GRIOT

Overview

GRIOT ("we," "our," or "the app") is an African voice translation application that helps users translate speech between African and international languages in real-time. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about our data practices.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Voice Recordings (Temporary)

When you use GRIOT's translation features, your voice is:

• Captured by your device's microphone
• Converted to text using Apple Speech Recognition
• Sent to Google Translate API for translation
• Converted back to speech using Google Cloud Text-to-Speech

1.2 Translation Data

The text of your translations is temporarily sent to Google's servers for processing. We do not store your translation history on our servers.

1.3 Usage Data (Minimal)

We may collect minimal, anonymous usage data such as:

• Which language pairs are being used
• Number of translation requests
• App crashes or errors (for debugging)

This data is not linked to you and cannot identify individual users.

1.4 What We DON'T Collect

• ❌ Personal information (name, email, phone number)
• ❌ Location data
• ❌ User accounts or login credentials
• ❌ Contacts or photos
• ❌ Credit card or payment information (handled by Apple)
• ❌ Device identifiers for tracking
• ❌ Browsing history

2. How We Use Your Information

Your voice and translation data is used solely for:

1. Converting your speech to text
2. Translating text between languages
3. Converting translated text back to speech
4. Providing the core translation service

All processing happens in real-time for immediate translation. We do not use your data for:

• ❌ Marketing or advertising
• ❌ Building user profiles
• ❌ Selling to third parties
• ❌ Tracking across apps

3. Third-Party Services

GRIOT uses the following third-party services to provide translation functionality:

3.1 Apple Speech Recognition

• Purpose: Convert speech to text
• Data: Voice recordings (temporary)
• Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/

3.2 Google Translate API

• Purpose: Translate text between languages
• Data: Translation text
• Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
• Data Usage: https://cloud.google.com/translate/data-usage

3.3 Google Cloud Text-to-Speech

• Purpose: Convert translated text to speech
• Data: Text to be spoken
• Privacy Policy: https://cloud.google.com/text-to-speech/docs/data-usage

3.4 Expo Framework

• Purpose: App development framework
• Data: None (crash reporting is disabled)
• Privacy Policy: https://expo.dev/privacy

3.5 RevenueCat (Subscription Management)

• Purpose: Manage premium subscriptions and in-app purchases
• Data: Anonymous user ID, subscription status, purchase reciepts
• Privacy Policy: https://revenuecat.com/privacy
• Data Security: RevenueCat is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant

3.6 Apple In-App Purchases

• Purpose: Process premium subscription payments
• Data: Anonymous user ID, subscription status, purchase reciepts
• Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy

4. Data Retention

4.1 By GRIOT

We do not store any of your voice recordings or translation data. All processing is done in real-time.

4.2 By Third-Party Services

Google and Apple may retain data according to their respective privacy policies. Please refer to their policies linked above for specific retention periods.

4.3 On Your Device

The following data is stored locally on your device only:

• Offline translation packs (pre-loaded common phrases)
• Conversation history (if Conversation Mode is used)
• Premium subscription status (cached locally)
• Transaction usage counter (for free tier limit)
• Language preferences

This data never leaves your device and can be deleted by uninstalling the app.

4.4 Subscription Data

RevenueCat and Apple retain subscription related data:

• Anonymous use ID (generated by RevenueCat)
• Subscription status and purchase reciepts
• Purchase history (for restoration and renewal)

This data is used solely for subscription management and cannot identify you personally.

5. Data Security

We take data security seriously:

• 🔒 All data transmission uses encrypted HTTPS connections
• 🔒 No user accounts means no account security risks
• 🔒 No persistent storage of sensitive data
• 🔒 Minimal data collection reduces risk

6. Your Rights & Choices

6.1 Microphone Permission

You can grant or revoke microphone access at any time:

1. Go to Settings → GRIOT → Microphone
2. Toggle permission on or off

Note: Microphone access is required for voice translation to work.

6.2 Data Deletion

Since GRIOT does not collect or store personal data:

• There is no personal data to access or download
• There is no personal data to delete from our servers
• You can uninstall the app at any time to remove all local data from your device

6.3 Offline Mode

You can use offline translation packs for common phrases without any internet connection, meaning no data is sent to third-party services.

6.4 Premium Subscriptions

GRIOT offers premium features via in-app subscriptions:

• Monthly: $4.99/month
• Yearly: $39.99/year (save 33%)
• Lifetime: $79.99 one-time payment

Managing Your Subscription:

1. Go to Settings → Your Name → Subscriptions
2. Select GRIOT
3. Manage, cancel, or change your subscription

Cancellation Policy:

• Cancel anytime before renewal to avoid charges
• No refunds for partial subscription periods
• Access to premium features until subscription expires
• Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled 24 hours before renewal

Restore Purchases:

If you reinstall GRIOT or use multiple devices:

1. Open GRIOT
2. Tap Premium or Upgrade
3. Tap Restore Purchases
4. Your subscription will be restored automatically

7. Children's Privacy

GRIOT does not knowingly collect data from children under 13 years of age. The app:

• Does not require user accounts
• Does not collect personal information
• Is designed for general audiences
• Does not contain advertising

8. International Data Transfers

Your voice and translation data may be transmitted to and processed by:

• Apple servers (for speech recognition)
• Google servers (for translation and text-to-speech)

These services may be located in different countries. By using GRIOT, you consent to this transfer. Google and Apple have appropriate safeguards in place for international data transfers.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect:

• Changes in our data practices
• New features or functionality
• Legal or regulatory requirements

When we make changes:

• The "Last Updated" date at the top will be revised
• Significant changes will be communicated in the app
• The updated policy will be posted on this page

Your continued use of GRIOT after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy or GRIOT's data practices, please contact us:

We will respond to privacy inquiries within 30 days.

11. Your California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information is collected
• Know if personal information is sold or shared
• Access your personal information
• Request deletion of personal information
• Opt-out of the sale of personal information

For GRIOT users: We do not collect personal information, do not sell data, and do not track users. Therefore, there is no personal data to access or delete.

12. European Users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, you have rights under GDPR including:

• Right to access your data
• Right to rectification
• Right to erasure
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object

For GRIOT users: Since we do not store personal data, these rights do not apply. Voice recordings are processed temporarily and not stored.

© 2026 GRIOT. All rights reserved.