Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to LingoBuddy ("we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your information when you use our language learning platform. It applies to both our website at lingo-buddy.com and the LingoBuddy iOS application.

2. Information We Collect

Usage and analytics data: We use PostHog to collect usage data on our website (such as page views, button clicks, and performance metrics) and in the iOS app (such as app installs, app opens, and feature usage). Collection starts from your first visit or app launch, before you sign up, and PostHog assigns a pseudonymous identifier so we can understand how people use the product. This data is pseudonymous rather than fully anonymous: while we do not collect your name or email before you sign up, the identifier itself can be linked to your account if you later create one. More details on PostHog are in section 2.3.

Personal information: We collect personal information only after you create an account and log in.

2.1 Personal information (after login only)

• Account information (email, name, password)
• Profile information (target language, native language, level, interests, learning goal)
• Conversation data (text summaries of your calls, vocabulary you used, mistakes you made, progress over time)
• Payment information (handled by Stripe for the website, by Apple for the iOS app)

2.2 Voice calls and microphone access

When you start a call inside the iOS app, the app accesses your device microphone to capture what you say. The audio is streamed in real time to Google's Gemini API so the AI tutor can understand you and respond by voice. We do not store the raw audio of your calls on our servers.

After each call, we save a text summary to your account. The summary includes the topics you discussed, vocabulary you used, mistakes that came up, and any details Lingo learned about you. This is what lets the tutor remember you across calls. You can request deletion of this data at any time by contacting us or deleting your account.

2.3 Analytics data (PostHog)

PostHog runs on both our website and the iOS app. We have selected EU hosting, so all analytics data is stored and processed on PostHog's servers in Germany. No analytics data is transferred outside the EU/EEA. The data we collect through PostHog includes:

• User interactions and feature usage
• App performance metrics
• Device information (browser type, operating system)
• Session data and user journey tracking

Each visitor and user is assigned a PostHog identifier. Before you log in, this identifier is not connected to your name or email. Once you log in, we link the identifier to your account so we can understand how individual users use the product. When you delete your account, your associated data is deleted as described in section 6. PostHog is GDPR compliant. You can read more at posthog.com/privacy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and improve our language learning service
• Personalize your learning experience and let the tutor remember you across calls
• Process your payments and manage your subscription
• Send you important updates and notifications
• Analyze usage patterns to improve the product (via PostHog)
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Our legal bases for processing data include: fulfilling our contract with you (providing the language learning service), legitimate interest (improving the product through analytics), and compliance with legal obligations such as keeping payment records.

5. Data Sharing and Third-Party Services

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We share specific data with the following service providers so they can help us run the service:

• Google (Gemini API): Real-time voice processing during calls. Your microphone audio is sent to Gemini so the AI tutor can hear you and respond.
• Google Cloud: Speech-to-text and text-to-speech for parts of the experience that do not use Gemini Live.
• OpenAI: Generating text-based responses, post-call summaries, and grading exercises.
• Firebase: Authentication and storage of your account data.
• PostHog: Analytics and product improvement. Collection starts at your first app launch or site visit using a pseudonymous identifier, which is linked to your account once you log in.
• Stripe: Payment processing for subscriptions purchased through our website.
• Apple: Payment processing and subscription management for purchases made through the iOS App Store.

We only share the minimum amount of data necessary for these services to function. Each provider has its own privacy policy that governs how they handle data on their side.

6. Data Storage and Security

We use industry-standard encryption and security practices to protect your personal information. We review our security measures regularly.

Data retention: We keep your data as long as your account exists. If you delete your account, we delete your account data within 30 days.

7. Your Rights

Under GDPR and other applicable laws, you have the right to:

• Access your personal information
• Correct inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data
• Object to processing of your data
• Data portability
• Withdraw consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email below.

8. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, email us at jakob@lingo-buddy.com.