Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-05-17

Spoken Here is an early-stage product operated from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We help newcomers to Canada build clarity and confidence in spoken Canadian English. This policy explains, in plain language, what we collect from you, why, where it goes, and what you can do about it.

We wrote this ourselves. It is short on purpose. If anything here is unclear, email us at hello@spokenhere.app.

Contents
  1. The short version
  2. What we collect
  3. How we use it
  4. Who else touches your data
  5. Where your data is stored
  6. How long we keep it
  7. Cookies, analytics, and tracking
  8. Your rights
  9. Children
  10. Changes to this policy
  11. Contact

1. The short version

  • We collect your email address, the audio you record while practising, and basic usage information.
  • We process your voice to score your pronunciation and give you feedback. We do not store the audio itself. Only the transcript and the scoring results are saved.
  • We do not sell your data. We do not use it for advertising. We do not run analytics pixels, tracking pixels, or session-replay tools on this site.
  • We use a small set of named service providers to deliver the product. They are listed in Section 4.
  • You can ask us to access, correct, or delete your data at any time by emailing hello@spokenhere.app.

The rest of this document is the longer version of the same five points.

2. What we collect

We collect only what we need to deliver the service. Specifically:

When you take the free baseline assessment (before signup):

  • Your audio recording of the passage you read aloud. This is sent to our pronunciation-scoring provider for analysis and is not stored on our servers. Only the resulting transcript and scores are saved.
  • The transcript of what you said, as produced by the scoring provider.
  • Pronunciation, fluency, prosody, and accuracy scores returned by the scoring provider.
  • A one-way hash of your IP address (we never store your raw IP). The hash lets us limit abuse without knowing who you are.
  • The passage you read, the duration of your recording, and your browser user-agent string (used to debug compatibility issues).
  • If you arrived from a marketing link, the campaign source, medium, and campaign name (UTM tags).

When you submit your email to view your full assessment:

  • Your email address.
  • A one-way hash of your IP address (same hash described above; it links your email submission to the baseline you just took).
  • Your browser user-agent.
  • Optional: your first language background, if you told us during onboarding.

When you sign in and use the full product:

  • Everything above, plus the transcripts and scores from your practice sessions (drill attempts).
  • Your progress over time (which sessions you've completed, your scores).
  • Operational logs of which features you used and when. These do not include the audio.

What we do not collect:

  • Audio recordings (they pass through our processing layer and are discarded after scoring).
  • Payment information (we do not currently charge for the service; when we do, payment data will be handled by Stripe and never touch our servers).
  • Your contacts, calendar, location, photos, or any other data on your device.
  • Information from other apps or services.
  • Information from data brokers.

3. How we use it

We use your data only for the following purposes:

  • To give you feedback. Your transcripts and scores are the basis for the personalised coaching you see.
  • To remember your progress. Your scores and session history power the progress and history views in the app.
  • To send you product emails. When you submit your email, we send you a one-time verification link so you can come back to your results. If you create an account, we may send you occasional product updates (you can unsubscribe at any time from any of these emails).
  • To detect and limit abuse. The hashed IP address lets us cap how often the same network can submit the assessment. This protects the service from automated abuse without identifying you.
  • To improve the service. We look at aggregate usage patterns to understand which exercises work and which don't. We do not train any model on your recordings or transcripts.
  • To comply with law. If we receive a valid legal request, we may need to disclose information. We will resist overbroad requests where we can.

We do not use your data for advertising. We do not sell or rent your data. We do not share it with data brokers.

4. Who else touches your data

We use the following third-party service providers to deliver the product. Each of them sees only the data they need to do their job. We name them here so you know who is involved.

  • Supabase (United States) — hosts our database and handles account authentication. Stores your email, transcripts, scores, and account information.
  • Railway (United States) — hosts our backend server. Processes incoming requests and forwards audio to the scoring provider.
  • Vercel (United States) — hosts our website and the assessment app you interact with.
  • Microsoft Azure Speech Service (United States, East US region) — scores your pronunciation. Receives the audio recording in real time. Returns scores and a transcript. Subject to Microsoft's privacy commitments; not used to train Microsoft's models for this account type.
  • Anthropic (United States) — generates the written coaching feedback. Receives only the transcript and scoring summary, not the audio. Anthropic's API terms state that inputs are not used to train Anthropic's models and are retained only for a short period.
  • ElevenLabs (United States) — generates the synthesised voice clips you hear in some exercises. Receives only the text to be spoken, no information about you.

Planned providers (will be added when in use):

  • Resend (United States) — will send verification and product emails on our behalf. Receives your email address.
  • Loops.so (United States) — will manage occasional product emails. Receives your email address and account-creation status.

When we add a new processor or change an existing one, we will update this section. If the change is material — for example, a new processor that receives more than your email address — we will notify you by email before the change takes effect.

We do not use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, TikTok Pixel, or any other third-party advertising or analytics tracker on this site.

5. Where your data is stored

Most of our service providers are based in the United States. Your data is therefore transferred outside Canada for processing and storage.

This means your data is subject to United States law while it is stored or processed there, including any legal access that may apply to US-hosted data. We selected providers that operate in well-regulated regions and have published security commitments, but you should know that this transfer happens and what it means.

If you would prefer that we not transfer your data outside Canada, please don't use the service.

6. How long we keep it

  • If you take the assessment but never submit your email: the anonymous assessment record is kept for up to 90 days, then deleted.
  • If you submit your email but never create an account (verify): your lead record and any associated assessments are kept for up to 90 days, then deleted.
  • If you create an account: your data is kept for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we delete your personal data within 30 days, with the exception of records we are required to retain for legal or accounting reasons.
  • Operational logs (which features were called, when, by whom): kept for up to 24 months for security and capacity-planning purposes.
  • Audio recordings: not stored at all.

You can ask us to delete your data sooner. See Section 8.

7. Cookies, analytics, and tracking

We do not use third-party analytics, tracking pixels, advertising cookies, or session-replay tools. No Google Analytics, no Meta Pixel, no Hotjar, no FullStory, no LinkedIn Insight Tag.

We use only the following:

  • Local storage in your browser. We store your progress, your most recent scores, and your session state in your browser's local storage. This stays on your device. It is required for the app to remember where you are between visits.
  • Necessary authentication cookies. When you sign in, we set the cookies needed to keep you signed in. These are first-party and required to use the app.

You can clear local storage and cookies from your browser's settings at any time. Doing so will sign you out and remove your local progress; your server-side data is not affected.

We may add a first-party analytics tool in the future. If we do, we will update this section before turning it on, and we will give you a way to opt out where required by law.

8. Your rights

Under Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA, and provincial laws such as Quebec's Law 25 where applicable), you have the following rights. Regardless of where you live, we extend these rights to everyone who uses the service:

  • Access. You can ask us what personal information we hold about you, and we will send you a copy.
  • Correction. You can ask us to correct information that is inaccurate.
  • Deletion. You can ask us to delete your personal data. We will do so within 30 days, except for records we must legally retain.
  • Portability. You can ask us to send you your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
  • Withdraw consent. You can withdraw consent at any time. This means we stop processing your data going forward; it doesn't undo what we already did with your consent.
  • Complaint. If you believe we have mishandled your data, you can complain to us first (we'd like the chance to fix it) and then to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or your provincial privacy regulator.

To exercise any of these rights, email hello@spokenhere.app. We will respond within 30 days. If your request is complex and requires more time, we'll tell you and explain why.

Spoken Here designates itself as the person responsible for the personal information under its control. To contact us about privacy matters, use the email above.

9. Children

Spoken Here is intended for people aged 16 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you are under 16, please don't use the service without a parent or guardian's involvement.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 16, we will delete it.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top tells you when it last changed.

For minor changes (clarifications, typos, formatting), we will update the date and post the new version. For material changes (a new category of data we collect, a new processor that receives sensitive information, a change in how we use your data), we will email you at least 30 days before the change takes effect, where we have your email address.

11. Contact

Email: hello@spokenhere.app

Spoken Here is operated from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We are an early-stage product. If you have questions, write to us. We'll respond.

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