data according to their privacy policy.

4.3 OpenAI

We use OpenAI's Whisper API for audio transcription and GPT-4o-mini for generating AI answers. Your questions and audio are sent to OpenAI for processing. OpenAI's privacy practices are governed by their privacy policy.

4.4 Apple

If you choose to sign in with Apple, we receive your Apple ID and associated information as permitted by Apple's authentication service.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf (e.g., cloud hosting, payment processing, analytics).
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
• With Your Consent: We may share information with your explicit consent or at your direction.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Security measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure authentication and authorization systems
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Access controls and audit logs

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. For detailed instructions on how to exercise these rights, please visit our Privacy Choices page.

7.1 Access and Portability

You can access and export your personal information through the Service or by contacting us.

7.2 Correction

You can update your account information directly in the Service settings.

7.3 Deletion

You can delete your account and associated data at any time through the Service settings or by contacting us. Note that some information may be retained for legal or legitimate business purposes.

7.4 Opt-Out

You can opt out of certain data collection and processing by adjusting your device settings or Service preferences. Note that opting out may limit certain features of the Service.

7.5 Do Not Sell

We do not sell your personal information. If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

7.6 GDPR Rights

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to object to processing, restrict processing, and lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

8. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for users under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete such information.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country. We take appropriate safeguards to ensure your information is protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

10. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide the Service and fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information, except where we are required to retain it for legal or legitimate business purposes.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy in the Service and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Additional Information

This Privacy Policy should be read in conjunction with our Terms of Service. By using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.