Privacy Policy & Ethical Guidelines

Overview

VocalLocal is committed to protecting your privacy and using artificial intelligence responsibly. This document outlines our ethical principles, data handling practices, and your rights when using our speech-to-text, translation, and AI interpretation services.

Data Collection & Processing

What We Collect

• Audio Data: Voice recordings you upload or record through our platform
• Account Information: Email address, username, and authentication data
• Usage Data: Service usage statistics, error logs, and performance metrics
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, and device information

How We Process Your Data

• AI Processing: Audio is sent to Google Gemini and OpenAI APIs for transcription
• Temporary Storage: Audio files are temporarily stored during processing only
• Encryption: All data is encrypted during transmission using TLS/SSL
• No Permanent Audio Storage: We do not permanently store your audio recordings

Ethical AI Principles

Fairness & Non-Discrimination

• We actively monitor for bias in transcription accuracy across different languages and accents
• We provide equal service quality regardless of user demographics or speech patterns
• We continuously work to improve AI model performance for underrepresented languages

Transparency & Explainability

• We clearly disclose which AI models process your data (Gemini 2.0 Flash, GPT-4o Mini, etc.)
• We provide accuracy estimates and limitations for different languages and use cases
• We explain how our AI interpretation features work and their potential limitations

Human Oversight & Control

• Users maintain full control over their data and can delete transcriptions at any time
• We provide manual review options for critical transcriptions
• Human oversight is maintained in our AI model selection and quality assurance processes

Data Security & Protection

Security Measures

• Encryption: End-to-end encryption for all data transmission
• Access Controls: Strict access controls and authentication requirements
• Regular Audits: Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Incident Response: Comprehensive data breach response procedures

Data Retention

• Audio Files: Deleted immediately after processing (within 24 hours)
• Transcriptions: Stored only if you choose to save them to your account
• Account Data: Retained until account deletion or as required by law
• Usage Logs: Anonymized and retained for service improvement (30 days)

Your Rights & Controls

Data Rights

• Access: Request access to your personal data
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your data (right to be forgotten)
• Portability: Request export of your data in a portable format
• Objection: Object to certain types of data processing

Consent Management

• Clear consent requests for data processing activities
• Ability to withdraw consent at any time
• Granular controls for different types of data usage
• Regular consent renewal for ongoing services

Legal Compliance

GDPR Compliance (European Union)

• Lawful basis for processing personal data
• Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for high-risk processing
• Appointment of Data Protection Officer (DPO) when required
• Cross-border data transfer safeguards

CCPA Compliance (California)

• Consumer rights to know, delete, and opt-out
• Non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights
• Clear privacy disclosures and opt-out mechanisms

Industry-Specific Compliance

• Healthcare: HIPAA compliance considerations for medical transcriptions
• Legal: Attorney-client privilege protection measures
• Education: FERPA compliance for educational content
• Financial: SOX and financial privacy regulations

Limitations & Disclaimers

AI Accuracy Limitations

• Transcription accuracy varies by language, accent, audio quality, and content type
• AI models may have biases that affect accuracy for certain demographics
• Technical jargon, proper names, and specialized terminology may be less accurate
• Users should review and verify transcriptions for critical applications

Use Case Restrictions

• Not for Emergency Services: Do not use for 911 or emergency communications
• Not for Legal Evidence: Transcriptions are not certified for legal proceedings
• Not for Medical Diagnosis: Not suitable for medical diagnosis or treatment decisions
• Recording Consent: Users must obtain proper consent before recording others

Third-Party Services

AI Service Providers

• Google Gemini: Subject to Google's AI Principles and Privacy Policy
• OpenAI: Subject to OpenAI's Usage Policies and Privacy Policy
• Data Processing Agreements: We maintain appropriate data processing agreements

Infrastructure Providers

• Firebase: Google's cloud platform for authentication and data storage
• Render: Cloud hosting platform with security certifications
• CDN Services: Content delivery networks for improved performance

Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy and Ethical Guidelines document to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify users of significant changes through:

• Email notifications to registered users
• Prominent notices on our website
• In-app notifications for significant changes