1. Who We Are
VoiceQSO is operated by Madsen Media (org. 932 215 659), Norway. We are the data controller for personal data processed through the VoiceQSO mobile application.
Contact: privacy@voiceqso.com
2. What Data We Collect
2.1 Account Data
When you register, we collect:
- Email address
- Display name or callsign
- Authentication data (managed by Auth0)
2.2 Audio Recordings
When you use VoiceQSO to log a QSO, you upload audio recordings of your radio contacts. These recordings are processed to produce a transcription, and are then retained in your account so you can re-download them later. See section 7 for retention details and section 3 for how the audio is used.
2.3 Transcription Output
The structured QSO data produced from transcription (callsigns, signal reports, date/time, notes) is stored in your account and associated with your logbook.
2.4 Usage and Technical Data
We collect basic app usage data, error logs, and device/platform information to operate and improve the service.
When you accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, we log your IP address, timestamp, and the version of each document accepted, for the purpose of maintaining a verifiable record of consent. Consent logs are retained for up to 3 years.
2.5 Location Data
VoiceQSO can use your device’s GPS location to help you find nearby amateur radio activation references (for example, POTA parks or SOTA summits) when logging a session. Location access is requested only when you tap the “Find nearby” action, and you may decline the OS permission prompt at any time — the picker then falls back to manual search by reference or name.
Your GPS coordinates are used only on-device to rank a locally cached list of references by distance. They are not transmitted to VoiceQSO servers, stored in your account, or shared with any third party.
3. How We Use Your Data
3.1 Providing the Service
Your audio is processed to produce QSO transcriptions. This is the core function of VoiceQSO.
3.2 Service Improvement and Quality Assurance
Retained audio recordings may be reviewed by VoiceQSO on a sampled basis to evaluate transcription accuracy, identify failure modes, and improve the service. Audio is not used to train AI models, by us or by our third-party providers.
Audio and the data tied to your account may also be accessed by support staff when you contact us about a specific session or QSO and we need to look at it in order to help you.
3.3 Account Management
We use your contact details to manage your account, send service notifications, and respond to support requests.
3.4 Legal Compliance
We may process data as required to comply with applicable law.
3.5 Nearby Reference Lookup
If you grant location permission, your GPS coordinates are read by the app and compared against a locally cached list of POTA parks or SOTA summits to show the closest results. This processing happens entirely on your device; no location data is sent to VoiceQSO or any third party.
4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to provide the transcription service you have signed up for.
Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): Retaining audio recordings so users can re-download them, conducting sampled quality-assurance review, and accessing data when required to handle a support request — where these interests are not overridden by your rights.
Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): Where required by law.
Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): Access to your device’s GPS location for the nearby-reference lookup is granted by you via the operating-system permission prompt. You can withdraw this at any time in your device settings.
You may object to processing based on legitimate interests at any time by contacting us (see Section 8).
5. AI Processing Disclosure
Specifically:
- Your audio is transmitted to a third-party AI transcription service for processing. The output is a structured log of your QSO.
- AI processing involves automated analysis of speech content. No human reviews your audio as part of normal service operation.
- VoiceQSO may manually review a sampled subset of recordings for quality assurance purposes, and may access your audio or account data when handling a support request you have submitted.
- VoiceQSO does not use your audio for fully automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on you.
This disclosure is made in accordance with the EU AI Act requirements for transparency about AI system use.
6. Third-Party Processors
Your data may be processed by the following categories of third parties:
AI transcription provider: Audio recordings are sent to a cloud-based AI service for speech-to-text processing. The current provider operates under data processing agreements consistent with GDPR requirements.
Authentication provider (Auth0): Authentication and identity management is handled by Auth0 (Okta). Your login credentials are managed by Auth0 under their privacy policy.
Payment processing (Stripe): Subscription and purchase payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. Stripe may collect and process payment card data and billing information under their own privacy policy. VoiceQSO does not store full payment card details.
Hosting infrastructure: VoiceQSO is hosted on servers located in the EU (Hetzner, Nuremberg, Germany). Your data does not leave the EEA as part of normal service operation.
We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
7. Data Retention
- Account data is retained for as long as your account is active.
- QSO transcription data is retained until you delete it or close your account.
- Audio recordings are retained in your account for as long as your account is active, so you can re-download them at any time. Audio is deleted when you close your account, or sooner if you ask us to delete specific recordings by contacting privacy@voiceqso.com.
- Following account closure or a deletion request, audio and associated data are permanently deleted within 30 days.
8. Your Rights Under GDPR
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access — request a copy of the data we hold about you
- Right to rectification — correct inaccurate data
- Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") — request deletion of your data
- Right to restriction of processing — limit how we use your data
- Right to data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests
To exercise your rights, contact us at privacy@voiceqso.com. We will respond within 30 days.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with Datatilsynet (the Norwegian Data Protection Authority).
9. Children
VoiceQSO is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a minor has provided us data, please contact us for deletion.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via in-app notification or email. Continued use of VoiceQSO after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
Document version history is maintained internally. The current version and effective date are shown at the top of this document.
11. Contact
Madsen Media (org. 932 215 659), Norway
- Privacy & data requests: privacy@voiceqso.com
- Billing enquiries: billing@voiceqso.com
- General contact: contact@voiceqso.com
- Website: www.voiceqso.com
We aim to respond to all enquiries within 5 business days, and to all formal data subject requests within 30 days as required by GDPR.