Privacy Policy

Last Updated: December 17, 2025

ResearchPod ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

• Email address (required for account creation)
• Password (encrypted and securely stored)

Content You Provide

• PDF documents you upload for podcast generation
• Generated podcast content

Usage Data

• App usage statistics and interactions (e.g., onboarding completion, uploads, playback milestones)
• Device information (device type, operating system version)
• Identifiers used for analytics (e.g., a user ID or other pseudonymous identifiers)
• Crash reports and performance data

Subscription Information

• Purchase history and subscription status
• Transaction IDs (provided by Apple)

Push Notifications

• Device tokens for sending notifications (with your permission)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide and improve the ResearchPod service
• Process your documents and generate podcasts
• Manage your account and subscription
• Send service-related notifications (podcast ready, account updates)
• Analyze usage patterns to improve the app
• Respond to your inquiries and support requests
• Comply with legal obligations

3. How We Store Your Information

Document Processing

• Uploaded PDFs are temporarily stored during processing
• PDFs are deleted after podcast generation is complete
• Generated podcasts are stored securely in cloud storage

Data Security

• All data is encrypted in transit using TLS/SSL
• Passwords are hashed using industry-standard algorithms
• We use Supabase for secure database storage
• Regular security audits and updates

Data Retention

• Account data is retained while your account is active
• Generated podcasts are retained until you delete them
• We delete your data within 30 days of account deletion request

4. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

Service Providers

• Cloud hosting providers (Vercel, Supabase, Google Cloud)
• AI service providers for podcast generation
• Apple for subscription processing

Legal Requirements

• When required by law or legal process
• To protect our rights or safety
• To investigate potential violations of our Terms

5. Third-Party Services

ResearchPod uses the following third-party services:

Service	Purpose	Privacy Policy
Supabase	Authentication & Database	supabase.com/privacy
Google Cloud	AI & Audio Processing	cloud.google.com/privacy
Apple	Payments & Distribution	apple.com/privacy
Vercel	Backend Hosting	vercel.com/privacy
PostHog	Product Analytics	posthog.com/privacy

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate information
• Delete your account and associated data
• Export your data in a portable format
• Opt-out of marketing communications

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@researchpod.app.

California Residents (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what personal information we collect and the right to request deletion.

European Users (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, including the right to data portability and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

7. Children's Privacy

ResearchPod is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

8. Push Notifications

We send push notifications for:

• Podcast generation completion
• Account and subscription updates

You can disable push notifications in your device settings at any time.

9. Analytics

We use an analytics provider (PostHog) to understand how the app is used and to improve reliability and user experience. Analytics events may include:

• Feature usage patterns (e.g., onboarding steps completed, upload started/completed, playback started, listening milestones)
• Performance metrics and app diagnostics
• Device and app metadata (e.g., OS version)
• Identifiers used to associate events with an account (for example, your ResearchPod user ID)

We do not use analytics data for advertising purposes.

If you would like to opt out of analytics collection, contact us at privacy@researchpod.app.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Posting the updated policy in the app
• Sending an email notification
• Displaying an in-app notice

Your continued use of ResearchPod after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Data Processing Location

Your data may be processed in:

• United States (primary)
• European Union (for EU users where applicable)

We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international data transfers.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or requests:

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