Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how PodHood ("PodHood," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares information when you use our website and services, which turn a podcast or YouTube channel into a structured, searchable library. By using PodHood, you agree to the practices described here.

Information we collect

We collect the following categories of information:

• Account information. When you sign up or link a Google account, we collect the basic identity information Google makes available under the openid, email, and profile scopes. This can include your Google account identifier, name, profile picture, primary email address, gender, preferred languages, and other profile information you have made public. We also keep authentication and authorization records needed to secure your account and linked services.
• Channel ownership and content data. When you connect a YouTube channel, we collect its URL and public metadata about the channel and its episodes (such as titles, descriptions, publication dates, thumbnails, view counts, playlists, and audio or video source references used for processing). If you verify ownership with Google, we also receive the identifiers and titles of the YouTube channels managed by the Google Account or Brand Account you select.
• Generated content. We create and store transcripts, chapters, key moments, summaries, topics, and the people and entities we detect from the episodes you process.
• Usage data. We collect basic, privacy-friendly analytics about how the service is used, such as pages visited and aggregate performance metrics.

How we use information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the service, including processing episodes into a library.
• Authenticate you and secure your account and organization.
• Send you transactional and service messages, such as new-episode notifications you opt into.
• Improve, troubleshoot, and develop new features.
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms.

AI processing

PodHood uses third-party AI and machine-learning services to transcribe audio and to generate summaries, chapters, key moments, and other structured metadata. Content you submit for processing may be sent to these providers solely to perform these tasks. AI-generated output can contain errors or omissions and should not be relied on as a complete or accurate record without verification.

YouTube API Services

When you connect a YouTube channel, PodHood uses YouTube API Services to retrieve information about that channel and its videos. By using this feature you also agree to be bound by the YouTube Terms of Service, and the data PodHood obtains through YouTube API Services is additionally governed by the Google Privacy Policy.

• Ownership verification. When you choose Verify with Google, PodHood requests the read-only youtube.readonly scope. We use the resulting access token to ask the YouTube Data API which channels are managed by the Google Account or Brand Account you selected, then compare those channel identifiers with the channel you are connecting. This access is used only to verify ownership. It does not let PodHood upload, edit, or delete your videos, playlists, or channel, and it is not used for ongoing content synchronization.
• Public channel content. Separately, we use publicly available channel and video metadata to build and operate your structured, searchable library — for example, to list episodes and generate transcripts, chapters, summaries, and other metadata.
• OAuth credentials and retention. We store the granted scopes, a short-lived Google OAuth access token, and its expiry time in the linked-account record so we can complete the ownership check. We do not request offline access and do not retain a refresh token for YouTube ownership verification. The access token is not used after the check or after it expires. The linked-account record is retained while your PodHood account is active or until you ask us to delete it, subject to the legal exceptions described under "Data retention" below.
• Use and sharing. We use Google identity data, YouTube account data, and OAuth credentials only to provide authentication, account linking, and channel ownership verification. We do not sell this data, use it for advertising or credit decisions, or use it to train generalized AI or machine-learning models. We do not send Google identity data or OAuth credentials to our AI providers. Public channel content may be shared with the service providers described below only as needed to provide the processing features you request.
• Your controls. You can review or revoke PodHood's access to your Google account at any time through the Google security settings page. Revoking access prevents future authorized API requests but does not by itself delete data already stored by PodHood. To request deletion of your linked Google authorization data, account, or processed channel content, contact us at privacy@podhood.com.

Service providers and sub-processors

We share information with vendors that help us run the service, under agreements that limit their use of the data. These include providers for:

• Cloud hosting, deployment, and analytics.
• Database and storage hosting.
• Speech-to-text transcription.
• Image hosting and delivery.
• Transactional email delivery.
• Public channel and media metadata (for example, the source platforms you connect).

We do not sell your personal information. We may disclose information when required by law or to protect the rights, property, or safety of PodHood, our users, or others.

Email communications

We send transactional emails (such as sign-in and account messages) and, where you opt in, new-episode notifications. Every notification email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can manage your preferences at any time.

Data retention

We retain account and content data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. When you delete content or close your account, we delete or de-identify the associated data within a reasonable period, except where we must retain it to comply with legal obligations or resolve disputes.

Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, export, or delete your personal information, and to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise these rights or request deletion of your account, linked authorization data, or processed content, contact us using the details below. You can separately revoke PodHood's access to your Google account through the Google security settings page linked above.

Security

We use technical and organizational measures designed to protect your information. Google user data and OAuth credentials are transmitted over HTTPS and stored in systems protected by access controls. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

International users

We may process and store information in countries other than the one in which you reside. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for international data transfers.

Children's privacy

PodHood is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date above and, where appropriate, provide additional notice.

Contact us

Questions about this policy or your information can be sent to privacy@podhood.com.