Privacy Policy
Last Updated: May 30, 2026 · Effective Date: May 30, 2026
- Your lecture audio is transcribed entirely on your device. We never receive it, and we never store it.
- We do not allow our AI providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google) to train their models on your data.
- Your notes, transcripts, and study materials stay on your computer. We do not keep a cloud copy.
- We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.
1. Who We Are
PopScribe AI LLC is a California limited liability company.
- Website: popscribe.ai
- Email: [email protected]
- Privacy Contact: [email protected]
PopScribe builds desktop software for college students. Our app provides real-time AI-assisted lecture notes and study tools. It runs on your computer and stores your content only on your device. To generate AI notes, it sends lecture text to AI providers we manage on your behalf (see Section 5).
Key Terms
To keep this policy readable, we use a few terms throughout:
- Your content: your notes, transcripts, flashcards, and session data. This is stored only on your device.
- Personal information / personal data: information that identifies you. We use "personal information" when describing California (CCPA) rights and "personal data" when describing EEA and UK (GDPR) rights; both refer to the same kind of information.
- Managed features: AI note generation, enrichment, and web search that PopScribe provides through third-party services it operates on your behalf.
- Subprocessor: a third-party service we engage to help deliver managed features.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Website Visitors
Email address. Collected when you voluntarily sign up for our waitlist via GetWaitlist. This is the only identifiable contact information you provide directly.
Network identifiers (IP addresses). Like most websites, our infrastructure providers (Cloudflare and GetWaitlist) automatically collect IP addresses for security, performance, and analytics purposes. In California and the EU, an IP address is considered personal information.
Website usage data (non-identifying). Pages visited, time on page, referral source, general geographic region, device type, and browser type. This data is aggregated and anonymized via Plausible Analytics, which is cookie-free.
2.2 Desktop Application Users
Audio. Processed entirely on your device by an on-device speech recognition model. It is held in memory only long enough to produce a transcript, then discarded. We never receive your audio, we do not store it, and we do not extract voiceprints or use it for biometric identification. No audio is transmitted to PopScribe or any third party for transcription.
Transcripts and notes. Stored as text files on your device. They are not uploaded to our servers.
Screen captures. If you use screen or whiteboard capture, the captured images are sent to the AI providers we manage for analysis. They are not stored by us.
Text sent to AI services. To generate your notes, the app sends lecture text to AI providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google). PopScribe manages these provider connections on your behalf. These providers operate under commercial API terms that prohibit training on your data.
Search queries for notes enrichment. When the enrichment feature is active, the app generates short topic queries from your lecture content (for example, "mitochondria cell biology") and sends them to web search services to retrieve supplementary information for your notes. These queries contain only topic terms; no audio, transcript text, names, or other personally identifying information is included.
Account and billing data. Managed features require an account (your email address) and a payment method. Payments are processed by our payment processor, Stripe; we do not store full payment card numbers. We use this information only to provide and bill for managed features.
No cloud storage of your content. We do not operate a cloud database of your content. It stays on your device, and we cannot access it.
3. How We Use Your Information
- Waitlist email: To notify you when PopScribe is available and send relevant updates.
- Website analytics: To understand how visitors find and use our site.
- Desktop app data: Audio is transcribed on your device for your notes; lecture text is sent to the AI providers we manage solely to generate your study materials. We do not use any of your app data for advertising or profiling.
- Account and billing: To create your account, process payments for credits, and provide managed features.
We do not use automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you.
Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction that requires a legal basis for processing personal data, we rely on the following:
| Processing Activity | Legal Basis |
|---|---|
| Waitlist email collection | Consent (you voluntarily submit your email) |
| Website analytics (Plausible) | Legitimate interest (improving our website) |
| Providing the desktop app and managed features | Contractual necessity (delivering the product you use) |
| Processing payments for credits | Contractual necessity; legal obligation (tax and accounting records) |
| Security and fraud prevention | Legitimate interest (protecting our service and users) |
| Legal compliance | Legal obligation |
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We do not "share" personal information for cross-contextual behavioral advertising as defined by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). We share information only as follows:
- GetWaitlist: Email address for waitlist management.
- AI service providers: Lecture text and images for note generation. PopScribe engages these providers as subprocessors on your behalf. See Section 5.4.
- Web search providers (notes enrichment): Anonymized topic queries derived from lecture content, sent to retrieve supplementary information for your notes. No personally identifying information is included. See Section 5.5.
- Stripe (payments): Billing and payment information to process purchases of credits. See Section 5.6.
- Analytics provider: Aggregated, anonymized website usage data (Plausible).
- Cloudflare: Standard DNS and CDN traffic data.
- Legal requirements: If required by law, court order, or government request.
We do not share your information with advertisers, data brokers, or unaffiliated third parties for marketing purposes.
5. Third-Party Services
5.1 GetWaitlist
Manages our waitlist and receives your email address. Privacy: getwaitlist.com/privacy
5.2 Plausible Analytics
Cookie-free website analytics. No PII collected, no cookies, and GDPR compliant by design. Privacy: plausible.io/privacy
5.3 Speech-to-Text (On-Device)
PopScribe transcribes audio using an on-device speech recognition model. Audio is transcribed on your device and is not sent to any external transcription service. The model is downloaded once from a public model repository (Hugging Face); after that download, transcription works without a network connection.
5.4 AI Service Providers
These providers generate your notes, enrichments, chat responses, and flashcards. PopScribe engages them as subprocessors on your behalf. We do not allow Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google to use your data to train their models, and their commercial API terms prohibit it. Content is retained by these providers subject to their own API data retention policies, linked below, and is then deleted.
- Anthropic: anthropic.com/legal/privacy
- OpenAI: openai.com/privacy
- Google: policies.google.com/privacy
5.5 Web Search Providers (Notes Enrichment)
The app's enrichment feature retrieves supplementary information about lecture topics using web search services. Short topic queries are generated from lecture concepts; no raw transcript text, audio, names, or personally identifying information is included in these queries.
PopScribe provides the credentials for these search services and engages them as subprocessors. Queries flow through PopScribe's accounts and are subject to the agreements we maintain with each provider. We may use one or more of the following:
- Brave Search. Privacy: search.brave.com/help/privacy-policy
- Serper. Privacy: serper.dev/privacy
- Tavily. Privacy: tavily.com/privacy
- Wikipedia (public REST API). Privacy: foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Privacy_policy
Subprocessor list. We maintain a list of the subprocessors we use to deliver managed AI, search, and payment features. We will provide this list on request and publish it at popscribe.ai as managed features roll out, and we will give notice of material changes.
5.6 Payment Processing (Stripe)
We use Stripe to process payments for credits. Stripe receives your billing and payment information as a subprocessor and processes it under the Stripe Services Agreement and Stripe Privacy Policy. We do not store full payment card numbers.
6. Your Local Data
Your content stays on your device. PopScribe does not operate a backend cloud server for your content. It is saved in a local directory on your computer.
Stored locally on your device: your notes, transcripts, flashcards, app settings, and session metadata. We never receive any of this data.
You can delete your session files at any time using the app's built-in tools or by manually deleting the application data directory.
7. Cookies and Tracking
Our website uses no advertising or analytics cookies. Plausible Analytics is cookie-free.
Our hosting and form providers (Cloudflare and GetWaitlist) may set strictly necessary cookies required for security and basic site functionality.
We do not use advertising cookies or tracking pixels, and no cookie consent banner is required.
The desktop app does not use cookies.
8. Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
We do not sell or share your personal information, and our website analytics are cookie-free, so there is no cross-context tracking to opt out of. We recognize browser-based opt-out signals, including Global Privacy Control (GPC) and Do Not Track (DNT).
9. Data Retention
| Data Type | Where Stored | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Email (waitlist) | GetWaitlist | Until you unsubscribe or request deletion |
| Account email (managed features) | Our records | Until you close your account or request deletion |
| Billing & payment data | Stripe and our records | Retained as required for tax, accounting, and legal compliance |
| IP addresses | Cloudflare | Per provider retention policies; anonymized where possible |
| Website analytics | Plausible | Aggregated, no PII; up to 24 months |
| App notes & transcripts | Your device only | Until you delete them |
| Audio | Your device only | Not transmitted; processed in memory and discarded |
| Text to AI providers | AI provider | Per each provider's API data retention policy; never used for training |
| Search queries (enrichment) | Web search providers | Not retained by us. Provider retention per their own policies. |
10. Data Security
PopScribe does not maintain a central database of transcripts, notes, or study materials. A breach of our web infrastructure would not expose your content, because it remains on your device.
Our website uses HTTPS/TLS, and our email is secured with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. All data transmitted to the AI, search, and payment providers we manage is encrypted in transit. These providers hold enterprise security certifications such as SOC 2 Type II. Before engaging any provider for cross-border data transfers, we execute data processing agreements that include Standard Contractual Clauses.
No system is completely secure. If a breach affects your personal data, such as your waitlist or account email, we will notify you as required by applicable law.
11. Your Rights and Choices
- Unsubscribe: Every email includes an unsubscribe link.
- Delete: Contact [email protected] to delete your waitlist or account data.
- Desktop app data: Because it is stored locally, you have complete control to access, export, or delete it.
- Withdraw consent: You may withdraw consent for data processing at any time by contacting [email protected].
12. California Privacy Rights
Notice at Collection
The following table lists the categories of personal information we collect, as described by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):
| Category | Examples | Collected | Business Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | Email address | Yes | Waitlist, account management, and product notifications |
| Commercial information | Credits purchased, billing records | Yes (managed features) | Processing payments and providing managed features |
| Internet / Network Activity | IP address, pages visited, browser type, referral source | Yes | Website security, performance, and analytics |
| Geolocation (general) | Country/region derived from IP | Yes | Website analytics (aggregated) |
| Sensitive Personal Information | SSN, precise geolocation, financial accounts, health data | No | Not collected |
Do Not Sell or Share
We do not "sell" personal information as defined by the CCPA. We do not "share" personal information for cross-contextual behavioral advertising as defined by the CPRA. We use only first-party, cookie-free website analytics, not cross-contextual behavioral advertising.
CCPA/CPRA Rights
California residents have the right to know what data we collect, request deletion, request correction, opt out of sale (we do not sell data), and not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not collect sensitive personal information as defined by the CPRA.
To exercise your rights, email [email protected] with the subject "California Privacy Request." We will respond within 45 days.
13. International Users and GDPR
PopScribe AI LLC is based in the United States and intended for users in the United States; we do not target or direct our services to the EEA or UK. If you access our website or use PopScribe from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, which may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country.
International Data Transfers
Our service providers and subprocessors are primarily US-based. For transfers of personal data from the EEA or UK to the United States, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) executed with each provider. Where a provider is certified, we also rely on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal information will be transferred to the United States.
Your GDPR Rights
If you are in the EEA or UK, you have the right to access your personal data, rectify inaccurate data, erase your data ("right to be forgotten"), restrict processing, port your data, object to processing based on legitimate interest, and withdraw consent at any time. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
To exercise any of these rights, contact [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.
14. FERPA and Educational Privacy
PopScribe is designed as a personal study tool for individual learners. We do not act as a "School Official" or "Service Provider" to educational institutions under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We do not contract with universities, receive student data from institutions, or access educational records.
You are responsible for ensuring that your use of PopScribe complies with your institution's privacy policies regarding classroom recordings and student information. If your recordings capture other students' identifiable information, you are responsible for handling that information in accordance with FERPA and institutional policies.
If an educational institution wishes to formally adopt or recommend PopScribe, separate institutional terms and a FERPA-compliant data processing agreement would be required. Contact [email protected] for institutional inquiries.
15. Children's Privacy and K-12 Prohibition
PopScribe is not directed at, nor intended for use by, children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. PopScribe is also prohibited for use in K-12 educational environments by users of any age.
If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, or that our software is being used in a K-12 setting, we will take immediate steps to delete the information and terminate the associated access.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at [email protected].
16. Recording Consent
PopScribe is a tool for recording and transcribing lectures. The legal responsibility for complying with applicable recording laws rests with you, the user.
In California, recording a conversation requires the consent of all parties (CA Penal Code §632, CA Education Code §78907). Violating these laws can result in civil liability and criminal penalties. You must obtain instructor consent before recording.
PopScribe does not record or store audio on our servers. Audio is processed entirely on your device and is not transmitted to any third party.
17. Changes to This Policy
We will update the "Last Updated" date and post changes at popscribe.ai/privacy. For material changes, we will notify waitlist subscribers and account holders by email at least 30 days before the changes take effect.
18. Contact Us
PopScribe AI LLC
General: [email protected]
Privacy / Legal: [email protected]
Web: popscribe.ai
We will respond to privacy-related requests within 45 days (30 days for GDPR requests).