Privacy Policy
1. Information We Collect
We collect the following categories of information when you use Backchannel:
Account information (via Google Sign-In): Your name, email address, and profile photo as provided by your Google account.
Content you create: Topic configurations (names, word counts, custom prompts, report styles), AI-generated research briefs, reading history, listening progress, and scheduling preferences. This content is stored in your personal account and is never shared with other users.
Usage data: The type of brief generated (manual or scheduled), timestamps of generation events, and brief counts used for plan limit enforcement.
Device and technical data: Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token for push notifications; crash logs, stack traces, and device metadata collected by Firebase Crashlytics for app stability purposes.
Subscription and billing data: Your subscription status, entitlement history, and purchase records, managed by RevenueCat and Google Play. We do not process or store payment card information directly.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect solely to operate and improve Backchannel:
- Account management: To authenticate you via Google Sign-In and associate your data with your account.
- AI brief generation: Your topic configurations and custom prompts are sent to the Anthropic Claude API to generate personalized research briefs. See Section 5 for details.
- Push notifications: Your FCM token is used to notify you when your daily briefs are ready.
- Subscription management: To enforce plan limits (free vs. Pro), process subscription purchases, and verify entitlement status.
- App stability: Crash logs are used to identify and fix bugs. They are not used for advertising or profiling.
- Deduplication: Previously generated brief titles are stored to avoid generating the same topic twice.
We do not use your data for advertising, sell your data to third parties, or use your content to train AI models.
3. Third-Party Services
Backchannel uses the following third-party services. Each acts as a service provider processing data on our behalf:
| Service | Provider | Data shared | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude API | Anthropic, PBC | Topic names, custom prompts, past titles | AI research brief generation |
| Firebase Auth | Google LLC | Email, Google account ID | Authentication |
| Cloud Firestore | Google LLC | All user content (topics, briefs, settings) | Data storage |
| Firebase Cloud Messaging | Google LLC | FCM device token | Push notifications |
| Firebase Crashlytics | Google LLC | Crash logs, device metadata | Crash reporting and app stability |
| RevenueCat | RevenueCat, Inc. | Firebase user ID, purchase tokens | Subscription billing and entitlement management |
| Google Play Billing | Google LLC | Purchase and subscription records | Payment processing |
No data is shared with any third party beyond those listed above. Anthropic receives your topic text solely to generate content; it is not used to train their models under our agreement.
4. Google Sign-In Data
Backchannel uses Google Sign-In for authentication. We access the following data from your Google account:
- Name: Displayed within the app to personalise your experience.
- Email address: Used as your account identifier and to associate your data with your account.
- Profile photo: Displayed within the app.
We do not access any other Google account data, including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, or any other Google service. Google account data is not shared with any third party beyond Firebase Authentication (Google) and is not used for advertising or sold to any party.
Our use of data received from Google APIs complies with the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
5. AI-Generated Content
When you generate a research brief, your topic configuration — including the topic name, any custom prompt you have written, and the report style — is transmitted to the Anthropic Claude API via a Firebase Cloud Function running on our servers. Your Firebase user ID is never sent to Anthropic.
Generated briefs are stored in your personal Firestore subcollection and are not visible to or shared with any other user.
AI model training: Your data is not used to train Anthropic's AI models. Anthropic processes your prompts solely to generate the requested content and is bound by their data processing terms.
Your Claude API key is never exposed to the Backchannel app. All Anthropic API calls are made server-side via Firebase Cloud Functions.
6. Data Retention
Your data is retained for as long as your account is active. This includes your topic configurations, generated briefs, reading history, settings, and scheduling preferences stored in Cloud Firestore, and your account credentials in Firebase Authentication.
When you delete your account, your Firebase Authentication account and all data in your Firestore subcollection — including all topic configurations, generated briefs, and settings — are permanently deleted. This deletion is immediate and irreversible.
The following data may be retained by third parties after account deletion, subject to their own retention policies:
- RevenueCat: Retains subscription and purchase records as required for billing and legal compliance.
- Google Play: Retains purchase history as required by Google's policies.
- Firebase Crashlytics: May retain anonymised crash logs for a limited period.
7. Account and Data Deletion
You can delete your account and all associated data at any time using either of these methods:
- In-app: Settings → Delete Account. Deletion is immediate.
- Online form: backchannelinfo.com/delete-account
- By email: Send a request to contact@backchannelinfo.com with the subject "Account Deletion Request".
The following data is deleted immediately upon account deletion:
- Your Firebase Authentication account
- All Firestore data: topic configurations, generated briefs, reading history, settings, schedule configuration
- Your FCM notification token
See Section 6 for data retained by third parties after deletion.
8. Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your data:
- In transit: All data transmitted between the app and our servers is encrypted using TLS/HTTPS.
- At rest: Firestore data is encrypted at rest by Google.
- Access control: Firestore security rules enforce that each user can only read and write their own data. No user can access another user's content.
- API keys: The Anthropic Claude API key is stored as a server-side secret in Firebase Cloud Functions and is never exposed to the app or to users.
- App integrity: Firebase App Check is used to verify that API requests originate from legitimate instances of the Backchannel app.
No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at contact@backchannelinfo.com.
9. Children's Privacy
Backchannel is intended for users aged 16 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13.
If we become aware that a user is under 13, we will promptly delete their account and all associated data. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, please contact us at contact@backchannelinfo.com.
10. Your Rights
All users have the right to delete their account and all associated data at any time. See Section 7.
EU and UK users (GDPR / UK GDPR): You have the right to access, rectify, or erase your personal data; to restrict or object to its processing; and to data portability. Our lawful basis for processing is performance of a contract (providing the service you signed up for) and legitimate interests (app security and stability). Where we transfer data internationally, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or the adequacy of the recipient country's data protection laws. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@backchannelinfo.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.
California users (CCPA / CPRA): You have the right to know what personal data we collect, the right to delete your data, and the right to opt out of the sale of your personal data. We do not sell personal data. To exercise your rights, contact us at contact@backchannelinfo.com.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you via an in-app notice or by email to the address associated with your account, at least 7 days before the changes take effect.
The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the app after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. If you do not agree to the updated policy, you may delete your account before the changes take effect.
12. Contact
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:
Email: contact@backchannelinfo.com
We aim to respond to all privacy-related requests within 30 days.