Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Account information — name and email address managed through Clerk, our identity provider
• Course materials — learning objectives, lecture notes, and course descriptions
• Uploaded files — PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, and images
• Audio recordings — lecture recordings uploaded for transcription
• Textbook references — titles, authors, and chapter references you enter
• Payment information — processed securely by Stripe; LectiGuide never stores raw card data

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data — features used, sessions generated, and interaction patterns
• Device information — device type, operating system, and browser type
• Log data — IP address, access times, and error logs
• Performance data — API response times used to improve the service

1.3 Information from Service Providers

• Clerk — user authentication status and account identifiers
• Stripe — subscription status and payment confirmation (not card details)

2. How We Use Your Information

• Provide and improve the LectiGuide service
• Generate AI-powered study guides from your uploaded materials
• Transcribe audio recordings into text transcripts
• Save and sync your study sessions across devices
• Process subscription payments and manage your account
• Send service-related communications including receipts and product updates
• Analyze usage patterns to improve features and fix bugs
• Enforce our Terms of Service and prevent abuse
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not use your course materials, audio recordings, or study guide content to train AI models. Your educational content is used solely to generate your personal study materials.

3. Audio Recording Data

3.1 Upload and Storage

When you upload an audio recording, it is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS to secure cloud storage provided by Supabase, hosted on AWS infrastructure. The file is stored temporarily in your private storage bucket — accessible only to you and our server-side processing systems.

3.2 Transcription

Audio files are processed by OpenAI's Whisper transcription service. The audio is sent securely to Whisper's API and the resulting text transcript is returned. We transmit only the audio content and receive only the text output.

3.3 Deletion

Audio files are automatically and permanently deleted from our servers immediately after transcription is complete. We do not retain, archive, or store your audio recordings. The only persistent record is the text transcript, which you can delete at any time by deleting the study session.

3.4 Professor Content

LectiGuide processes audio that may contain a professor's lecture content. This content is processed solely to generate the student's personal study materials. We do not distribute, publish, or make any professor's content accessible to other users. Text transcripts are stored privately and are not accessible by other users.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in these circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers

• Clerk — user authentication and identity management
• Supabase — database and file storage (AWS-hosted, SOC 2 Type II certified)
• OpenAI — audio transcription via Whisper API (audio deleted after transcription)
• Anthropic — AI study guide generation via Claude API
• Stripe — payment processing (PCI DSS compliant)
• Resend — transactional email delivery
• Vercel — application hosting and deployment

All service providers are contractually required to use your information only to provide services to LectiGuide and to protect your data in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

4.2 Institutional Administrators

If your institution has a LectiGuide agreement, your program administrator may have access to aggregated, anonymized usage data — such as feature engagement rates — but not to your individual study guide content, uploaded materials, or personal academic work.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or when necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of LectiGuide, our users, or others.

5. FERPA Compliance

• Student education records uploaded to LectiGuide are treated as confidential
• We act as a "school official" with a legitimate educational interest when processing student data under institutional agreements
• We do not disclose student educational records to third parties without consent except as permitted by FERPA
• Institutional customers may request a Data Processing Agreement specifying our obligations
• Students may request deletion of their educational records by contacting hello@lectiguide.com

For institutions requiring a formal FERPA Data Processing Agreement, contact us at hello@lectiguide.com.

6. Data Security

• All data transmitted between your device and LectiGuide is encrypted using TLS/HTTPS
• Data at rest is encrypted using AES-256 encryption
• Database access is restricted using Row Level Security — only you can access your own sessions
• All API endpoints require authentication — server-side calls use secure service credentials
• Audio files are stored in private buckets inaccessible without valid signed URLs
• Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe — we never touch raw card data

7. Data Retention

7.1 Account Data

Retained while your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account deletion, except where legally required.

7.2 Study Sessions

Retained indefinitely to provide ongoing access to your educational content. You may delete individual sessions or your entire account at any time.

7.3 Audio Recordings

Deleted immediately after transcription — typically within 5 minutes of upload. We do not retain audio files.

7.4 Usage and Log Data

Anonymized analytics and log data may be retained for up to 24 months for service improvement.

8. Your Rights and Choices

8.1 Access and Correction

You may access and update your account information through your account settings or by contacting hello@lectiguide.com.

8.2 Deletion

You may delete your account at any time through settings or by contacting us. Your personal information will be removed within 30 days.

8.3 Data Portability

You may request an export of your study session data by contacting hello@lectiguide.com.

8.4 Marketing Communications

You may opt out of marketing emails by clicking unsubscribe in any marketing email or contacting us. Transactional emails related to your account will continue.

8.5 California Residents (CCPA)

California residents have the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete their information, and the right to opt out of the sale of their information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your CCPA rights, contact hello@lectiguide.com.

9. Children's Privacy

LectiGuide is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe we have information about a child under 13, contact us at hello@lectiguide.com and we will delete that information promptly.

10. International Users

LectiGuide is operated from the United States. If you access LectiGuide from outside the United States, your information may be processed in the United States. By using LectiGuide, you consent to this processing.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or through the service at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.