Privacy Policy

LangKata is operated by Flaming Kangaroo. This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, who else sees it, and how to make us delete it. Flaming Kangaroo is the data controller for everything described here.

The short version: we collect what the app needs in order to give you articles and remember what you have read. We do not run advertising, we do not use tracking or analytics services, and we do not sell or share your data for anyone else’s marketing.

What we collect

From your Google account. When you sign in, Google tells us your account identifier, your email address and your name. We never see your Google password, and we ask Google for nothing beyond those three things.

What you tell the app. The language you speak, the language you are learning, how long you want articles to be, the text size you prefer, and the subjects you say you are interested in.

What you do as you read. For each article you mark as read aloud, we store its subject, its length in words, and the date. We also record when you skip an article and what it was about, and when you change your language or your interests. This is how the app knows your score, your streak and what to write about next, and how we tell whether what we are writing is worth reading.

What our own costs are.Each time the app generates an article or an explanation, we record which model was used, how much text went in and out, and what it cost us. This is what enforces the free tier’s daily and monthly limits.

In your browser. Articles themselves are stored in your browser, not on our servers, and are removed after thirty days. We set one cookie, which keeps you signed in. There are no advertising or tracking cookies, and no third-party scripts run on the site.

What we do not collect

• No advertising identifiers, tracking pixels or ad networks.
• No third-party analytics.
• No payment details — there is nothing to pay for yet.
• No recordings. The app asks you to read aloud, but nothing listens: no audio is captured, transmitted or stored, and the site never requests microphone access.

Why we are allowed to hold it

Where the UK or EU General Data Protection Regulation applies, our legal bases are: performance of a contract for your account, preferences and reading history, since the service does not function without them; and legitimate interests for the skip and cost records, which we use to keep the service working and to judge whether what it writes is any good. You can object to the second at any time using the contact form.

Who else sees it

These companies process data on our behalf, and only on our instructions. That is the complete list.

• Google. Sign-in. Google confirms who you are and tells us your account ID, email address and name.
• OpenAI. Writing articles and word explanations. Receives the subjects you ask to read about and the words you tap, never your name or email address.
• MongoDB Atlas. Stores the database described below.
• Vercel. Runs and serves the site.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for anyone else’s advertising. We would disclose data if the law required it of us.

Where it is held

Flaming Kangaroo operates from Canada, and the companies above may store or process data in the United States and elsewhere. Where we transfer personal data out of the UK or European Economic Area, we rely on the standard contractual clauses those providers offer.

How long we keep it

• Articles: in your browser only, and dropped after thirty days.
• Records of articles written: deleted about a month after the article, unless you marked it read.
• Your account, preferences and reading history: kept while your account exists, because the score and streak are the record of it. Deleted when you ask us to.

Your rights

You can ask us to show you what we hold, correct it, delete it, or send it to you in a portable form. If you are in the UK or the EEA you also have the right to restrict or object to processing. If you are in Canada, PIPEDA gives you rights of access and correction.

To exercise any of these, use the contact form. There is no self-service delete button in the app yet; we action requests by hand, and will do so within 30 days. Deleting your account removes your preferences, reading history, event records and account row. We will not charge you or make you justify the request.

If you think we have handled your data badly, you can complain to your local supervisory authority — the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, or your national data protection authority in the EEA.

Children

LangKata is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data. Where local law sets a higher age for consenting to online services — 16 in some EU countries — a parent or guardian must consent on the child’s behalf. If you believe a child has given us data, tell us through the contact form and we will delete it.

Security

The site is served only over HTTPS, sign-in is handled by Google so we never hold a password, and the database is not reachable from the public internet. No service can promise perfect security, and we do not.

Changes

If we change this policy we will update the date at the top of this page. If a change materially affects your rights, we will say so in the app rather than relying on you to check.

Contact

Flaming Kangaroo, operating LangKata. Privacy questions and requests go through the contact form. This policy is governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada.