Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how Peter Healy (trading as Trace) ("Trace", "we", "our", or "us") collects, uses, and protects information when you use Trace.
1. Who Operates Trace
Trace is operated by Peter Healy (trading as Trace), with operations based in Adelaide, Australia.
2. Information We Collect
Depending on how you use Trace, we may collect:
- Account information such as email address and user ID.
- Authentication and session token metadata.
- Subscription and entitlement status information.
- Screenshots you choose to upload or share with Trace for processing. These screenshots may contain additional visible information outside the podcast player area.
- Capture metadata such as capture IDs, capture status (queued, processing, resolved, unresolved, failed), capture timestamps, source identifiers or titles, and metadata extracted from screenshots such as episode title, show name, playback timestamp, and detected podcast app.
- Content you ask us to process, including transcript text, snippet text, and export text generated from the episode identified from your screenshot.
- Usage counters and idempotency metadata used to enforce service limits.
- Device and app diagnostics needed to troubleshoot service reliability issues.
- Support communications you send to us.
3. How We Use Information
We use collected information to:
- Provide and maintain Trace functionality.
- Authenticate users and enforce subscription entitlements.
- Process uploaded screenshots to identify podcast episode context, locate relevant episode metadata or audio, and generate transcript, snippet, and export text.
- Process subscription events and restore access.
- Monitor, debug, and improve product reliability and security.
- Respond to customer support requests.
- Comply with applicable legal obligations.
4. Processors and Service Providers
We may share data with service providers who process data on our behalf, including:
- RevenueCat (subscription and entitlement infrastructure).
- Apple App Store and Google Play (billing and subscription management).
- OCR, transcription, and AI processing providers, such as OpenAI when enabled in our production stack, to inspect uploaded screenshots and generate text outputs.
- Podcast hosting, RSS, CDN, and other content-source providers needed to locate the episode you ask us to process.
- Hosting, cloud infrastructure, logging, and monitoring vendors.
These providers are authorized to process information only as needed to provide services to us.
5. Screenshot Uploads
On-device photo library access is requested only when you choose to upload a screenshot. If you choose to upload or share a screenshot, the full image file is sent to Trace so we can analyze it and extract the podcast information needed to fulfill your request. Because screenshots can include notifications, browser tabs, profile photos, message previews, or other unrelated visible content, please review and crop screenshots before uploading when possible. Trace is designed so uploaded screenshots are not intentionally kept as persistent image assets in your Trace history after OCR processing completes, but the screenshot is necessarily handled by our systems and processors while the request is being processed.
6. Data Retention and Deletion
We retain personal information only as long as needed for operational, legal, and security purposes. Trace content such as capture metadata, OCR-derived metadata, transcript text, snippet text, and export content may be retained on our servers while needed to operate the service, show your recent history, enforce service limits, secure the platform, and meet legal obligations. The Trace app may show only a limited recent set of captures at a time, and removing a capture from the app view does not by itself delete backend records. Short-lived processing artifacts may be created temporarily while screenshots are analyzed and transcripts are generated. You can delete your account directly in the Trace app using the Delete account action. For data access/deletion requests, contact peter@tracethat.app.
7. Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Children's Privacy
Trace is not directed to children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
9. International Transfers
We and our providers may process information in countries other than your own. Where required, we implement appropriate safeguards for cross-border transfers.
10. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the Effective Date above. Material changes may be communicated through the app or website.
11. Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data rights, contact: peter@tracethat.app.