1. Introduction
ThinkPad Foundation (“we,” “us,” or “our”) 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 service.
By using our Service, you consent to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use the Service.
This Privacy Policy complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other applicable privacy laws.
🛡️ Privacy Compliance Statement
🇪🇺 GDPR Compliant
Full compliance with European Union General Data Protection Regulation
- ✓ Lawful basis for data processing
- ✓ Right to access, rectify, and delete data
- ✓ Data portability and objection rights
- ✓ Data Protection Officer available
🇺🇸 CCPA Compliant
Full compliance with California Consumer Privacy Act
- ✓ Right to know what data we collect
- ✓ Right to delete personal information
- ✓ Right to opt-out of data sales (we don’t sell data)
- ✓ Non-discrimination for exercising rights
Contact our Data Protection Officer: privacy@thinkpadfoundation.org
3. How We Use Information
We use the collected information for the following purposes:
3.1 Service Provision
- Provide and maintain our AI transcription service
- Process your uploaded audio and video files for transcription
- Manage your account
- Store and retrieve your transcripts and conversation history
3.2 Communication
- Send service-related notifications and updates
- Respond to your inquiries and support requests
- Notify you of changes to our Service or policies
SMS/Text Messaging
Program Description: By opting in verbally during the call from our representative, you agree to receive text messages from ThinkPad Foundation regarding appointment confirmation.
Message Frequency: Message frequency varies.
Pricing: Message and data rates may apply.
Opt-Out: You can cancel the SMS service at any time. Just text “STOP” to the short code or number you received the message from. After you send the SMS message “STOP” to us, we will send you an SMS message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed. After this, you will no longer receive SMS messages from us.
3.3 Service Improvement
- Analyze usage patterns to improve transcription accuracy and user experience
- Monitor service performance and reliability
- Develop new transcription features and AI capabilities
3.4 Legal and Security
- Comply with legal obligations and regulations
- Protect against fraud, abuse, and security threats
- Enforce our Terms of Service
- Resolve disputes and investigate violations
4. Information Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties except as described below:
4.1 Service Providers
- Authentication: Supabase for user authentication and account management
- Infrastructure: Cloud hosting providers for data storage and service delivery
- AI Processing: OpenAI for transcription processing via the Whisper API
- Hosting & Analytics: Cloud hosting and basic usage monitoring
4.2 Third-Party AI Services
Our Service integrates with third-party AI providers:
- OpenAI: For audio transcription via the Whisper API and AI-powered features
These providers process your uploaded audio data to generate transcriptions. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.
4.3 Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information if required by law or in good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to:
- Comply with legal processes or government requests
- Protect our rights, property, or safety
- Protect the rights, property, or safety of our users
- Investigate potential violations of our Terms of Service
4.4 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 provide notice before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
5. Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our Service and fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:
- Account Information: Until you delete your account plus 30 days for backup purposes
- Transcripts and Conversations: Until you delete them or close your account
- Uploaded Media Files: Stored securely until you delete them or close your account
- Usage Data: Basic usage patterns (anonymized) retained for service improvement
- Legal Holds: Information may be retained longer if required by law or legal proceedings
You can request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us or using account deletion features in our Service.
6. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information:
- Encryption: Data encryption in transit and at rest
- Access Controls: Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
- Authentication: Multi-factor authentication for administrative access
- Regular Audits: Security assessments and vulnerability testing
- Incident Response: Procedures for detecting and responding to security breaches
However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: Request access to your personal information
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
- Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
- Restriction: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
- Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for processing where consent is the legal basis
7.1 GDPR Rights (EU Users)
If you are located in the European Union, you have additional rights under the GDPR:
- Legal Basis: We process your data based on contract performance, legitimate interests, and consent
- Data Protection Officer: You can contact our DPO at privacy@thinkpadfoundation.org
- Supervisory Authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
- Automated Decision-Making: We do not engage in automated decision-making that significantly affects you
7.2 CCPA Rights (California Users)
If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the CCPA:
- Right to Know: Request disclosure of personal information collected, used, or shared
- Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information
- Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
- Right to Non-Discrimination: Not be discriminated against for exercising your rights
8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience:
- Essential Cookies: Required for basic site functionality and security
- Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how you use our Service
You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. However, disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our Service. For more detailed information, please see our Cookie Policy.
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:
- Adequacy Decisions: Transfers to countries with adequate data protection laws
- Standard Contractual Clauses: EU-approved contractual protections
- Certification Programs: Privacy Shield successors and similar frameworks
- Consent: Your explicit consent for transfers where required
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 you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.
If we learn that we have collected personal information from children under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of any material changes by:
- Posting the updated policy on our website
- Sending an email notification to your registered email address
- Displaying a prominent notice on our Service
Your continued use of our Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy is effective as of 2026-02-28. We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time, so please review it frequently.