Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

PodSips ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our podcast semantic search platform and related services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number
• Account Information: Username, password (encrypted), profile preferences
• Billing Information: Payment details (processed securely through Stripe)
• Communication Preferences: SMS consent, notification settings

2.2 Usage Information

We automatically collect information about how you use our service:

• Search Queries: Podcast searches, AI conversation history
• Usage Analytics: Features used, time spent, interaction patterns
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device information
• Performance Data: Error logs, response times, system performance metrics

2.3 Third-Party Information

We may receive information from third-party services:

• Authentication Providers: Supabase for secure authentication
• Podcast Data: PodScan API for episode metadata and transcripts
• Payment Processing: Stripe for billing and subscription management

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide Services: Process searches, generate AI responses, manage your account
• Improve Platform: Analyze usage patterns, optimize performance, develop new features
• Communicate: Send account notifications, service updates, customer support
• Process Payments: Handle subscriptions, billing, and payment processing
• Ensure Security: Detect fraud, prevent abuse, maintain system security
• Legal Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements, respond to legal requests

4. SMS Communications

When you provide your phone number and consent to SMS communications, we may send you:

• Account security alerts and verification codes
• Service notifications and important updates
• Billing reminders and subscription information
• Customer support messages (when you request assistance)
• Promotional offers (only if you explicitly opt in)

Your Rights: You can opt out of SMS messages at any time by replying STOP. Message and data rates may apply. We will retain records of your consent for compliance purposes.

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

5.1 Service Providers

We share information with trusted third-party providers:

• Supabase: User authentication and database services
• Stripe: Payment processing and subscription management
• OpenAI/OpenRouter: AI processing for chat and search features
• Pinecone: Vector database for semantic search
• AWS: Cloud hosting and file storage
• PodScan: Podcast metadata and transcript services

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law or to:

• Comply with legal processes, subpoenas, or court orders
• Protect our rights, property, or safety and that of our users
• Investigate potential violations of our Terms of Service
• Respond to claims of illegal activity or intellectual property infringement

5.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership.

6. Data Security

We implement robust security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: Data encrypted in transit and at rest
• Access Controls: Limited access on a need-to-know basis
• Authentication: Multi-factor authentication for admin access
• Monitoring: Continuous security monitoring and threat detection
• Compliance: Regular security audits and assessments

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide you with our services
• Comply with legal obligations
• Resolve disputes and enforce agreements
• Improve our services and prevent fraud

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where we have a legal obligation to retain it longer.

8. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

8.1 General Rights

• Access: Request copies of your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service
• Objection: Object to certain processing activities

8.2 California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights including:

• Right to know what personal information is collected and how it's used
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

8.3 European Residents (GDPR)

If you are in the European Union, you have additional rights under GDPR including:

• Right to withdraw consent at any time
• Right to data portability
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information when it is transferred internationally.

10. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.

11. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Analyze site usage and performance
• Provide personalized content and features
• Ensure security and prevent fraud

You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our service.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

For privacy-related requests, please include "Privacy Request" in your email subject line and provide sufficient detail for us to understand and respond to your request.