ClearMinutes is an Android application operated by Straits Ventures ("we", "us"). It records in-person conversations and turns them into searchable transcripts. Because the app handles audio of real conversations, we have tried to write this policy plainly rather than defensively. If anything here is unclear, contact us at the address at the bottom and we will explain it.
| Data | Why | Can you avoid it? |
|---|---|---|
| Audio recordings | To produce a transcript | Only by not recording |
| Transcript text | To display, search and export your notes | No — it is the product |
| Email address | Account recovery and syncing across devices | Yes — the first recording works without an account |
| Usage minutes | To enforce plan limits fairly | No |
| Crash reports | To find and fix bugs | No |
| Anonymous usage events | To understand which features are used | Yes — switch off in Settings |
We do not collect your contacts, location, photos, browsing history or advertising identifiers. We do not build advertising profiles and we do not sell data to anyone.
When you finish a recording, the audio is uploaded over an encrypted connection to our servers and passed to a speech-recognition provider, which returns text. The text is stored in your account. Depending on your plan, the audio is then deleted or retained:
We use the following processors. Each receives only what it needs to perform its function, and none of them are permitted to use your content to train their models.
| Processor | Receives | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Google Firebase | Account details, transcripts, usage records, audio | Authentication, database, file storage, crash reporting |
| Groq | Audio | Speech recognition (free plan) |
| ElevenLabs | Audio | Speech recognition with speaker separation (Pro plan) |
| Google Gemini | Transcript text | Summaries, action items, and answering your questions about a meeting |
Audio and transcripts are never sent to any processor other than for the purpose listed above. Where a processor operates outside your country, the transfer is covered by that processor's standard contractual terms.
Your account, transcripts and audio are stored in Google Cloud's Singapore region (asia-southeast1). Speech-recognition providers process audio in their own infrastructure, which may be located outside Singapore, and do not retain it after returning the transcript.
This is your responsibility, not ours. Laws on recording conversations differ enormously between countries and, in some places, between states. Some jurisdictions require every participant to consent. ClearMinutes shows a consent notice before your first recording and plays an audible tone when recording starts, so that people nearby are aware. We do not and cannot verify that you have obtained consent, and you are responsible for complying with the law where you are.
Whatever country you are in, you can do all of the following from within the app, without contacting us:
To delete your account, use Settings → Privacy → Delete account in the app, or visit our account deletion page. Deletion removes your transcripts, audio, account record and usage history. Backups are purged within 30 days. Anonymised, non-identifying aggregate counts (for example, "how many meetings were recorded this month") are retained.
If you are in the UK, EU, or another region with equivalent law, you additionally have the right to object to processing, to restrict it, and to complain to your local supervisory authority. Our lawful basis for processing your recordings is performance of our contract with you; for analytics it is your consent, which you may withdraw at any time in Settings.
| Item | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Audio (free plan) | Deleted from our servers immediately after transcription |
| Audio (Pro plan, retention on) | Until you delete it or close your account |
| Transcripts | Until you delete them or close your account |
| Deleted items | Recoverable for 30 days, then permanently purged |
| Abandoned guest accounts | Automatically deleted after 30 days of inactivity |
| Crash reports | 90 days |
ClearMinutes is not directed at children and is rated for users aged 13 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.
All data is encrypted in transit. Stored data is encrypted at rest by our infrastructure provider. Access to your account is scoped so that only you can read your own recordings, enforced at the database level rather than in the app. No system is perfectly secure, and we will notify affected users without undue delay if a breach affects personal data.
If we change this policy in a way that materially affects how your data is handled, we will notify you in the app before the change takes effect. The date at the top always reflects the current version.
Straits Ventures
Email: ronan@straitsventures.org