Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 10, 2026

Introduction

LocalWhisper (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information when you use our macOS application and visit our website.

The core principle of LocalWhisper is privacy-first: all speech recognition processing happens locally on your device. Your voice data never leaves your computer.

Information We Collect

LocalWhisper Application

We do not collect any personal data through the LocalWhisper application. Specifically:

  • No voice data collection: All speech-to-text processing occurs entirely on your device using local AI models. Your audio recordings are never transmitted to any external servers.
  • No usage analytics: We do not track how you use the application.
  • No telemetry: No data about your device, usage patterns, or transcriptions is sent to us.

Free Tier

When using the Free tier:

  • No account required: You can use LocalWhisper without providing any personal information.
  • No tracking: Free tier usage is not tracked or monitored.
  • Local only: All processing remains on your device.

Website

When you visit our website (localwhisper.ai), we may collect:

  • Purchase information: If you purchase a license, we collect payment information through our payment processor (Stripe). We do not store your full payment details.
  • License information: We store your email address and license key to provide license validation and customer support.

How We Use Information

  • License management: To issue, validate, and manage your software license.
  • Customer support: To respond to your inquiries and provide assistance.
  • Transaction processing: To process purchases through our payment processor.

Third-Party Services

Payment Processing

We use Stripe to process payments. When you make a purchase, Stripe collects and processes your payment information according to their Privacy Policy.

License Validation

License validation is performed through a secure HTTPS connection to verify your license key. The only data transmitted during validation is:

  • Your license key
  • Your device’s IP address (for security and fraud prevention)

No personal data, device identifiers, hardware fingerprints, usage information, or transcription data is transmitted during license validation or at any other time.

Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website uses Cloudflare for security and performance. Cloudflare may use essential cookies for security purposes (such as bot detection and DDoS protection). We use Cloudflare Web Analytics, which is a privacy-focused analytics service that does not use cookies or track individual users.

We do not use:

  • Google Analytics or other third-party tracking services
  • Marketing or advertising cookies
  • Social media tracking pixels
  • Cross-site tracking of any kind

Email Communications

We send the following types of emails:

  • Transactional emails: Purchase confirmations, license key delivery, and refund notifications
  • Critical updates: Security alerts, important service announcements, and required legal notices
  • Product updates (optional): New feature announcements and release notes

You may opt out of non-essential communications (product updates) at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us. You cannot opt out of transactional emails or critical security notifications.

Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect any information we collect:

  • All website communications use HTTPS encryption.
  • Payment information is handled by PCI-compliant processors.
  • License data is stored securely with access controls.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access: Request information about data we hold about you.
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data.
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your data (note: this may affect your license).
  • Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format.

To exercise these rights, contact us at legal@sekora.ai.

Data Retention

  • License information: Retained for the duration of your license plus seven (7) years for accounting, legal compliance, and fraud prevention purposes.
  • Purchase records: Retained for seven (7) years as required by applicable tax and accounting laws.
  • Support correspondence: Retained for three (3) years after resolution for quality assurance and reference purposes.
  • Refund records: When a refund is processed, we retain your email and transaction details for fraud prevention and accounting purposes. This data will be deleted upon request after the applicable retention period.

Data Breach Notification

In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will:

  • Notify affected users within 72 hours of discovering the breach
  • Provide details about what information was affected
  • Take appropriate remedial action to secure our systems
  • Cooperate with relevant authorities as required by law

Children’s Privacy

LocalWhisper is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

LocalWhisper is designed to support privacy-sensitive workflows in healthcare, legal, and other regulated industries through its local-only processing architecture.

Healthcare (HIPAA):

  • All speech recognition processing occurs locally on your device
  • No patient information, voice recordings, or transcriptions are transmitted to any external servers
  • LocalWhisper supports HIPAA-compliant workflows, but users are responsible for ensuring their overall workflow complies with HIPAA requirements
  • Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) are available for enterprise healthcare customers. Contact legal@sekora.ai to request a BAA.

Legal (Attorney-Client Privilege):

  • The local-only architecture helps protect attorney-client privileged communications
  • Users are responsible for ensuring their use complies with applicable professional responsibility rules

LocalWhisper is not HIPAA-certified, but is specifically designed to support compliant workflows by ensuring that sensitive data never leaves your device.

Automated Decision-Making

LocalWhisper does not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects on users. All speech-to-text processing is performed locally on your device using open-source AI models.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on our website with an updated “Last updated” date.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Sekora AI LLC

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

  • Right to Know: You can request information about the categories of personal information we collect, the purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share information.
  • Right to Delete: You can request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
  • Right to Opt-Out: You have the right to opt out of the “sale” of personal information. Note: We do not sell personal information.
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.

Since LocalWhisper does not collect personal information through the application, most CCPA provisions do not apply to app usage. For website-related data (email, purchase information), you may exercise your rights by contacting legal@sekora.ai.

European Users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

We process personal data based on the following legal grounds:

  • Contract: Processing necessary to provide our services (license management, customer support)
  • Legitimate Interest: Processing for fraud prevention, security, and improving our services
  • Consent: Where you have given explicit consent (e.g., marketing communications)

Your GDPR Rights

In addition to the rights listed in “Your Rights” above, you have:

  • Right to Restrict Processing: You can request we limit how we use your data
  • Right to Object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests
  • Right to Lodge a Complaint: You can file a complaint with your local data protection authority

Data Protection Officer

As a small business, we are not required to appoint a Data Protection Officer. For privacy inquiries, please contact legal@sekora.ai.

International Data Transfers

LocalWhisper is operated from the United States. If you are accessing our services from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.

For transfers of personal data from the EEA to the United States, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission to provide appropriate safeguards for your data. You may request a copy of these clauses by contacting legal@sekora.ai.

International Users

LocalWhisper is operated from the United States by Sekora AI LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company. By using our website or services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and its processing in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable U.S. law.