This policy explains what Samantha collects, why, who it is shared with, how long it is kept, and how to delete it. Samantha is operated by Sidekick Labs LLC (“we”, “us”). It applies to the Samantha mobile app and the interpretation calls placed through it.
The short version. We collect your email, your phone number, and basic records of your calls. During a call, the audio is sent to Google’s Gemini service so it can be interpreted in real time. We do not record or store call audio. A written transcript is saved only if you specifically ask for one, and it is deleted after 90 days. We do not sell your data, we run no advertising, and we use no analytics or tracking SDKs.
1. Information we collect
Information you give us
- Email address. Used to identify your account, sign you in, and contact you about your account.
- Password. Stored only as a salted scrypt hash. We never store, log, or have any way to read your actual password.
- Phone number. The number you place interpretation calls from. We use it to confirm an incoming call belongs to your account, and to enforce the one-per-person limit on the free trial.
- Language selection. The language pair you choose for each call.
Information created when you place a call
- Call records. Date and time, duration, the language pair, the minutes charged, and whether the call completed or failed.
- Written transcripts, only if you opt in. Transcripts are off by default. You choose per call whether to save one. If you do, we store the text of what was spoken so you can read it later in the app.
Information collected automatically
- Push notification token. A device identifier issued by your operating system, used solely to notify you when a call has ended and your balance has updated.
- Server logs. Operational records used to keep the service running and investigate faults. Email addresses and phone numbers are redacted from these logs.
2. What we do not collect
- We do not record or store call audio. Audio passes through our systems only for the moments needed to interpret it, and is not written to disk.
- We never see your payment card. Purchases are handled entirely by Google Play. Card numbers, billing addresses, and payment credentials never reach our servers.
- We do not collect your contacts, your location, your photos, your calendar, or the contents of other apps.
- We use no advertising networks, no analytics SDKs, and no cross-app or cross-site tracking.
- We do not build advertising profiles and we do not sell or share personal information for advertising.
3. How your call is processed
This section describes the part of the service most people want to understand, so we have written it plainly.
When you dial the interpretation line and enter your PIN, we connect your call to an automated interpreter. While the call is in progress, the audio of the conversation is streamed to Google’s Gemini Live API, which converts speech to text, translates it, and generates the interpreted speech you hear. This happens continuously and in real time for the duration of the call.
This means Google processes the audio of your conversation as our service provider. Google’s handling of that data is governed by its terms for the Gemini API. We do not use your conversations to train any AI model, and we do not permit our providers to use them to train general-purpose models.
The telephone call itself is carried by our telephony provider, which is necessarily aware of the phone numbers involved and the duration of the call, in the same way any phone carrier is.
When the call ends, the audio is discarded. If you asked for a transcript, the text is retained under the schedule in Section 6.
4. About the other person on your call
Interpretation involves two people. The speech of the person you are talking to is processed exactly as yours is: streamed to Google for interpretation, then discarded. If you have opted into a transcript, their words appear in it alongside yours.
Your responsibility. Laws in many US states require that all parties consent before a conversation is recorded or transcribed. You are responsible for telling the other person that an automated interpreter is on the call, and for obtaining their agreement before you enable a transcript. If you are unsure, do not enable transcripts.
5. Who we share information with
We share information only with the service providers needed to operate the service, and only to the extent each one needs. We do not sell personal information, and we have not sold or shared personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising in the preceding twelve months.
| Provider | What they receive | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Google (Gemini Live API) | Call audio while the call is in progress | To perform the real-time interpretation |
| Our telephony provider | Phone numbers and call duration | To carry the phone call |
| Google Play Billing | Purchase details; Google is the merchant of record | To process payments and issue refunds |
| Expo push service | Your push token and notification text | To deliver call-ended notifications |
We may also disclose information where we are legally required to, such as in response to a valid subpoena or court order, or where necessary to protect the safety of a person or the integrity of the service.
If Sidekick Labs LLC is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may transfer to the successor. We will give notice in the app before any such transfer changes how your information is handled.
6. How long we keep information
| Data | Retention |
|---|---|
| Call audio | Not stored at all |
| Transcripts (only if you opted in) | 90 days, then automatically deleted |
| Call records (time, duration, language, cost) | 90 days, then automatically deleted |
| Account information (email, phone, balance) | Until you delete your account |
| Purchase and financial records | Retained as required by tax and accounting law, typically seven years, in a form limited to the transaction itself |
| Server logs | Short-term operational retention, with email addresses and phone numbers redacted |
7. Deleting your account and your data
You can delete your account at any time, by either route:
- In the app. Open the Account tab and choose Delete account.
- On the web. Visit sidekicklabsllc.com/samantha/delete-account, which requires no app and no login.
Deleting your account removes your email address, phone number, push token, saved transcripts, and call records. Purchase and financial records are retained as described in Section 6, because we are legally required to keep them. Any unused minute balance is forfeited and is not refundable on deletion.
Full details, including timing, are on the account deletion page.
8. Your privacy rights
Wherever you live, you can ask us to give you a copy of your information, correct it, or delete it. Use the app or write to us at the address in Section 12.
If you are a California resident, the CCPA as amended by the CPRA gives you the right to know what personal information we collect and why, the right to delete it, the right to correct it, the right to opt out of sale or sharing, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising any of these. We do not sell or share personal information, so there is nothing to opt out of. To exercise any right, contact us at the address in Section 12. We will verify your identity through your account email before acting on a request.
9. Security
We protect your information with measures appropriate to its sensitivity:
- All traffic between the app and our servers is encrypted with TLS.
- Passwords are stored as salted scrypt hashes and are never recoverable.
- Call PINs are single-use, expire quickly, and are invalidated the moment they are used.
- Repeated incorrect PIN entry is rate limited to prevent guessing.
- Email addresses and phone numbers are redacted from operational logs.
No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a breach affecting your information, we will notify you as required by law.
10. Children
Samantha is not directed to children and is not intended for anyone under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.
11. Where we operate
Samantha is offered in the United States, and our systems are operated in the United States. If you use the service from elsewhere, your information will be processed in the United States.
12. Changes and contact
If we change this policy in a way that materially affects how we handle your information, we will notify you in the app before the change takes effect and update the date at the top of this page.
Questions, requests, or complaints:
Sidekick Labs LLC
522 W Riverside Ave Ste N
Spokane, WA 99201
jeffrey@sidekicklabsllc.com