Overview
EcoScribe is built on a simple principle: your voice never leaves your Mac. All transcription happens on-device using Apple's Neural Engine. We have no access to what you say or type.
This Privacy Policy explains what limited data EcoScribe Inc. ("EcoScribe", "we", "us") collects, why we collect it, and how we handle it. By using EcoScribe, you agree to this policy.
Data we collect
We collect the absolute minimum required to run the service:
- Your email address and payment details when you subscribe to Pro or Team (handled by our payment processor — we never see raw card numbers)
- A device identifier used solely for license validation
- Crash reports, only if you opt in during onboarding
- Aggregate, anonymised usage counts (e.g. "how many sessions per day") — never tied to your identity
We do not collect your audio, your transcripts, the text you dictate, or any content from your clipboard or screen.
On-device processing
EcoScribe uses Whisper-family models that run entirely on your Mac's Neural Engine. The audio captured by your microphone is:
- Processed in-memory on your device
- Never written to a temporary file that leaves the app sandbox
- Never transmitted over the network
- Discarded immediately after transcription completes
This is not a policy promise we can choose to change later — it is a technical architecture choice. There is no server-side pipeline to send audio to, even if we wanted to.
License & crash data
License check
Once per day, EcoScribe contacts our license server to verify your subscription status. This request includes your device identifier and license key. It does not include any audio, transcript content, or personal data beyond what is required to validate the license.
Crash reports
If you opt in, crash reports are sent to our error-tracking service when EcoScribe crashes or encounters an unhandled error. Reports include a stack trace, macOS version, and device model. They do not include your microphone audio or transcript content. You can opt out at any time in Settings → Privacy.
Your Library
EcoScribe's Library stores transcripts locally on your Mac in an encrypted SQLite database inside the app's sandbox container. This data:
- Lives only on your device — it is not synced to our servers
- Is encrypted at rest using AES-256 via Apple's file-encryption APIs
- Is included in macOS backups (Time Machine, iCloud Backup) under your control
- Is permanently deleted when you uninstall EcoScribe and remove its container
If you cancel a Pro or Team subscription, your Library remains on your device indefinitely. We do not remotely wipe or lock data when a subscription lapses.
Third parties
EcoScribe uses a small number of third-party services:
- Stripe — payment processing. Stripe's privacy policy governs the data you provide during checkout.
- Sentry — crash reporting (opt-in only). Sentry receives stack traces as described above.
- Apple — the App Store and macOS platform. Apple's data practices apply where relevant.
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with any other third parties for advertising, analytics, or any other commercial purpose.
Children
EcoScribe is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top and notify Pro and Team subscribers by email at least 14 days before any material change takes effect. Continued use of EcoScribe after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your data? We're a small team and we read every email.
EcoScribe Inc. · Brooklyn, NY