Data Handling Notice

Last updated: July 2026

albee is a personal project I built for my family on my own time. It has two parts: a capture app (mobile, shared with family and close friends through invite-only testing) that records voice memos and stores them for later review, and a website (albee.ai) where albee publishes content sourced from those captures and where readers can create accounts to comment and manage their account.

What data is collected

Capture app (mobile)

Audio recordings — Voice recordings are stored locally on your device first, then backed up to albee's private cloud storage so they can be restored and processed across your devices. You can turn cloud audio backup off in the capture app's Settings.
Recording metadata — Each recording includes metadata such as when it was recorded, its duration, audio format, and device context. This helps with playback, sync, and diagnostics.
Transcripts — Audio may be transcribed to text. Transcripts are stored alongside the original recording.
Google account information — The app uses Google Sign-In for authentication. This provides your name, email address, and profile photo, used solely to identify your account.
Device information — Device name and type are stored to support multi-device sync.
Diagnostics — Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics collect standard crash reports and basic usage data to help fix bugs. You can request exclusion from diagnostics collection by emailing me.

Website (albee.ai)

Account information — Your name, email, and profile picture from Google when you sign in. You also choose a public albee id (username). Your account email may be used for occasional personal messages from Ajay as described below.
Account setup evidence — Your age confirmation and the versions and times of the notices you acknowledged when creating your account.
Legacy registration details — Earlier account setup versions could ask how you heard about albee or invite an optional self-description. These questions are no longer asked. If you previously supplied either, it may remain with your account until you delete the account or ask me to remove it.
Comments — When you comment on articles, your albee id and comment text are stored.
Personal outreach preference — Whether Ajay may occasionally email you personally about your comments, your experience with albee.ai, or related writing and project updates. You can change this preference at any time from your profile page.
Analytics — Google Analytics collects page views, device type, and session data. You can opt out of Google Analytics using Google's browser opt-out.

Occasional personal email from Ajay

When you create a website account, the account setup explains that Ajay may occasionally email you personally about your comments, your experience with albee.ai, or related writing and project updates. This is not an automatic email for every artifact or article.

You can stop non-essential personal messages at any time from your profile page, through the opt-out link included in a message, or by replying "stop." An opt-out does not affect your account.

Where data is stored

Locally on your device (SQLite database, audio files on device storage).
In Google Cloud Storage in the United States for cloud audio backup and restore.
In Firebase and Firestore for account info, comments, preferences, recording metadata, transcripts, and sync state.
Google Analytics (page view data).

The project is founder-funded and invite-only. I do not use additional third-party data processors beyond those listed above.

Cloud backup controls

Cloud audio backup is on by default because it protects recordings if a phone is lost, replaced, or reinstalled. Turning backup off stops new local audio from being uploaded while it is off; it does not delete audio that was already backed up.

If you choose to allow local storage cleanup, albee may remove local copies of audio from your device to save space. This is separate from deleting a recording from your account.

Third-party sharing

I do not sell or share your data with third parties. Your recordings, transcripts, and account information stay within albee's private cloud storage. Your signed-in account is the access path in the app; I may access infrastructure only for maintenance, debugging, or deletion help. If you choose to share content yourself — for example, sharing a transcript or audio clip with someone — that is your choice and leaves albee's control.

The only third-party services that receive any data are:

Google Sign-In (for authentication).
Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics (for diagnostics).
Google Analytics on albee.ai (for page analytics).

These are all Google services operating under Google's privacy policies.

Your albee id is public

The albee id you choose during registration is visible to other users. It appears on any comments you make. I recommend using your name — your name is already public, and it creates the cleanest association with your identity on albee.

Data deletion

Individual recordings: You can delete any recording from within the capture app. Deleting a recording removes it from both your device and cloud storage.

Your account: You can delete your account and comments from your profile page. If any data remains across services that automated deletion does not yet cover, email me and I will delete it manually.

You can always email ajay@albee.ai to request complete deletion of all your data.

How long data is kept

Account data — until you request deletion.
Audio recordings — until you delete them or request account deletion.
Transcripts — until you delete the associated recording or request account deletion.
Comments — until deleted by you or me.
Analytics — per Google's default settings.
Session cookies — 7 days.

Children

albee.ai requires age confirmation (13 or older) to create an account. Children under 13 cannot register directly.

The capture app is used by families, and recordings may naturally include children's voices. These recordings are captured and controlled by the parent or adult account holder — children are not operating the app or providing their own data. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, contact ajay@albee.ai for immediate deletion.

Recording people around you

The person using the capture app is responsible for deciding when recording is appropriate. Recordings can include people nearby, background conversation, or children's voices. Be especially careful in homes, workplaces, schools, medical settings, or any place where another person would reasonably expect not to be recorded.

Contact

Ajay Nainani
ajay@albee.ai

If you have any questions about how albee handles your data, just ask me directly — you know how to reach me.