Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 8, 2026 · Beta
The short version
- We never keep your audio. Each piece is deleted as soon as it's transcribed.
- Your transcripts and notes are private. Only you can see them.
- We don't sell your data, and we don't use it to train AI models.
- You can delete everything whenever you want.
What we collect
- Waitlist: if you join the waitlist on penfree.me, your email address and, if you add it, your university. We use them only to invite you to the beta and to understand where interest comes from. We never sell or share them. To be removed, email us.
- Account details: your email address and a securely hashed password.
- Lecture audio: recorded in your browser in 10-second pieces. While you record, the pieces are kept only on your device so a crash doesn't lose the lecture. Each piece is sent to our server, transcribed, and then deleted. The pieces on your device are deleted when transcription finishes. We never store audio on our servers.
- Transcripts and notes: the text of your lectures, the course name you enter, the notes Penfree writes, and any slides you upload to refine your notes (we keep only the extracted text).
- Usage and cost records: for each request, which AI service was used, how much text or audio it processed, and what it cost. We use this to keep the service running and fair, including a monthly limit per account.
- Feedback you send us, along with the screen you were on and your browser type.
How we use it
- To transcribe your lectures and write, check and save your notes.
- To sign you in, send account emails such as confirmation codes, and keep your account secure.
- To fix bugs and improve Penfree, using your feedback and our cost records.
We don't sell your data or show you ads. We don't use your lectures or notes to train AI models, and we use our AI providers' paid services, which don't train on your data either.
Other people in your recordings
Lectures can include other people's voices, such as classmates asking questions. Their words may appear in your transcript. Transcripts are private to your account and aren't shared. Please respect your classmates and your school's rules about recording.
Services that process your data for us
We use these providers only to run Penfree:
- Supabase: accounts and database (transcripts, notes, usage records).
- Groq: speech-to-text transcription, and some note writing and checking.
- Google (Gemini API) and OpenRouter: AI note writing, math checking and diagrams.
- Vercel and our backend host: serving the website and running the app.
- Resend: sending account emails.
Each provider processes data on our behalf, under its own security and privacy terms. Some are in other countries, including the United States.
How long we keep it
- Audio: deleted as soon as it's transcribed.
- Transcripts and notes: until you delete them or delete your account.
- Usage records and feedback: while your account exists. They're deleted with it.
Your choices and rights
- Delete any note at any time from the note screen. Its transcript goes with it.
- Ask us to delete your whole account, or to send you a copy of your data, by emailing us from your account's address.
- Depending on where you live, you may have more rights, such as correcting your data or objecting to how it's used. Contact us and we'll help.
Security
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest by our providers. Database rules make sure each account can only read its own notes. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a strong password that you don't use anywhere else.
Age
Penfree is for university and college students. You must be at least 16 to use it.
Changes
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we'll tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect.
Contact
Questions or requests: hello@penfree.me