🛡️ MacTalk is designed to be completely private. All speech processing happens locally on your device using Apple's Core ML framework. We don't collect, store, or transmit any personal data.
📊 Data We Collect
Personal Data
We do NOT collect any personal data.
- No recordings are saved
- No transcriptions are transmitted
- No usage analytics are collected
- No user accounts or registration required
- No tracking or cookies
Technical Data
For the app to function, it may access:
- Microphone: Required for audio recording (processed locally only)
- Accessibility API: Required for Globe key detection and text insertion
- Automation API: Required for terminal app support
- Clipboard: Accessed to preserve content during transcription (not transmitted)
💾 Data Storage
Audio Recordings
No recordings are stored. Audio is processed in real-time using Core ML and discarded immediately after transcription.
Transcription Results
No transcriptions are stored or transmitted. The transcribed text is inserted directly into the active application and not saved by MacTalk.
Cache and Models
MacTalk uses WhisperKit, which:
- Downloads ML models on first launch (~100MB)
- Caches models in your Mac's system cache directory
- All caching is handled by Apple's system frameworks
- No data is stored in third-party servers
🔌 Third-Party Services
Speech Recognition
MacTalk uses WhisperKit, an open-source library from argmaxinc that:
- Uses Apple's Core ML framework for inference
- Processes audio entirely on your device
- Does not send audio to external servers
- Does not collect or store data
External Communication
MacTalk does NOT communicate with external servers for transcription.
The app may:
- Check for App Store updates (handled by macOS automatically)
- No network connection required for transcription
- No telemetry or analytics services used
🔐 Permissions
MacTalk requires these permissions to function:
Microphone Access
Required for recording audio.
- Audio is processed locally and never transmitted
- You can revoke this permission at any time
- Without it, MacTalk cannot record voice
Accessibility Access
Required for Globe key detection and text insertion.
- Allows MacTalk to detect keyboard events
- Enables automatic text insertion at cursor
- Optional: You can use MacTalk from menu bar without it
Automation Access (Terminal Support)
Required for pasting into terminal apps.
- Allows MacTalk to send keystrokes to terminal
- Required for iTerm2, Terminal, Ghostty, etc.
- Optional: Only needed if you use terminal apps
Clipboard Access
Required for clipboard preservation feature.
- MacTalk saves clipboard before transcription
- Restores clipboard after transcription completes
- Clipboard data is never transmitted externally
- This preserves images, files, and text you've copied
🔗 Data Sharing
We Do NOT Share Your Data
MacTalk does not share any data with third parties.
- No data is sold or rented
- No data is shared with advertisers
- No data is shared with analytics providers
- No data is shared with other companies
App Store Distribution
MacTalk is distributed through the Mac App Store, which:
- Requires Apple's privacy policies for distribution
- Does NOT give Apple access to your data
- App Store itself may have separate policies (see Apple's documentation)
👶 Children's Privacy
Our Commitment
MacTalk is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect any personally identifiable information from children under 13.
No Accounts Required
Since MacTalk does not require user registration or accounts, we have no way to collect or store any information from users of any age.
🔒 Security
Local Processing
By processing all audio locally on your Mac, we:
- Eliminate network transmission risks
- Protect your voice from unauthorized access
- Ensure your data never leaves your device
- Leverage Apple's built-in security frameworks
App Store Code Signing
MacTalk is:
- Code-signed by Apple's Mac App Store process
- Verified for security and integrity
- Protected from tampering or modification
Sandbox Compliance
MacTalk operates within macOS's app sandbox, which:
- Restricts access to system resources
- Prevents unauthorized data access
- Ensures the app can only access what you explicitly permit
📝 Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect:
- Changes in our app's functionality
- New privacy features or protections
- Updates to our commitment to user privacy
- Compliance with applicable laws and regulations
Notification of Changes
Significant changes will be:
- Reflected in the App Store app description
- Noted in the app's update changelog
- Updated on this privacy policy page with a new date
Last Updated: January 2025