Privacy Policy

1. Introduction
Qualtranscribe LLC ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to safeguarding your privacy and handling your data with transparency and care. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose personal and institutional information obtained from users of our services, including through our website www.qualtranscribe.com ("Website") or any third-party cloud storage services we use.

By using our services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please refrain from using our services.

2. Information We Collect
We may collect and process the following types of information:

A. Contact and Account Information

• Name, email address, phone number, mailing address

• Billing and payment information

• Account credentials for our secure portal

• Communication records (emails, support requests, feedback)

B. Project Content: Audio, video, or document files submitted for transcription/translation.

• Audio, video, or document files submitted for transcription or translation

• File content may include business communications, research interviews, meetings, legal proceedings, financial discussions, or other recorded content

• Any information contained within the files you submit

C. Technical Data: 

• P addresses, browser type, device information

• Upload timestamps, file metadata (names, sizes, formats)

• Website usage analytics (anonymized)

3. Use of Information
We use your data to:

• Deliver services: Perform transcription and translation services as requested

• Communicate: Provide project updates, respond to inquiries, and deliver completed work

• Quality assurance: Conduct internal review and quality control processes

• Business operations: Process payments, maintain accounts, and manage service delivery

• Legal compliance: Meet contractual and regulatory obligations

We do not:

• Use your content for AI training or machine learning model development

• Engage in automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects on individuals

• Use data for marketing purposes without explicit consent

• Sell or rent your information to third parties

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Our processing of your data is based on:

• Consent: You have provided consent for specific processing activities

• Contractual necessity: Processing is required to deliver the services you requested

• Legal obligations: Compliance with applicable laws and regulations

• Legitimate business interests: Operational needs that do not override your privacy rights

5. Retention and Deletion

Project Files

• Transcription files, audio/video recordings, and completed transcripts are deleted 30 days after project delivery

• This retention period allows for quality review, revisions, and client download

• Earlier deletion available: Clients may request deletion after delivery; such requests are processed within five business days

Account Records

• You may delete or request deletion your account data at any time

• Contact and billing information retained for the period required by applicable tax and legal regulations (typically 7 years)

• Communication records (email communications, etc.) retained for 1 year for customer service

Deletion Process

When deleted, data is:

• Removed from active systems and backups

• Overwritten using industry-standard methods

• Verified as completely erased

• Certificate of Destruction available upon request

6. Sharing and Third Parties

We share your data only with parties necessary to deliver our services:

Service Providers

• Professional transcriptionists: Independent contractors who perform transcription work under confidentiality agreements

• Cloud storage providers: Wasabi Technologies - S3-compatible object storage with regional data residency (United States: us-east-1, N. Virginia; European Union: eu-central-2, Frankfurt)

• AI transcription provider: AssemblyAI - processes recordings solely for the purpose of generating Instant Draft transcripts. Files are deleted from AssemblyAI systems upon transcript completion and is not used for model training.

• AI analysis provider: Anthropic (via AWS Bedrock) - processes transcript text solely to generate Smart Insights analysis and AI chat responses. Content is not retained or used for model training by the provider.

• Application and database infrastructure: Supabase - hosts account data, order records, and transcript metadata under a data processing agreement.

• Payment processors: For billing and transaction management

• Infrastructure providers: Hosting and IT services

All service providers are contractually required to protect your data and use it only for authorized purposes.

Legal Disclosures

We may disclose information when:

• Required by law, court order, or legal process

• Necessary to protect our legal rights

• Required for regulatory compliance

What We Don't Do

We do not sell, rent, or share your data with:

• Advertisers or marketing companies

• Data brokers

• Any unauthorized third parties

7. Data Security

• 256-bit AES encryption for stored data

• TLS encryption for data transmission

• Multi-factor authentication for account access

• Secure, password-protected file transfer systems

• Regular security audits and updates

• Automatic session timeouts

Operational Measures

• Confidentiality agreements with all staff and contractors

• Role-based access controls (personnel access only what they need)

• Regular security training

• Incident response procedures

• Secure deletion protocols

Physical Measures

• Encrypted devices for all work

• Secure workstation requirements

• Prohibition on accessing data in public locations

8. International Operations

Qualtranscribe works with a global network of professional transcriptionists located in multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). Our international network enables us to:

• Support diverse language requirements: Access native speakers and language experts for accurate translation and transcription in multiple languages

• Provide specialized expertise: Match projects with transcriptionists who have relevant subject matter knowledge and cultural context

• Ensure faster turnaround times: Leverage different time zones for expedited delivery

• Maintain competitive pricing: Offer cost-effective solutions without compromising quality

• Handle high-volume projects: Scale resources to meet demanding project requirements

• Accommodate regional dialects and accents: Utilize transcriptionists familiar with specific regional speech patterns

All contractors, regardless of location, follow the same rigorous confidentiality and security standards.

US-Only Service Available: If you require processing exclusively within the United States (for institutional policies, legal requirements, federal contracts, or other reasons), please specify this when placing your order. We will ensure your project is handled only by US-based professionals with no international data transfer.

Additional Information for EEA, UK, and Switzerland Residents

For individuals in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, and Switzerland, we process your personal data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and equivalent laws.

Your Rights: You have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, object to processing, and request portability of your personal data. You also have the right to withdraw consent and lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Legal Basis: We process your data based on contract performance, legal obligations, legitimate interests, or consent as applicable.

International Transfers: When transferring data outside the EEA/UK/Switzerland, we use Standard Contractual Clauses and implement appropriate safeguards to protect your data.

To Exercise Your Rights: Contact us at support@qualtranscribe.com with "GDPR Request" in the subject line. 

9. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Access your personal data and obtain a copy

• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information

• Delete your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)

• Restrict certain types of processing

• Object to processing based on legitimate interests

• Data portability - receive your data in a structured format

• Withdraw consent at any time

How to Exercise Your Rights

Contact us at support@qualtranscribe.com with your request. We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

10. Data Breach Notification

If a security incident affects your personal information, we will:

• Investigate and contain the breach immediately

• For personal data subject to GDPR: notify the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours of discovery, and notify affected clients without undue delay

• For projects involving PHI subject to HIPAA: notify the affected client within 24 hours of the incident being confirmed

• Report to authorities as required by law

• Provide details about the incident and remediation steps

• Offer appropriate support and assistance

11. Our Transcription Process

Human Transcription: All standard transcription orders are performed manually by trained human professionals. No automated speech recognition or AI tools access your audio or transcript content for human transcription orders.

Instant Draft (AI Transcription): Qualtranscribe offers an optional AI-powered transcription service called Instant Draft. When you use this service, your audio file is transmitted to AssemblyAI, a third-party automated speech recognition provider, for machine transcription. AssemblyAI processes your audio solely to generate the requested transcript and deletes the audio upon completion. Instant Draft transcripts are machine-generated and are not reviewed by a human transcriptionist unless you separately purchase a human review upgrade.

Smart Insights and AI Chat: Qualtranscribe offers optional AI-powered analysis tools that process completed transcript text using Anthropic Claude language models. When you use Smart Insights or AI Chat, transcript text is transmitted to Anthropic's API for analysis. This content is not retained or used for model training by Anthropic.

Your choice: Instant Draft, Smart Insights, and AI Chat are optional features. Clients who require that no AI tools access their content should select human transcription only and not use these features. All three features are clearly labeled within the platform.

Confidentiality: All human transcriptionists sign confidentiality agreements and are prohibited from sharing, discussing, or retaining any client content.

Quality Assurance: Human transcripts may be reviewed by a second professional for quality purposes. All reviewers are bound by the same confidentiality requirements.

12. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses:

Essential Cookies:

• Session management and login functionality

• Secure file upload operations

Optional Analytics:

• Anonymized website usage statistics

• No personal information collected through analytics

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website features.

We do not use:

• Advertising or tracking cookies

• Third-party marketing pixels

13. Children's Privacy (Minors)

Our services are not directed to individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately at support@qualtranscribe.com, and we will promptly delete such information.

Note: We do transcribe research interviews and recordings that may involve minors when conducted by authorized researchers with appropriate IRB approval and parental consent. However, we do not collect information directly from children or market our services to minors.

14. Content Ownership

You own your content. We claim no ownership over materials you submit or information they contain. Upon full payment, you own the completed transcripts and may use them without restriction.

15. Business Transfers

If Qualtranscribe is acquired or merged with another company, your information may be transferred. We will notify you via email before any transfer occurs.

16. Policy Updates

We may update this policy periodically. Changes will be posted on our website with a new effective date. Material changes will be communicated via email. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

17. Specific Privacy Laws

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

You have additional rights including:

• Right to know what information is collected

• Right to delete personal information

• Right to opt-out of sale (we do not sell information)

• Right to non-discrimination

European Residents (GDPR)

You have rights as outlined in Section 9, plus the right to lodge complaints with your data protection authority.

Other Jurisdictions

We comply with applicable privacy laws in all jurisdictions where we operate.

18. Policy Updates
We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. Updated versions will be posted on our Website with an effective date.

19. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your privacy rights:

Email: support@qualtranscribe.com
Phone: 617-351-8271

Effective Date: May 18, 2026