Privacy Policy

Introduction

Mars Venture Labs LLC ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information when you use our Audio Monk mobile application ("the App"). Audio Monk turns books, PDFs, documents, and photographed pages into podcast-style narrated audio. Please read this policy carefully. By using the App, you consent to the practices described here.

Our Privacy Approach (Local-First)

Audio Monk is designed to be local-first and account-free. You do not create an account, and we do not run servers that store your library. The books you add, the audio we generate, and your listening progress are kept on your device, and — only if you choose to enable it — in your own private iCloud. We do not have access to your iCloud data.

Your content leaves your device in one situation: to generate narration, the App sends the text of the pages you choose to listen to (and, for scanned or photographed pages, the page image so its text can be read) to third-party AI services that produce the script and the spoken audio. This is described in detail below.

Separately, because Audio Monk offers a free, ad-supported tier, a limited amount of device and usage data is processed by our advertising and analytics partners (for example, to serve and measure ads and to understand aggregate feature usage). This is not your book content, and it is described in the Advertising and Analytics sections below.

Information We Collect

Content You Provide

To provide the core functionality of the App, the App stores on your device:

• Documents and PDFs you import, and pages you capture with the camera
• Book titles you set or edit
• The narration audio the App generates for you

Listening Activity

• Your reading position and progress within each book
• App preferences and settings

Device Information

The App may use basic device information — such as your device model, operating system version, and app version — for compatibility and troubleshooting.

Advertising & Measurement Data

Because we offer a free, ad-supported tier and measure our advertising, our advertising and analytics partners may process:

• Your device Advertising Identifier (IDFA) — only if you grant permission through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt
• Device and technical identifiers, general (coarse) location derived from IP address, and ad-interaction and app-event data used to serve ads and measure ad-campaign performance

What We Do Not Collect

Because Audio Monk has no account system, we do not collect your name, email address, password, or contacts, and we do not collect precise GPS location. We do not use your device Advertising Identifier for cross-app tracking unless you explicitly allow it via the App Tracking Transparency prompt; if you decline, ads are served in a non-personalized manner.

How Your Audio Is Generated (Third-Party AI Processing)

This is the most important thing to understand about how Audio Monk handles your content. To create narration, the App sends the text of the pages you choose to listen to — and, for scanned or photographed pages, the page image so its text can be read — to third-party cloud AI services. We route requests through the following sub-processors:

• Cloudflare, Inc. — operates the secure proxy endpoint that receives the page text and forwards it to the language model (privacy policy)
• DeepInfra, Inc. — runs the large language model that writes the conversational narration script (privacy policy)
• Microsoft — provides the online text-to-speech voices that synthesize the spoken audio; for some voices, synthesis is performed entirely on your device and no text is sent for that step (privacy statement)

This processing is transient: your content is transmitted only to produce your audio. We do not use it to build a profile of you or to identify you, and we do not store your documents on our own servers. These providers process the data under their own privacy and security terms. You should only submit content that you own or are otherwise authorized to process — see our Terms of Use. Because AI-generated narration can contain errors or omissions, it should not be relied upon as a substitute for reading the original material.

Camera

The App uses your camera only when you choose to scan a book or printed page. Captured images are processed to read the page text and generate audio, and are saved on your device as part of that book (and in your iCloud if backup is enabled). The App does not access your photo library and does not upload your camera roll.

iCloud Backup (Optional)

If you enable iCloud Backup in the App, your library — copies of your book files, generated audio, cover thumbnails, and progress — is stored in your private iCloud container, managed by Apple under your Apple ID. We do not have access to the contents of your iCloud. You can turn backup off at any time, and you can remove the backed-up data from within the App or from iCloud settings.

Notifications (Optional)

If you opt in, the App can send you a daily listening reminder at a time you choose. Notifications are entirely optional and can be disabled at any time in the App or in your device Settings.

Subscriptions and Payments

Audio Monk offers an optional premium subscription (for example, Monthly and Yearly plans). All payment processing is handled by Apple through the App Store. We do not collect, store, or have access to your payment information (credit card numbers, etc.).

We receive from Apple only:

• Confirmation of your subscription status
• Subscription expiration dates
• Transaction identifiers

Prices may vary by region. Actual prices will be displayed in your local currency in the App Store.

Advertising

Audio Monk offers a free tier supported by rewarded video ads (which you choose to watch to unlock additional pages). Premium subscribers do not see ads. Ads are served through Google AdMob. To limit the content of ads shown, we request that the ad network serve only ads rated for a general audience.

App Tracking Transparency (ATT). If you grant permission via Apple's ATT prompt, your device Advertising Identifier (IDFA) may be used to personalize ads and measure their performance. If you decline, ads are shown in a non-personalized manner. You can change this choice at any time in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.

EU/UK consent. In the European Economic Area, the UK, and Switzerland, we present a consent request through Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) before serving ads, in line with GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive.

Advertising & Analytics Partners

We work with the following third parties, which act as independent controllers or processors of the limited device/usage data described above. Each is governed by its own privacy policy:

• Google AdMob & Google Analytics for Firebase — ad serving, app analytics, and remote configuration (Google Privacy Policy)
• Meta Platforms, Inc. (Facebook) — measuring the performance of our advertising campaigns (ad attribution) (Meta Privacy Policy)
• TikTok / ByteDance — measuring the performance of our advertising campaigns (ad attribution). This integration may be inactive at launch and enabled later; when enabled it processes data as described here (TikTok Privacy Policy)

These partners may receive device identifiers, IP-derived coarse location, and ad/app-event data for the purposes above. Where ATT permission is not granted, we instruct these SDKs not to use the IDFA for tracking.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics for Firebase to understand aggregate, app-level usage (for example, which features are used and where the app crashes) so we can improve Audio Monk. This helps us maintain and improve the App and is not used to build an advertising profile of you. Apple may also provide us with aggregate, anonymized crash and usage statistics through App Analytics if you have enabled "Share With App Developers" in your device settings.

How We Use Information

We use the limited information described above to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the App
• Generate the narration audio you request
• Serve and measure ads on the free tier, and attribute app installs to our ad campaigns
• Process subscription purchases (via Apple)
• Send listening reminders (only with your permission)
• Respond to your support requests
• Maintain the security and reliability of the App

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as necessary to operate the App:

• AI narration providers (Cloudflare, DeepInfra, Microsoft) — to generate the narration script and synthesize speech from the pages you choose to listen to
• Advertising & analytics partners (Google AdMob, Google Analytics for Firebase, Meta, and TikTok) — to serve and measure ads on the free tier and to understand aggregate app usage, as described in the Advertising and Analytics sections above
• Apple — for app distribution, in-app payments, push notifications, and (if enabled) iCloud storage

We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, or government request, or to protect our rights, safety, or property.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL) when content is sent for narration
• Storage within the App's protected on-device sandbox
• iCloud storage secured by Apple under your Apple ID

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

Your books, audio, and progress remain on your device until you delete them — you can remove individual books or clear everything from the App's settings. If iCloud Backup is enabled, your data remains in your iCloud until you remove it or disable backup. We do not retain copies of your documents or audio on our own servers.

Your Rights and Choices

You are in control of your data:

• Delete: Remove individual books or your entire library from within the App
• Permissions: Manage camera and notification access in your device Settings at any time
• Backup: Enable or disable iCloud Backup whenever you like
• Requests: Contact us with any privacy questions or requests

To exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected].

Children's Privacy

Audio Monk is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us information, please contact us and we will take steps to address it.

International Data Transfers

When content is sent for narration, it may be processed by our AI providers and by Apple in the United States and other countries, which may have different data protection laws than your own. By using the App, you consent to such transfers.

California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information is collected and to request deletion. We do not sell personal information.

For Users in the European Union (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the rights to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and to object to processing.

Legal Basis for Processing

• Contract / legitimate interest: Providing the narration and core app functionality you request
• Consent: Sending notifications, and personalized advertising / use of your Advertising Identifier (collected via the ATT and EU consent prompts, which you can withdraw at any time)
• Legitimate interest: Maintaining security and reliability of the App

To exercise your rights, contact us at [email protected]. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the new policy here and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: marsventurelabs.com/support