Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 23, 2026
Effective date: March 21, 2026
Privacy at a Glance
| What We Collect | Why We Collect It | Shared With |
|---|---|---|
| Account Info (Email, Username) | To create your account and save your progress. | Clerk (Auth), Convex (Database) |
| Learning Data (Vocabulary, Study Sessions) | To power the spaced repetition system and sync across devices. | Convex (Database) |
| App Usage & Device Info | To fix bugs and ensure the app runs smoothly. | Convex (Database) |
| Subscription Status | To unlock app features. | Apple, RevenueCat |
| Voice Input | To generate vocabulary (processed on-device). | Apple Speech Recognition (Not stored by us) |
| Text Prompts | To translate words and generate AI content. | AI Providers (Anonymized, no personal data) |
| Newsletter Email (only if you subscribe) | To send you the newsletter you asked for. | Our backend, our email delivery provider |
Where your data is stored: on servers in the United States. Section 7 sets out the safeguards we apply to these transfers.
1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how Tathros GmbH ("we," "us," "our," "Tathros") collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects your personal data when you use the Vokabulo mobile application ("App," "Service").
It also covers the Vokabulo website at www.vokabulo.com (the "Website"). Unless a section refers to the Website explicitly, the practices described in this policy relate to the App. Section 10.2 sets out everything we process when you visit the Website.
We are committed to protecting your privacy. We only process what is strictly required to operate the App. We do not sell your data. We do not serve advertisements.
This Privacy Policy applies to all users of the App worldwide and addresses the specific requirements of the following data protection laws:
- EU: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- Germany: TDDDG, BDSG
- Italy: Codice della Privacy (D.Lgs. 196/2003)
- France: Loi Informatique et Libertés, CNIL Recommendations
- Spain: LOPDGDD (Ley Orgánica 3/2018)
- Brazil: LGPD (Lei nº 13.709/2018)
- United Kingdom: UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, PECR
- United States: CCPA/CPRA, state privacy laws, COPPA
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using the App, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.
2. Data Controller
The data controller responsible for your personal data is:
Tathros GmbH, Zum Quellenpark 38, 65812 Bad Soden am Taunus, Germany
Email: privacy@vokabulo.com, Website: www.vokabulo.com
Managing Director: Wolfgang Männel
Commercial Register: Königstein HRB 7391, VAT ID: DE264657778
Data Protection Officer: Wolfgang Männel
3. What Data We Collect
We collect and process the following categories of personal data:
3.1. Account Data (provided by you at registration)
| Data | Required / Optional | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | Required | Account creation, authentication, communication |
| Username | Required (editable) | Leaderboard display (optional, see Section 9.3) |
| Profile photo | Optional | Profile personalization |
| Sign-in method | Automatic | Authentication (Apple, Google, or email) |
3.2. Learning Data (generated through your use of the App)
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Vocabulary words, translations, and context sentences | Core service functionality |
| Language pairs and proficiency level | Personalization of learning experience |
| Tags and organizational data | Content organization |
| Quiz session data (mode, duration, cards shown, correct/incorrect counts) | Spaced Repetition System (SRS), progress tracking |
| Individual quiz answer events (per-word performance, time to answer) | SRS algorithm optimization |
| Study streak data (daily check-ins, streak count, pause status, milestones) | Streak and gamification features |
| Points and badges | Gamification features |
3.3. Sets Data (generated when you use Sets features)
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Sets you save and your study progress in them | Sets feature operation |
| Content reports and flags | Quality review of Set content |
3.4. Technical Data (collected automatically)
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Device type and model | App compatibility and debugging |
| Operating system version | App compatibility |
| App version | Support and update management |
| Country/region (from device settings, not GPS) | Default language suggestions, regional content |
| Preferred device language | Interface localization |
3.5. Data Processed by Third-Party Services on Our Behalf
| Service | Data Processed | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication Provider (currently Clerk) | Email, name, OAuth tokens, IP address (by Clerk), session tokens | User authentication and session management |
| Backend Infrastructure (currently Convex) | All app data listed above | Database storage, real-time sync, cloud backup |
| AI Language Model Providers (various, interchangeable) | Text prompts only (vocabulary terms, situation descriptions) — no personal identifiers | AI Translate Service, Scenes vocabulary generation, content moderation |
| Text-to-Speech Provider (currently ElevenLabs) | Text to be spoken — no personal identifiers | Pronunciation audio generation |
| Subscription & Paywall Management (currently RevenueCat) | Apple ID purchase tokens, subscription status, transaction receipts, app user ID | Subscription processing, payment management, and paywall presentation |
| Website Analytics (currently Plausible) | Page address, referring site, browser, operating system, device type, and approximate location derived from your IP address, which is never stored | Aggregate traffic measurement for the Website only (see Section 10.2) |
| Newsletter Delivery (our own backend, currently Convex) | Email address, first name if you give one, language preference, confirmation status and timestamps | Storing your subscription and preparing the confirmation email and the newsletter |
| Email Delivery (currently Resend) | Your email address, first name if given, and the content of the message | Delivering the confirmation email, the newsletter and our service emails |
| Bot Protection (currently Cloudflare Turnstile) | IP address, browser user agent, TLS fingerprint and similar signals your browser sends, plus the identifier of our Website | Establishing that the newsletter signup form is being used by a person rather than a script (see Section 10.2) |
4. What We Do NOT Collect
We want to be explicit about what we do not collect:
- No advertising identifiers (IDFA/GAID)
- No precise location data (GPS, Wi-Fi triangulation, or Bluetooth beacons)
- No browsing history or activity outside the App
- No contacts, calendar, or photo library data
- No health or biometric data
- No financial or payment card information (all payments are processed by Apple)
- No advertising networks or ad SDKs
- No cross-app or cross-site tracking
- No cookie-based analytics (our website analytics sets no cookies and stores nothing on your device)
- No audio recordings (voice input is processed on-device via Apple's speech recognition and is not stored or transmitted by us)
5. How We Use Your Data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
| Purpose | Data Used | Legal Basis (GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Providing the Service — account creation, vocabulary management, quiz sessions, study streaks, sync across devices | Account Data, Learning Data | Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Sets Features — enabling you to browse, save, and study curated Sets | Account Data, Sets Data | Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| AI-Powered Features — AI Translate Service and Scenes vocabulary generation | Text prompts from Learning Data (no personal identifiers) | Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Text-to-Speech — generating pronunciation audio | Vocabulary text (no personal identifiers) | Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Gamification — points, badges, and leaderboard | Learning Data, Account Data | Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Push Notifications — study reminders and new-content announcements | Device token, notification preferences | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) |
| Leaderboard — displaying your ranking to other users | Username, points, streak data | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — you can opt out at any time |
| App Stability and Security — ensuring the Service functions correctly | Technical Data | Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) |
| Subscription Management — processing your subscription through Apple | Purchase tokens (processed by Apple, RevenueCat) | Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Website Analytics — measuring aggregate traffic to www.vokabulo.com | Page address, referring site, browser, operating system, device type, approximate location (no cookies, no persistent identifier) | Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) |
| Newsletter — sending the confirmation email and, once you confirm, the newsletter itself | Email address, first name if given, language preference | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — you can withdraw it at any time |
| Protecting the Signup Form — keeping the newsletter form from being used to send unwanted email to other people | Signals your browser sends to our bot protection provider; separately, a salted one-way hash of your IP address, kept briefly by us to limit how often one address can submit the form | Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) |
We do not use your data for advertising, profiling for marketing purposes, or automated decision-making that produces legal effects concerning you.
6. Legal Bases for Processing
6.1. EU/EEA, UK, and Switzerland (GDPR / UK GDPR)
We process your data based on the following legal bases under Article 6 GDPR:
- Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to provide the Service you signed up for, including account management, vocabulary storage, quiz functionality, sync, Sets features, AI-powered features, and subscription management.
- Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): Processing for optional features that require your explicit opt-in, including push notifications, leaderboard participation, voice input (microphone access), and subscribing to our newsletter. You may withdraw consent at any time (see Section 11).
- Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)): Processing necessary for our legitimate interests, including ensuring app stability and security, fraud prevention, measuring aggregate traffic to the Website, and protecting the Website's newsletter signup form from automated abuse. We have balanced these interests against your rights and freedoms and determined that processing is proportionate and does not override your interests.
6.2. Brazil (LGPD)
Under the LGPD, we process your data based on: consent (Art. 7(I)), performance of contract (Art. 7(V)), and legitimate interest (Art. 7(IX)), as described in Section 5 above.
6.3. United States
In the United States, we process your data as described in this Privacy Policy to provide the Service under our Terms and Conditions. For California residents, see Section 15.
7. Data Storage and Security
7.1. Where Your Data Is Stored
Your data is stored in the following locations:
| Storage Location | Data Stored | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| On your device (SwiftData/local database) | Vocabulary, language pairs, quiz sessions, tags, offline queue | Local app functionality and offline access |
| On your device (UserDefaults) | App preferences, study settings, display options | User preferences |
| iCloud Keychain (Apple) | Authentication session tokens and user ID | Cross-device sign-in (iOS ↔ macOS) |
| Cloud backend (currently Convex, hosted on AWS in the United States) | All app data — account, vocabulary, quiz sessions, Sets, streaks, points | Real-time sync, backup, multi-device access |
| Authentication provider (currently Clerk, United States) | Account credentials, session data | User authentication |
| Website analytics provider (currently Plausible, European Union) | Aggregate Website traffic statistics | Traffic measurement for www.vokabulo.com |
| Cloud backend (currently Convex, hosted on AWS in the United States) | Newsletter subscriptions: email address, first name, language, confirmation status | Sending the newsletter you subscribed to |
| Email delivery provider (currently Resend, United States) | Your email address and the content of messages we send you, in transit | Delivering our emails |
| Bot protection provider (currently Cloudflare, United States) | Signals your browser sends while the signup check runs. Not stored by us | Spam protection for the newsletter signup form |
7.2. International Data Transfers
Your account data and learning data are stored and processed in the United States. Our backend provider (currently Convex) hosts our database on Amazon Web Services infrastructure located in the United States, our authentication provider (currently Clerk) also processes data in the United States, and our bot protection provider (currently Cloudflare) processes signup-form signals in the United States. Our other service providers may process data in the United States or in other countries where they maintain infrastructure. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your jurisdiction.
For transfers from the EEA, we rely on:
- EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, for providers certified under it (Clerk and Cloudflare are certified);
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission (Decision 2021/914), incorporated into our data processing agreements with providers that are not certified under the Data Privacy Framework, including our backend provider;
- Adequacy decisions where available.
For transfers from the UK, we rely on:
- UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) or the UK Addendum to EU SCCs, or the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework where the provider is certified under it.
For transfers from Brazil, we rely on:
- the standard contractual clauses adopted by the ANPD under Resolução CD/ANPD nº 19/2024, or other appropriate safeguards under Article 33 of the LGPD.
Website analytics is not transferred. Our website analytics provider (currently Plausible) stores all data within the European Union, on infrastructure operated by European companies, and transfers none of it to the United States or any other third country. The transfers described in this section therefore do not apply to it.
Requesting a copy of the safeguards. You may request a copy of the safeguards in place for these transfers, including the relevant contractual clauses, by emailing privacy@vokabulo.com.
Transfer risk assessment. Before transferring personal data to the United States, we assessed whether local law or government access powers could undermine the protection these safeguards are intended to provide. That assessment takes into account the nature of the data (account details and vocabulary study records, with no special-category data), the sector in which our providers operate, and the transparency information our providers publish. Alongside the contractual safeguards, we apply technical measures including encryption in transit (TLS), encryption at rest (AES-256), isolated per-customer databases with unique credentials, and role-based access controls. We review this assessment periodically, and we will suspend transfers to a provider if we conclude that these measures no longer provide a level of protection essentially equivalent to the one guaranteed within the EEA.
7.3. Security Measures
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:
- Encrypted data transmission (TLS/HTTPS) for all network communications;
- Encryption of data at rest on our backend infrastructure (AES-256);
- Encrypted local storage via Apple's data protection framework;
- Authentication tokens stored in iCloud Keychain with hardware-backed security;
- Backend infrastructure with SOC 2 Type II compliance (Convex);
- Role-based access controls for internal systems;
- Regular security reviews of third-party dependencies.
No system is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Data Retention
| Data Category | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Account Data | Retained while your account is active. Permanently deleted within 30 days of account deletion. |
| Learning Data | Retained while your account is active. Permanently deleted within 30 days of account deletion. |
| Technical Data | Retained for up to 90 days for debugging and stability purposes. |
| Authentication Data (at Clerk) | Deleted when your account is deleted, subject to Clerk's data retention policies. |
| Subscription Data (at RevenueCat/Apple) | Retained by Apple and RevenueCat as required by financial record-keeping laws. |
| Website Analytics Data | Aggregate statistics only, with no personal identifiers stored. The daily salt used to count a repeat visit within the same day is rotated and permanently deleted every 24 hours. |
| Newsletter Data | Retained until you unsubscribe, after which your address is marked as unsubscribed so that we do not mail you again. A signup you never confirm is deleted automatically after 90 days, and confirmation links are deleted 30 days after they expire. |
| Signup Rate-Limit Data | A salted one-way hash of the IP address a signup came from, used only to cap how many attempts one address can make. Purged automatically every day. The IP address itself is never written to our database. |
| Bot Protection Data | Processed by Cloudflare at the moment the check runs. We neither receive nor store these signals; their retention is governed by Cloudflare's own policies. |
When you delete your account, we perform a soft deletion immediately and permanently purge all personal data within 30 days, unless longer retention is required by applicable law (e.g., tax or financial regulations).
9. Data Sharing and Disclosure
9.1. We Do NOT Sell Your Data
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party. This applies globally, including under the definitions of "sell" and "share" in the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA).
9.2. Service Providers (Data Processors)
We share data with the following categories of service providers who process data on our behalf, under contractual obligations to protect your data:
| Provider Category | Purpose | Data Shared | Processing Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authentication provider | User sign-in and session management | Email, username, OAuth tokens | United States |
| Cloud backend provider | Data storage and real-time sync | All app data | United States |
| AI language model providers | Translation, context generation, content moderation | Text prompts only (no personal identifiers) | United States and other countries |
| Text-to-speech provider | Pronunciation audio | Text only (no personal identifiers) | United States and other countries |
| Subscription & Paywall management provider | Payment processing and paywall display | Apple purchase tokens, subscription status, app user ID | United States |
| Website analytics provider | Aggregate traffic measurement for the Website | Page address, referring site, browser, operating system, device type, approximate location | European Union |
| Cloud backend provider | Sending newsletter confirmation and newsletter emails | Email address, first name, language preference | United States |
| Email delivery provider | Delivering confirmation, newsletter and service emails | Email address, first name, message content | United States |
| Bot protection provider | Spam protection for the newsletter signup form | IP address and browser signals sent during the check | United States |
We may change service providers at any time. We will update this Privacy Policy to reflect material changes.
9.3. Other Users
When you participate in the leaderboard, the following data is visible to other users:
- Your username and profile photo (if set);
- Your streak data and points.
You can hide yourself from the leaderboard at any time in Settings > Privacy.
9.4. Legal Disclosure
We may disclose your data if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to: (a) comply with a legal obligation; (b) protect our rights or property; (c) prevent fraud or address security issues; or (d) protect the safety of our users or the public.
9.5. Business Transfers
In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal data may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you via email and/or prominent notice within the App of any change in ownership or use of your personal data and your choices regarding your data.
10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
10.1. The App
The App does not use cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, or similar browser-based tracking technologies.
The App stores data locally on your device using:
- SwiftData (Apple's local database framework) — for vocabulary, quiz sessions, and other app data;
- UserDefaults — for app preferences and settings;
- iCloud Keychain — for authentication tokens (cross-device sync).
These are standard, on-device storage mechanisms and do not constitute tracking technologies. They are strictly necessary for the operation of the Service.
10.2. The Website
The Website at www.vokabulo.com sets no cookies and uses no web beacons, pixel tags or advertising trackers. Reading the Website stores nothing on your device and reads nothing from it.
Two things on the Website process data, and both are set out in full below: how we count visits, and what happens if you subscribe to our newsletter.
Traffic measurement. We measure aggregate traffic to the Website using a privacy-focused analytics provider (currently Plausible). This tool:
- sets no cookies and uses no browser cache or local storage;
- assigns you no persistent identifier, and does not track you across websites, apps, or devices;
- does not store your IP address. Your IP address and browser user agent are used momentarily to generate a daily hash so that a repeat visit within the same day is counted once. The salt behind that hash is rotated and permanently deleted every 24 hours, so a visitor cannot be recognised from one day to the next;
- stores all data within the European Union, on infrastructure operated by European companies.
We use this information solely to understand which pages are read and where our visitors come from. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in operating and improving the Website (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). You may object to this processing at any time (see Section 11).
We do not use the Website to build profiles, and we do not combine Website statistics with your App account.
The newsletter signup form. The Website offers a newsletter. Subscribing is entirely optional, it unlocks nothing in the App, and nothing on the Website is gated behind it.
If you subscribe, we process:
- your email address, which is required;
- your first name, only if you choose to give one, and only so that we can greet you by name;
- the language you selected, so that you receive the newsletter in that language.
We use double opt-in. When you submit the form we send a single confirmation email, and you are added to the list only when you click the link in it. This protects you from being signed up by somebody else. If you never confirm, your address is deleted automatically after 90 days. A first name you give is stored as plain text with any markup characters removed, and it is never used for anything but the greeting.
The legal basis is your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may withdraw it at any time, with effect for the future, using the unsubscribe link at the bottom of every newsletter or by emailing privacy@vokabulo.com. Withdrawing does not affect the lawfulness of what we sent before.
The subscriber list lives in our own backend (currently Convex, in the United States), and we write the messages ourselves. Delivery is handled by our email provider (currently Resend, United States), which receives your address and the message in order to send it. We use no newsletter or email marketing platform, and we never sell, rent or share the list. We do not track whether you open an individual newsletter or which links you click in it.
To stop the form being used to send unwanted mail to other people, we limit how often a single internet connection can submit it. For that we store a salted one-way hash of the IP address a submission came from, never the address itself, and the hashes are purged automatically every day.
Bot protection on the signup form. The signup form is protected by Cloudflare Turnstile, a bot check that replaces a traditional CAPTCHA. It is worth being precise about what it does:
- it loads only when you interact with the signup form. If you read the page without touching the form, nothing is requested from Cloudflare and no check runs;
- when it does run, your browser sends Cloudflare signals including your IP address, browser user agent and TLS fingerprint, which Cloudflare uses to distinguish a person from an automated script;
- the check runs inside a frame served by challenges.cloudflare.com and may store and read information on your device within that frame in order to work. It sets no cookie on www.vokabulo.com, and we do not use Cloudflare's pre-clearance feature;
- Cloudflare does not use these signals to show you advertising, and states that it cannot identify individuals from them. Cloudflare acts as our processor for the check itself, and as controller when it uses aggregated insight to improve its own bot detection, on the basis of its legitimate interest;
- our own server sends Cloudflare the IP address your request arrived from, so that the check can be scored against it. In return we receive only a pass or fail result, never the underlying signals.
The legal basis is our legitimate interest in keeping our signup form from being turned into a tool for mailing strangers (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Cloudflare, Inc. is in the United States; Section 7.2 sets out the transfer safeguards, and Cloudflare is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework.
10.3. Why There Is No Cookie Banner
Under § 25 TDDDG (Germany) and PECR (UK), consent is required to store information on, or gain access to information already stored on, your device, unless doing so is strictly necessary to provide a service you have explicitly requested.
The App's local storage described in Section 10.1 is strictly necessary and is therefore exempt from that consent requirement.
Reading the Website stores nothing on your device and reads nothing from it, so for ordinary browsing these provisions do not apply at all. Our analytics sets no cookies and touches no device storage, which is why it needs no banner either.
The one exception is the bot check on the newsletter signup form (Section 10.2), which may store and read information on your device while it runs. It runs only when you use that form, it exists solely to establish that a person and not a script is submitting it, and it is therefore strictly necessary to provide a service you have explicitly requested. It falls under the exemption in § 25(2) No. 2 TDDDG and the equivalent exemption in PECR, and does not require consent.
For these reasons, neither the App nor the Website asks you to accept cookies.
11. Your Data Protection Rights
You have the following rights regarding your personal data. The specific rights available to you depend on your location.
11.1. Rights Available to All Users
Regardless of your location, you can:
- Access your data: View your account information, vocabulary, and learning data within the App at any time.
- Correct your data: Edit your profile, vocabulary, and other content directly in the App.
- Delete your account: Use Settings > User Account > Delete Account to permanently delete your account and all associated data.
- Export your data: Use the export feature in language pair settings to download your vocabulary data.
- Control notifications: Enable or disable push notifications in your device settings.
- Control leaderboard visibility: Toggle leaderboard participation in Settings > Privacy.
- Revoke permissions: Disable microphone and speech recognition access in your device settings.
11.2. Additional Rights Under EU/EEA Law (GDPR)
If you are in the EEA, you also have the right to:
- Restriction of processing (Art. 18) — request that we limit how we process your data;
- Data portability (Art. 20) — receive your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format;
- Object to processing (Art. 21) — object to processing based on legitimate interests;
- Withdraw consent (Art. 7(3)) — withdraw consent for optional features at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal;
- Lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority (see Section 14).
We will respond to GDPR rights requests within one month, extendable by two further months for complex requests.
11.3. Additional Rights Under German Law
- All rights under Section 11.2 apply.
- Under § 34 BDSG, you have the right to obtain information about data stored about you.
- Under § 35 BDSG, you have the right to correction, deletion, and restriction of processing.
11.4. Additional Rights Under Italian Law
- All rights under Section 11.2 apply.
- You may lodge a complaint with the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali (www.garanteprivacy.it).
- Under the Codice della Privacy (D.Lgs. 196/2003, as amended by D.Lgs. 101/2018), you may seek judicial remedy before the ordinary courts.
11.5. Additional Rights Under French Law
- All rights under Section 11.2 apply.
- You may lodge a complaint with the CNIL (www.cnil.fr).
- Under the Loi Informatique et Libertés (Loi n° 78-17), you have the right to define directives regarding the storage, deletion, and communication of your personal data after your death (Article 85).
11.6. Additional Rights Under Spanish Law
- All rights under Section 11.2 apply.
- You may lodge a complaint with the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD) at www.aepd.es.
- Under Title X of the LOPDGDD, you benefit from digital rights including the right to digital security and the right to digital education.
11.7. Additional Rights Under Brazilian Law (LGPD)
If you are in Brazil, you have the following rights under Article 18 of the LGPD:
- Confirm the existence of data processing;
- Access your personal data;
- Correct incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated data;
- Anonymize, block, or delete unnecessary or excessive data;
- Data portability to another service provider;
- Delete personal data processed with your consent;
- Obtain information about third parties with whom data is shared;
- Obtain information about the possibility and consequences of denying consent;
- Withdraw consent at any time.
Data Protection Officer (Encarregado): Wolfgang Männel, see above
Response Time: We will respond within 15 days, extendable by an additional 15 days.
You may file complaints with the ANPD at www.gov.br/anpd.
11.8. Additional Rights Under UK Law
- You have the same rights as listed in Section 11.2, as adapted under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 (as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025).
- You may lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk.
- Age of digital consent in the UK is 13 years old.
11.9. Additional Rights Under US Law
(a) California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have the right to:
- Know what personal information is collected, used, and disclosed;
- Delete your personal information;
- Correct inaccurate personal information;
- Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information;
- Limit the use of sensitive personal information;
- Non-discrimination for exercising your rights.
We do not sell or share your personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA. We do not use sensitive personal information for purposes other than providing the Service.
Categories of Personal Information Collected (preceding 12 months):
| CCPA Category | Examples from Vokabulo | Source | Business Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Identifiers | Email, username, user ID | Directly from you | Account management |
| B. Personal information (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80(e)) | username, email | Directly from you | Account management |
| D. Commercial information | Subscription status, purchase history | Apple / RevenueCat | Subscription management |
| F. Internet or network activity | App version, device type, OS version | Automatically collected | App compatibility, debugging |
| K. Inferences | Spaced repetition scheduling, vocabulary mastery levels | Generated from your use | Learning optimization |
Categories of Personal Information Sold or Shared: None. We have not sold or shared any personal information in the preceding 12 months.
Categories of Personal Information Disclosed for Business Purposes:
| Category | Recipients | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| A. Identifiers | Authentication provider, backend provider | Service operation |
| B. Personal information | Authentication provider, backend provider | Service operation |
| D. Commercial information | Subscription management provider | Payment processing |
We do not knowingly collect personal information from consumers under 13.
(b) Other US State Privacy Laws
If you reside in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, or another state with a comprehensive privacy law, you may have rights including access, correction, deletion, data portability, and the right to opt out of targeted advertising, profiling, and the sale of personal data. We honor applicable rights. Contact us at privacy@vokabulo.com.
(c) COPPA
The App is not directed at children under 13 in the United States. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we learn we have collected such data, we will promptly delete it. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, contact us at privacy@vokabulo.com.
12. Children's Privacy
12.1. The App is designed to be safe and suitable for users of all ages. We are committed to protecting the privacy of children.
12.2. We do not use advertising networks of any kind. The website analytics described in Section 10.2 sets no cookies, assigns no persistent identifier, and does not track users across websites, apps, or devices. The bot check on our newsletter signup form is used only to tell a person from an automated script, never for advertising or for profiling you across sites. This keeps the Service a safe environment for all users, including children.
12.3. Account Creation: To use certain features, an account is required. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your jurisdiction) without verifiable parental consent. If you are under 13, please do not create an account without a parent or guardian.
12.4. If we learn we have collected personal data from a child without appropriate consent, we will promptly delete it. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data without your consent, please contact us at privacy@vokabulo.com.
13. AI-Powered Features and Data Processing
13.1. The App uses third-party AI language models to power the AI Translate Service (automatic translation and context generation) and Scenes (situation-based vocabulary generation).
13.2. What we send to AI providers: Only the text content necessary to generate the requested output — e.g., a word to translate or a situation description. We do not send your username, email, user ID, or any other personal identifiers to AI providers.
13.3. Multiple providers: We use multiple AI providers and may change, add, or replace providers at any time. The choice of AI provider is an implementation detail that does not affect your privacy rights.
13.4. No training on your data: We do not permit AI providers to use your prompts or outputs to train their models. We use API-level access with data processing agreements that prohibit training use.
13.5. EU AI Act (Article 50): Content generated by AI is disclosed as AI-generated within the App interface. We comply with the transparency obligations of the EU AI Act regarding the labeling and marking of AI-generated content.
13.6. Automated Decision-Making (GDPR Art. 22): The App uses automated processing for spaced repetition scheduling (determining when to show a word for review) and AI-generated content suggestions. These automated processes do not produce legal effects or similarly significant effects on you. All AI-generated content is presented as suggestions that you review and choose to accept or discard.
14. Supervisory Authorities
If you believe we have violated your data protection rights, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority:
| Jurisdiction | Authority | Website |
|---|---|---|
| EU (general) | Your local Data Protection Authority | edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/about-edpb/members_en |
| Germany | Bundesbeauftragter für den Datenschutz (BfDI) or your state-level DPA | bfdi.bund.de |
| Italy | Garante per la protezione dei dati personali | garanteprivacy.it |
| France | Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) | cnil.fr |
| Spain | Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD) | aepd.es |
| Brazil | Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados (ANPD) | gov.br/anpd |
| United Kingdom | Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) | ico.org.uk |
| United States (California) | California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) | cppa.ca.gov |
15. California-Specific Disclosures (CCPA/CPRA)
This section provides additional disclosures required under California law:
15.1. Right to Know: See Section 11.9(a) for categories of personal information collected.
15.2. Right to Delete: You may delete your account and personal data through Settings > User Account > Delete Account, or by emailing privacy@vokabulo.com.
15.3. Right to Correct: You may correct your personal information through the App, or by emailing privacy@vokabulo.com.
15.4. Right to Opt Out of Sale/Sharing: We do not sell or share your personal information. No opt-out mechanism is required.
15.5. Sensitive Personal Information: We collect email addresses as account identifiers. We do not use sensitive personal information for purposes other than providing the Service.
15.6. Financial Incentives: We do not offer financial incentives related to the collection of personal information.
15.7. Shine the Light (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.83): We do not share personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes.
15.8. Accessibility: This Privacy Policy is provided in a format accessible on mobile devices and is designed for readability.
15.9. How to Submit Requests: Email privacy@vokabulo.com or use the in-app account management features. We will verify your identity before fulfilling requests. We will respond within 45 days, extendable by an additional 45 days for complex requests.
15.10. Authorized Agents: You may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. Agents must provide a signed written authorization or power of attorney.
16. Germany-Specific Provisions
16.1. TDDDG Compliance (§§ 19-26)
The App constitutes a "digital service" under the TDDDG. We comply with the following:
- § 25 TDDDG: We do not store information on or access information from your device beyond what is strictly necessary for the provision of the Service. The local storage mechanisms described in Section 10.1 are exempt from the consent requirement, as they are strictly necessary for providing the Service you explicitly requested. Our website analytics neither stores information on your device nor accesses information already stored there, and therefore falls outside § 25 entirely (see Section 10.2). The bot check on our newsletter signup form may store and read information on your device while it runs, but only when you use that form and only to establish that it is being submitted by a person. That is strictly necessary for a service you have explicitly requested and is exempt under § 25(2) No. 2 TDDDG.
- § 19 TDDDG: We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data.
- § 20 TDDDG: We apply additional safeguards for the processing of minors' data.
16.2. BDSG Compliance
We comply with the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG), including:
- § 26 BDSG: Employee data processing (applicable to our internal operations only);
- § 34 BDSG: Right to information;
- § 35 BDSG: Right to correction, deletion, and restriction;
- § 38 BDSG: We have appointed a Data Protection Officer. Contact details are set out in Section 2.
17. France-Specific Provisions (CNIL Compliance)
In accordance with the CNIL's recommendations on mobile applications (April 2025):
17.1. Privacy by Design: Data protection has been integrated into the App from the earliest design stages. We minimize data collection to what is strictly necessary for each feature.
17.2. Data Processing Map: We maintain a comprehensive record of all processing activities, including identification of data types, purposes, legal bases, recipients, and retention periods, as set out in this Privacy Policy.
17.3. SDK Transparency: All third-party SDKs integrated into the App and their data processing activities are disclosed in Section 3.5 and Section 9.2. No SDK processes data for purposes that are not strictly necessary for the Service without your explicit consent.
17.4. Role Clarification: Tathros GmbH is the data controller for all personal data processing. Our service providers (Clerk, Convex, AI providers, ElevenLabs, RevenueCat, Plausible, Cloudflare, Resend) act as data processors under appropriate data processing agreements. Cloudflare additionally acts as a controller in its own right when it uses insight from bot checks to improve its detection systems, as described in Section 10.2.
17.5. Post-Mortem Directives (Art. 85 Loi Informatique et Libertés): French users have the right to define directives regarding the storage, deletion, and communication of their personal data after death. You may submit such directives to privacy@vokabulo.com.
18. Italy-Specific Provisions
18.1. Processing of your personal data complies with the Codice della Privacy (D.Lgs. 196/2003, as amended by D.Lgs. 101/2018) and the GDPR.
18.2. In accordance with the Garante's guidelines on cookies and tracking tools (Provvedimento n. 229/2021), we confirm that the App does not use cookies or tracking technologies beyond the strictly necessary on-device storage described in Section 10.1, and that the Website uses no cookies, profiling tools or analytics identifiers, as described in Section 10.2. The only technology on the Website that may store or read information on your device is the bot check on the newsletter signup form. It is a technical tool, used solely for security, and under those guidelines it does not require consent.
18.3. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali and to seek judicial remedy before the ordinary courts.
19. Spain-Specific Provisions
19.1. Processing of your personal data complies with the LOPDGDD (Ley Orgánica 3/2018) and the GDPR.
19.2. In accordance with the LSSI-CE (Ley 34/2002), we do not send unsolicited commercial communications. Push notifications are sent only with your explicit consent and can be disabled at any time.
19.3. You benefit from digital rights under Title X of the LOPDGDD, including the right to digital security and the right to digital education.
19.4. You may file complaints with the AEPD at www.aepd.es.
20. Brazil-Specific Provisions (LGPD)
20.1. We process personal data in accordance with the LGPD (Lei nº 13.709/2018). All processing is based on the legal bases identified in Section 6.2.
20.2. Data Protection Officer (Encarregado): Wolfgang Männel, see above. The Encarregado can be contacted for any questions regarding the processing of your personal data.
20.3. International Transfer: Your data is transferred to and stored in the United States. We rely on the standard contractual clauses adopted by the ANPD under Resolução CD/ANPD nº 19/2024, or other appropriate safeguards permitted by Article 33 of the LGPD.
20.4. Data Breach Notification: In the event of a security incident that may create risk or relevant damage to data subjects, we will notify the ANPD and affected individuals within a reasonable timeframe, as required by Article 48 LGPD.
20.5. Consumer Protection: This Privacy Policy complies with the transparency requirements of the Código de Defesa do Consumidor (Lei nº 8.078/1990).
21. United Kingdom-Specific Provisions
21.1. Your data is processed in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
21.2. PECR Compliance: In accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, we confirm:
- The App does not use cookies or equivalent tracking technologies beyond strictly necessary on-device storage;
- The Website sets no cookies, and reading it stores nothing on and reads nothing from your device. The only exception is the bot check on the newsletter signup form, which runs only when you use that form and is strictly necessary for a service you have requested, and is therefore exempt from the consent requirement;
- Push notifications are sent only with your explicit consent;
- We do not send direct marketing communications without consent.
21.3. International Transfers: Where your data is transferred outside the UK, we rely on UK adequacy regulations or UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs).
21.4. You may lodge a complaint with the ICO at www.ico.org.uk.
22. Apple App Store and Privacy Labels
22.1. In accordance with Apple's App Privacy requirements, we provide accurate privacy nutrition labels for the App on the App Store. These labels disclose the types of data linked to your identity and the purposes for which data is used.
22.2. Apple processes certain data in connection with App Store transactions, including your Apple ID, purchase history, and device information. Apple's data practices are governed by Apple's Privacy Policy at www.apple.com/legal/privacy.
22.3. All payments for subscriptions are processed by Apple. We do not receive or store your payment card details.
23. Changes to This Privacy Policy
23.1. We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated through the App and/or by email at least 30 days before they take effect.
23.2. The "Last updated" date at the top of this policy indicates when it was most recently revised.
23.3. Your continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. Where applicable law requires explicit consent for material changes, we will obtain such consent.
23.4. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
24. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Tathros GmbH, Zum Quellenpark 38, 65812 Bad Soden am Taunus, Germany
Email: privacy@vokabulo.com, Website: www.vokabulo.com
For data protection inquiries specifically: Wolfgang Männel, see above.
For Brazilian users (Encarregado): Wolfgang Männel, see above.
Appendix: Summary Table of Data Processing Activities
| Processing Activity | Data Categories | Legal Basis (GDPR) | Recipients | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account creation & auth | Email, username, sign-in method | Contract | Auth provider, backend | Until account deletion + 30 days |
| Vocabulary management | Words, translations, context, tags | Contract | Backend, AI providers (text only) | Until account deletion + 30 days |
| Quiz & spaced repetition | Quiz sessions, answer events, mastery levels | Contract | Backend | Until account deletion + 30 days |
| Study streaks | Daily check-ins, streak count, milestones | Contract | Backend | Until account deletion + 30 days |
| Sets | Saved Sets and study progress | Contract | Backend | Until account deletion + 30 days |
| AI Translate Service | Text prompts | Contract | AI providers | Not retained by us; subject to AI providers' policies |
| Scenes | Situation descriptions, generated vocabulary | Contract | AI providers | Not retained by us; subject to AI providers' policies |
| Text-to-speech | Vocabulary text | Contract | TTS provider | Not retained by us |
| Push notifications | Device token, preferences | Consent | Apple Push Notification Service | Until permission revoked |
| Leaderboard | Username, points, streak | Consent | Backend, other users | Until opted out or account deleted |
| Subscription | Purchase tokens, status | Contract | Apple, RevenueCat | Per Apple/financial regulations |
| App stability | Device type, OS, app version | Legitimate interest | Backend | 90 days |
| Website analytics | Page address, referring site, browser, OS, device type, approximate location | Legitimate interest | Website analytics provider (EU) | Aggregate only; daily salt deleted every 24 hours |
| Newsletter | Email address, first name if given, language preference | Consent | Our own backend and email delivery provider (US) | Until you unsubscribe; unconfirmed signups deleted after 90 days |
| Signup form protection | IP address and browser signals during the bot check; separately, a salted one-way hash of the IP address | Legitimate interest | Bot protection provider (US) | Signals not stored by us; hashes purged daily |