Privacy Policy

Bantsy is where people share what they have to say, in their own voice. This policy explains what information we collect, why, and the choices you have. We've kept it short and plain. If anything is unclear, contact us (section 10).

1. Who we are

Bantsy is operated by 17148178 Canada Inc., based in Quebec, Canada (“Bantsy”, “we”). We're responsible for the personal information described here.

Our person in charge of protecting personal information is Ricki Berger, reachable at hey@heybantsy.com.

2. What we collect

You give us:

Account details: email address, password (stored securely, never in plain text), and confirmation that you're 18 or older.
Profile and channel: name, handle, photo, bio and category. These are public.
Your voice notes: recordings, titles, descriptions, cover images, and who can listen to each one.
Transcripts: we automatically turn every voice note into a written transcript, with timings so it can follow along with the audio. Creators can review and correct it before publishing. A transcript is part of its voice note. If a creator corrects a transcript, we privately keep the original automatic version. Listeners and subscribers never see it, and it's never public or searchable. Only authorized moderators can open it, and only to investigate a safety issue or a dispute; every access is logged. It's deleted on the same schedule as its voice note.
Bantsy Together: invitations, your consent to take part, the segments you record, your approvals (including of the transcript), and whether you made a conversation unavailable.
Messages to us, and reports you send about content or accounts.

We collect automatically:

What you follow, subscribe to and play, so Bantsy works and can show you relevant voice notes.
Basic device and usage information (such as device type, app version and IP address), error reports, and security logs.
A notification token, if you turn on notifications in our app.

We get from others:

Google or Apple, if you sign in with them: your name, email (or Apple's private relay email) and an account ID.
Stripe, our payment processor: whether a payment went through, plus limited details like card type and country. We never see your full card number.

We don't use your voice to identify you biometrically, and we don't sell your personal information.

3. How we use it

To run Bantsy: your account, publishing, playback, follows, subscriptions, notifications and recommendations within Bantsy.
To transcribe voice notes: so listeners can read along (including for accessibility), and so voice notes can be found through search and discovery.
To run Bantsy Together: we publish a conversation only when both people approved the exact final version, including its transcript, and we respect either person's choice to make it unavailable.
To keep Bantsy safe: checking ages, reviewing reports, preventing spam, fraud and abuse, and enforcing our Terms. This can include reviewing transcripts. Automated tools may flag content or activity; a person reviews before we take action against your account.
To communicate: account, security and activity emails and notifications. Marketing emails are sent only if you opt in, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
To meet legal obligations: tax records, responding to lawful requests, and handling complaints.

4. What others can see

Public by design: your profile, your channel, and voice notes you publish publicly, with their transcripts. Anyone can see and share them, including outside Bantsy, and public transcripts can appear in search.
Subscriber-only notes: the voice note and its transcript are available only to the audience you choose.
Your Together partner sees your segments, each version, its transcript, and your approvals.
Creators you pay: creators sell their own subscriptions, so your payment is processed in the creator's Stripe account. The creator receives your payment information (such as name, email and billing country, but not your full card number) and is responsible for how they use it. Creators can also see that you follow or subscribe to their channel.

5. Companies that help us

We use trusted service providers to host Bantsy, store and process audio, transcribe voice notes (), handle sign-in, process payments (Stripe), send emails, and monitor errors. They may use your information only to provide their services to us, under contracts that protect it. Our transcription provider may not use your recordings for any other purpose. You can ask us for the current list of providers at hey@heybantsy.com.

We may also share information:

if the law requires it
to protect someone's safety
to report child sexual abuse material to the authorities
with a buyer or successor if our business is sold or reorganized, under an agreement that protects it

6. Where your information is stored

Bantsy is available worldwide, and our providers operate in several countries, including the United States. Your information may therefore be stored or processed outside Quebec and Canada. Before transferring personal information outside Quebec, we assess whether it will be properly protected, and we use contracts that protect it. Information stored abroad may be subject to that country's laws.

7. How long we keep it

We keep information only as long as we need it, then delete or anonymize it.

Account details: while your account is open, then deleted within 30 days after you delete your account.
Voice notes and their transcripts: until you delete them or your account. Deleted files and transcripts are permanently removed within 30 days.
Together conversations made unavailable, with their transcripts: kept for 90 days so we can handle disputes and safety reviews, then permanently deleted.
Records of consent, approvals, accepted terms and moderation decisions: for as long as your account exists, plus 3 years.
Our financial records: 6 years, as tax law requires.
Security logs and error reports: 90 days.
Backups: up to 30 days, after which deleted data is gone from them too.

We may keep information longer if the law requires it or a legal claim is pending.

8. Your choices and rights

You can:

Access your information and ask how we use it
Correct it
Get a copy in a portable format
Withdraw consent (for example, to marketing emails)
Ask us to stop sharing it or to de-index it, where the law allows
Delete your account at any time in your settings

Where they apply, you also have the rights given by the GDPR and similar laws, including to object to certain uses. To make a request, email hey@heybantsy.com. We may confirm your identity, and we reply within 30 days.

You can also complain to Quebec's Commission d'accès à l'information, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or your local privacy authority.

When you delete your account, we remove your profile and channel and delete or anonymize your information. We keep only what the law requires. Any Together conversation you took part in becomes unavailable. If you signed in with Apple, we also revoke our access to your Apple account.

9. Age, cookies and security

Age: Bantsy is only for people 18 and older. If we learn that someone under 18 has an account, we close it and delete their information.
Cookies: we only use cookies and similar technologies needed to keep you signed in, keep Bantsy secure and remember your settings. We don't use advertising cookies. We won't turn on analytics or tracking without telling you and, where required, asking first.
Security: we protect your information with encryption in transit, strict access controls and private storage for audio. No system is perfect. If a breach creates a risk of serious harm, we'll notify you and the authorities as the law requires.

10. Changes and contact

If we make important changes, we'll tell you before they take effect.

17148178 Canada Inc. (Bantsy) · Montreal, Quebec, Canada · hey@heybantsy.com · Person in charge of protecting personal information: Ricki Berger