Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

Who we are

Spoken (spoken.md) is operated by Stephan Kaag, registered in the Netherlands (KvK 42067203, BTW NL005469689B81). We are the data controller for the personal data described below. For questions about this policy or your data, contact support@spoken.md.

What data we collect

We collect the minimum data needed to provide the service:

API key — generated when you purchase credits. Stored as a SHA-256 hash for lookup purposes.
Email address and name — as you enter them at Stripe checkout. Stripe passes both back to us and we store them on your API key record, so we can send you your key and the service emails described below.
Credit balance and usage — the credits remaining on your key, and a record of which episodes that key has fetched and when. The usage record is what makes a repeat fetch free rather than charged twice, and it is what your account page shows you.
Cached transcripts — transcripts are cached to improve response times. These are podcast transcripts, not your personal data.

We do not collect addresses, phone numbers, or any other personal information beyond the above. Your card details never reach us — see Payment processing.

Payment processing

Payments are handled by Stripe. We do not store credit card numbers or payment details. Stripe processes your payment data under their own privacy policy.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics (GA4) to understand how visitors use the site. This collects anonymized usage data such as pages visited, referral source, and device type. You can opt out using a browser extension.

Cookies

Google Analytics sets cookies to distinguish unique visitors. We do not use cookies for advertising or tracking across other sites. The spoken.md API itself does not use cookies.

How we use your data

To authenticate API requests and track credit usage
To deliver your API key after purchase
To process payments via Stripe
To send the service emails described below
To understand site usage via analytics

We do not sell, share, or rent your data to third parties.

Emails we send

We send email to the address you gave at checkout. Some of it is transactional and some of it is not, so here is the full list:

Your API key, once, after your first purchase.
Credit warnings — when your balance runs low, and when it reaches zero.
New-episode alerts — when a show you have recently fetched from publishes a new episode. You are included in these by default, because fetching from a show is how we infer you follow it; you are not asked to opt in first.
Re-engagement and win-back email — occasional email if your key has sat idle with credits on it, or if your credits ran out and you have not topped up. This is marketing email. We would rather name it than claim we do not send any.

Opting out. The three kinds above each carry an unsubscribe link, and one click stops all three. You can also unsubscribe at any time at spoken.md/unsubscribe?key= followed by your API key, or by emailing support@spoken.md. Opting out does not stop the first two kinds — the delivery of a key you have paid for, and warnings about the balance on it — because those are account mail about a purchase, not promotion.

Data retention

Your API key, credit balance and usage record are retained as long as the key is active, because they are what the service runs on. Cached transcripts are retained indefinitely to improve performance; they contain podcast content, not personal data about you. You can request deletion of your personal data at any time — note that deleting the key record also destroys any credits remaining on it, so we will confirm with you before doing it.

Your rights (GDPR)

As we are based in the Netherlands, GDPR applies. You have the right to:

Access your personal data
Correct inaccurate data
Request deletion of your data
Export your data in a portable format
Object to processing

To exercise any of these rights, email support@spoken.md.

Changes

We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date.