1. Introduction
Welcome to Pronounce ('we,' 'our,' or 'us'). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our English pronunciation learning platform.
By using Pronounce, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our Service.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Account Information
When you register for an account, we collect:
- Name (full name or display name)
- Email address
- Profile picture (optional)
- Account preferences (accent preference, notification settings)
2.2 Google Sign-In Information
When you authenticate using Google Sign-In, we receive:
- Your Google account email address
- Your Google profile name
- Your Google profile picture (if publicly available)
- A unique Google account identifier
We do not have access to your Google account password. Your use of Google Sign-In is subject to Google's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
2.3 Learning Progress Data
We collect and store data about your learning activities:
- Words you have practiced or viewed
- Your favorite or bookmarked words
- Practice session performance and completion rates
- Pronunciation difficulty progression
- Spaced repetition schedules and due dates
- Learning streak data and daily login history
- Experience points (XP) and achievement progress
- Practice attempts, timestamps, and outcomes
2.4 User-Generated Content
We store content you create or submit:
- Word pronunciation requests
- Content submissions (definitions, usage notes, etymology contributions)
- User feedback and ratings
- Uploaded images or media files
- Comments or messages submitted through the platform
2.5 Automatically Collected Information
We automatically collect certain information when you use our Service:
- Device Information: Device type, operating system, browser type and version, screen resolution, device identifiers
- Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on pages, click patterns, navigation paths
- IP Address: We collect and hash IP addresses for visitor tracking and security purposes (see Section 2.6)
- Location Data: Country-level geolocation derived from IP addresses for analytics
- Performance Data: Page load times, errors, technical diagnostics
- Session Data: Login timestamps, session duration, activity logs
2.6 Visitor Tracking and Analytics
We implement privacy-respecting visitor tracking:
- IP Address Hashing: We use cryptographic hashing with a secret salt to anonymize IP addresses before storage
- Anonymous View Counts: We track word views and browsing patterns without identifying individual users (for anonymous visitors)
- Geographic Analytics: We derive country-level location data from IP addresses for analytics purposes
- Rate Limiting: We use hashed IP addresses to implement fair-use rate limiting for anonymous users
We do not store raw IP addresses. Only cryptographically hashed versions are retained.
2.7 Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies for:
- Authentication and session management
- Remembering your preferences and settings
- Analytics and performance monitoring
- Security and fraud prevention
You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling cookies may limit functionality.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your information for the following purposes:
- Service Provision: To provide, maintain, and improve our pronunciation learning platform
- Account Management: To create and manage your user account
- Personalization: To personalize your learning experience with AI-powered word recommendations based on your difficulty level and learning history
- Progress Tracking: To track and display your learning progress, achievements, and statistics
- Spaced Repetition: To implement scientifically-proven spaced repetition scheduling for optimal learning
- Gamification: To provide gamification features including XP, achievements, streaks, and leaderboards
- Content Recommendations: To suggest relevant pronunciation words, practice sessions, and learning paths
- Communication: To send you:
- Account-related notifications (password resets, security alerts)
- Practice reminders and learning streak notifications
- Achievement unlocks and milestone celebrations
- Daily or weekly learning digests (if opted-in)
- Service announcements and feature updates
- Analytics: To monitor and analyze usage patterns, service performance, and user engagement
- Content Moderation: To review and moderate user-submitted content for quality and appropriateness
- Security: To detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, security risks, and technical issues
- Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights
- Service Improvement: To develop new features, improve existing functionality, and enhance user experience
4. AI and Automated Processing
We use artificial intelligence and automated systems to enhance your learning experience:
- OpenAI Integration: We use OpenAI's API to generate educational content, usage examples, and analyze pronunciation patterns
- Recommendation Engine: Our AI analyzes your learning patterns to suggest personalized word recommendations
- Difficulty Scoring: We use algorithms to assess and score pronunciation difficulty
- Learning Path Optimization: AI determines optimal learning sequences based on phonetic relationships and difficulty progression
When using OpenAI services, we send minimal data necessary for content generation (word text, context) and do not share personally identifiable information. OpenAI's data processing is subject to their Privacy Policy and terms.
5. Data Sharing and Disclosure
We may share your information in the following situations:
- With Your Consent: We may share your information for any purpose with your explicit consent
- Service Providers: We share data with third-party vendors who assist in providing our services:
- Cloud hosting and database providers (Neon PostgreSQL, Vercel)
- File storage providers (Cloudflare R2)
- Authentication services (Google OAuth via Better Auth)
- Analytics providers (PostHog, Vercel Analytics)
- Email service providers (for transactional and marketing emails)
- AI services (OpenAI for content generation)
- Payment processors (if subscriptions are active)
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, subpoena, or valid legal process
- Business Transfers: In connection with any merger, sale of assets, financing, or acquisition of all or part of our business
- Protection of Rights: To protect our rights, privacy, safety, property, or that of our users or the public
- Aggregated Data: We may share anonymized, aggregated data that does not identify you personally for research, analytics, or marketing purposes
We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
6. Third-Party Services
Our Service integrates with and uses the following third-party services:
- Google Sign-In: For authentication (Google Privacy Policy applies)
- YouTube: For pronunciation video content (YouTube Privacy Policy applies)
- OpenAI: For AI-powered content generation (OpenAI Privacy Policy applies)
- Cloudflare R2: For file storage (Cloudflare Privacy Policy applies)
- Neon PostgreSQL: For database hosting (Neon Privacy Policy applies)
- Vercel: For hosting and analytics (Vercel Privacy Policy applies)
- PostHog: For product analytics (PostHog Privacy Policy applies)
- Polar.sh: For subscription management (if applicable) (Polar Privacy Policy applies)
These services have their own privacy policies governing the use of your information. We encourage you to review their policies.
7. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information:
- Encryption of data in transit using SSL/TLS
- Secure password hashing using industry-standard algorithms
- IP address hashing for privacy protection
- Access controls and authentication mechanisms
- Regular security assessments and updates
- Secure cloud infrastructure with reputable providers
However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:
- Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period after account closure for legal and business purposes
- Learning Progress: Retained while your account is active; you may request deletion
- User Content: Retained as long as it provides value to the community or as required by law
- Analytics Data: Aggregated analytics may be retained indefinitely in anonymized form
- Legal Compliance: Certain data may be retained longer to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements
You may request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us at privacy@pronounce.tv.
9. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: Request access to your personal information and obtain a copy of the data we hold about you
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations)
- Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Objection: Object to certain processing of your information, including marketing communications
- Restriction: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
- Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for processing based on consent (without affecting prior processing)
To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@pronounce.tv. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe as required by applicable law.
10. Email Communications and Unsubscribe
We may send you the following types of emails:
- Transactional Emails: Account-related, password resets, security alerts (cannot opt-out)
- Practice Reminders: Notifications about words due for practice
- Achievement Notifications: Alerts about unlocked achievements and milestones
- Daily/Weekly Digests: Learning progress summaries (opt-in)
- Service Updates: Important announcements and feature updates
You can manage your email preferences in your account settings or use the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of marketing emails. You can unsubscribe from all non-essential communications using the unsubscribe page.
Note: You cannot opt out of essential service communications related to your account security and service functionality.
11. Children's Privacy
Our Service is not intended for children under 13 years of age (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@pronounce.tv. We will take steps to delete such information from our systems.
12. International Data Transfers
Your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States and other locations where our service providers operate.
These countries may have data protection laws that are different from the laws of your country. When we transfer your information internationally, we take appropriate safeguards to ensure your information remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
13. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):
- Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
- Right to delete personal information (subject to exceptions)
- Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
- Right to non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights
To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@pronounce.tv with "CCPA Request" in the subject line.
14. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)
If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):
- Right to access, rectification, and erasure
- Right to restrict or object to processing
- Right to data portability
- Right to withdraw consent
- Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
Our legal basis for processing your personal information includes: consent, contract performance, legal obligations, and legitimate interests.
15. Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers support a "Do Not Track" feature that sends a signal to websites you visit indicating you do not wish to be tracked. We currently do not respond to Do Not Track signals due to the lack of industry standards for implementation.
16. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.
We will notify you of any material changes by:
- Posting the updated Privacy Policy on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
- Sending you an email notification (if you have an account)
- Displaying a prominent notice on our Service
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
17. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
Email: privacy@pronounce.tv
Support: support@pronounce.tv
Website: https://pronounce.tv
We will respond to your inquiry within a reasonable timeframe.
By using Pronounce, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy and our data collection and processing practices.
