Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

At Empathease, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our service.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

2.1 Account Information

• Name and email address
• Password (encrypted)
• Account preferences and settings

2.2 Usage Data

• Course progress and quiz results
• Feature usage patterns
• Login activity and device information

2.3 AI Training Data (Optional)

• Text inputs to Giraffe Translator
• Interactions with Needs Guesser
• AI feature usage patterns

Note: AI training data is only collected if you explicitly consent. You can manage this preference in your profile settings at any time.

2.4 Conversation Recordings & Transcripts (Optional)

• Audio and video streams during empathy sessions
• AI-generated transcripts of session conversations
• Session metadata (date, time, duration, participant roles)

Note: Conversation transcripts are only generated and stored when both participants have explicitly consented. See Section 4 for complete details on how we handle recordings and transcripts.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

• Providing and improving our educational services
• Managing your account and subscriptions
• Personalizing your learning experience
• Communicating with you about service updates
• Improving AI features (only with your explicit consent)
• Analyzing usage patterns to enhance user experience

4. Conversation Recording & Transcription

Empathease offers optional conversation transcription for empathy sessions. This section explains how recordings and transcripts are handled.

4.1 Dual Consent Requirement

Transcripts are only generated when both participants (the empathy seeker and the empathy giver) have independently enabled transcript storage in their privacy settings. If either participant has not consented, no transcript will be created or stored for that session.

4.2 How Transcription Works

• Recording: When both parties consent, audio from your empathy session is processed in real-time
• Transcription: Speech-to-text conversion is performed by our video infrastructure provider, Daily.co, using AI transcription technology
• Storage: Transcript files are stored securely on Daily.co's infrastructure (Amazon S3) with encryption at rest
• Access: Transcripts are downloaded on-demand when you request to view them; we do not store transcript content on our servers

4.3 Third-Party Processing

Transcription services are provided by Daily.co, our video communication infrastructure partner. Daily.co processes audio data solely for the purpose of generating transcripts and is bound by strict data processing agreements. Daily.co does not use your conversation data for training AI models or any purpose other than providing the transcription service.

4.4 Transcript Retention

You can choose how long your transcripts are retained:

• 30 days - Transcripts automatically deleted after 30 days
• 90 days - Default retention period
• 365 days - Extended retention for one year
• Indefinite - Retained until you manually delete them

You can delete any transcript at any time from your Conversations page, regardless of the retention setting.

4.5 Your Transcript Rights

• Access: View and download your transcripts at any time
• Favorites: Mark up to 50 transcripts as favorites to prevent automatic deletion
• Export: Download transcripts in text format
• Deletion: Delete any transcript immediately and permanently
• Withdraw Consent: Disable transcript storage at any time in your Privacy Dashboard; this prevents future transcripts but does not delete existing ones

4.6 What We Do NOT Do

• We do not listen to or review your conversations
• We do not use transcript content to train AI models (unless you separately consent to AI research)
• We do not share transcript content with third parties
• We do not store transcript content on our servers—only metadata (session ID, timestamps, consent status)

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• With your explicit consent
• With service providers who assist in operating our platform (under strict confidentiality agreements)
• When required by law or to protect our legal rights
• In connection with a business transfer or acquisition (with advance notice to users)

5.1 Service Providers

We use the following third-party service providers to operate Empathease:

• Daily.co - Video communication and transcription services. Processes audio/video streams and generates transcripts when you participate in empathy sessions with transcription enabled.
• Stripe - Payment processing for subscriptions. Handles payment card information; we do not store your full card details.
• OpenAI - AI features (Giraffe Translator, Needs Guesser). Processes text inputs only when you use these tools; data is not used for model training unless you consent.

All service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including encryption, secure authentication, and regular security audits. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Data Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data
• Consent Management: Change your AI training data consent at any time
• Data Portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format
• Objection: Object to certain types of data processing

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@empathease.app or manage your preferences in your profile settings.

8. Cookies and Tracking

We use essential cookies to maintain your session and provide core functionality. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.

9. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

10. International Data Transfers

Your data may be stored and processed in different countries. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with this privacy policy and applicable laws.

11. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or compliance purposes.

11.1 Transcript Retention

Conversation transcripts follow a separate retention schedule that you control:

• Default retention period is 90 days from the session date
• You can choose 30 days, 90 days, 365 days, or indefinite retention
• Transcripts marked as favorites are excluded from automatic deletion
• You can manually delete any transcript at any time
• When you delete your account, all transcript metadata is deleted; transcript files on Daily.co are deleted according to their retention policies

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by email or through a prominent notice on our service. Your continued use after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

• Email: privacy@empathease.app
• Support: support@empathease.app