Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

Overview

Esploro ("we", "our", or "the app") is a real-time fact-checking application that listens to speech, either through your device microphone or system audio, transcribes it, identifies factual claims, and checks those claims against published sources. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how your data is collected, used, and stored.

Esploro does not require an account. There is no email, password, name, or phone number to sign up. Authentication is device-based using Apple App Attest, which cryptographically proves your device is genuine without revealing any personal information about you.

Information We Collect

Audio Data

• Microphone audio: When you press Record, the app captures audio from your device microphone. Opus-encoded microphone audio is streamed to our servers via a secure WebSocket connection for server-side transcription.
• System audio: When you use the system audio capture feature (via ReplayKit broadcast extension), audio from other apps is transcribed.

Transcribed Text

The text transcript of your speech (or system audio) is sent to our backend servers for claim detection and fact-checking. This includes:

• Transcript segments with timestamps and language identification
• The selected country/region and language settings

Device Identifiers

• Device ID: A randomly generated UUID created on first launch, stored securely in the iOS Keychain. Used to associate your fact-checking sessions with your device.
• Device Token: A short-lived authentication token (JWT) issued by our server after App Attest verification. Stored in the iOS Keychain.
• App Attest Key: A cryptographic key generated in the Secure Enclave, used to prove device authenticity. The key ID is stored in the Keychain; the private key never leaves the Secure Enclave.

Coarse Location

Country/Region: You select a country/region in the app to determine which sources are used for fact-checking. This country code is sent to our servers. No GPS, IP-based geolocation, or precise location data is collected.

Usage Data

• Fact-checking results: Claims identified, verdicts, confidence scores, reasoning, and source citations returned by our fact-checking engine.
• Votes: If you upvote or downvote a fact-check result, your vote is sent to and stored on our servers, associated with your device ID.
• Wallet/Credits: Your credit balance and transaction history (credits earned via ad rewards or purchased) are stored on our servers, associated with your device ID.
• Language preference: Your selected app interface language (English, Spanish, or French) is stored locally on your device.

Advertising Data (Optional Rewarded Ads)

Esploro uses Google AdMob to optionally show rewarded video ads as one way to earn credits for fact-checking. Watching an ad is never required - credits can also be earned through other in-app options or purchased. Ads are currently served on iOS only.

• Tracking permission (App Tracking Transparency): Before showing you a personalized ad, we ask for permission via Apple's ATT system prompt (triggered from the "Personalized ads" toggle in Settings → Credits, never automatically at launch). If you grant permission, Google's AdMob SDK accesses your device's Advertising Identifier (IDFA) to select and deliver ads tailored to your interests, and this use counts as "tracking" under Apple's definition.
• If you deny or don't grant permission: Esploro only shows non-personalized ads. We do not access your IDFA. Google's SDK may still process basic, non-tracking identifiers (such as the vendor-scoped IDFV) for frequency capping, fraud prevention, and ad-delivery diagnostics - this is not linked to your IDFA and is not used to track you across other companies' apps or websites.
• GDPR / UK consent: For users in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland, Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) presents a consent form before any ad request is made, per the IAB Transparency & Consent Framework. Your consent choices are stored by Google and can be changed at any time from the consent form.
• Ad interaction data: Whether an ad was shown, whether you finished it, and (for rewarded ads) that a reward was earned are reported to our servers to credit your account. We do not receive your browsing activity or ad-click behavior from outside the app.
• You can revisit your choice: Once ATT is granted, iOS only allows disabling it from system Settings, not from within the app - Esploro's toggle will link you there if you want to turn personalized ads off.

Data We Do NOT Collect (Unless You Opt In to Personalized Ads)

• No personal identifiers: No name, email, phone number, or physical address.
• No precise location: No GPS coordinates or IP-based location tracking.
• No contacts: No access to your address book or contact list.
• No browsing history: No tracking of websites you visit.
• No photos: While photo library permission is declared, it is not used for data collection.
• No advertising identifiers unless you opt in: We do not access your IDFA unless you explicitly grant ATT permission to enable personalized ads (see Advertising Data above). If you never open Credits or never grant that permission, no advertising identifier is ever collected.

How We Use Your Information

• To provide fact-checking: Transcript text is analyzed to identify factual claims, which are then checked against published sources.
• To authenticate your device: App Attest proves your device is genuine without revealing personal information.
• To manage your credits: Track your credit balance for fact-checking usage, including credits earned by watching optional rewarded ads.
• To show ads (optional): If you choose to watch a rewarded ad, Google AdMob serves it - personalized if you've granted ATT permission, non-personalized otherwise - and reports completion back to us so we can credit your account.
• To improve our service: Aggregate, anonymized usage patterns may be analyzed to improve claim detection and fact-checking accuracy.
• To associate your sessions: Your device ID links your fact-checking history and credits to your device.

How We Store Your Information

On-Device Storage (Local)

• Fact-checking history: Past sessions (transcript, claims, verdicts, sources) are stored locally in an SQLite database (esploro.db) on your device. This data never leaves your device unless you explicitly delete it.
• Credentials: Device ID, device token, and App Attest key ID are stored in the iOS Keychain (SecureStore).
• Language preference: Your app interface language choice is stored locally.
• Live session snapshots: During an active recording, the app periodically saves your current transcript and claims to the local database for crash recovery.

Server-Side Storage

• Transcript text: Sent to our servers for processing during active fact-checking sessions.
• Fact-checking results: Claims, verdicts, and sources are stored on our servers, associated with your device ID.
• Device registration: Your device ID and App Attest key reference are stored on our servers for authentication.
• Votes: Your upvotes/downvotes are stored on our servers, associated with your device ID.

All server communication uses HTTPS/TLS encryption. API requests are authenticated with your device token.

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your data to third parties. Your data is shared only as follows:

• Our backend infrastructure: Transcript text and fact-checking requests are processed by our servers. Our fact-checking engine may query publicly available sources (news sites, reference materials) to verify claims.
• Google AdMob: If you choose to watch a rewarded ad, Google acts as our advertising SDK provider. If you've granted ATT permission, your IDFA is shared with Google's AdMob network to serve personalized ads; otherwise only non-tracking identifiers are shared for ad delivery and fraud prevention. See Google's own Privacy Policy for how they process this data.
• Service providers: We may use cloud hosting providers to operate our backend infrastructure. These providers process data on our behalf and are contractually obligated to protect it.
• Legal requirements: If required by law, court order, or government regulation, we may disclose your data, though we will challenge such requests where permitted.

Data Retention and Deletion

What We Keep

• Fact-checking sessions are retained on our servers associated with your device ID for as long as you use the service.
• Local history is stored on your device until you delete it.

Your Deletion Rights

You have full control over your data:

• Delete a single session: In the History detail screen, tap the delete button to remove a specific fact-checking session from both our servers and your device.
• Delete all data: In the app settings, "Delete my data" permanently deletes every fact-check this device created from our servers and wipes your local history. This action cannot be undone.

When you delete your data:

• All server-side fact-checking sessions associated with your device ID are permanently deleted.
• Your device registration and App Attest key reference are removed from our servers.
• Your local SQLite history database is cleared.
• Your Keychain credentials (device ID, device token, App Attest key ID) are deleted.

Children's Privacy

Esploro is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us so we can promptly delete it.

International Users

Esploro is available in English, Spanish, and French. If you are accessing the app from outside the region where our servers are located, please be aware that your data will be transferred to and processed on our servers in Europe. By using the app, you consent to this transfer.

Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your data:

• App Attest: Device authentication uses Apple's App Attest framework with the Secure Enclave, ensuring only genuine devices can access our API.
• TLS encryption: All network communication is encrypted via HTTPS/TLS.
• Keychain storage: Sensitive credentials are stored in the iOS Keychain, not in plain text.
• Short-lived tokens: Authentication tokens expire and are refreshed via App Attest re-verification.
• Advertising SDK: The app includes the Google Mobile Ads (AdMob) SDK to serve optional rewarded ads. It is the only third-party advertising or tracking SDK in the app, and it only accesses your IDFA if you've granted ATT permission.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy within the app or on our website. Your continued use of the app after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at:
Email: fases.paisano_97@icloud.com

Summary