Effective Date: May 18, 2026  ·  Last Updated: May 18, 2026

HarkNote ("the App") is developed and operated by CTK Advisors LLC ("we," "us," or "our"). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use HarkNote. By using the App, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Important: Recording Consent Notice

HarkNote is an audio recording and transcription tool. YOU are the data controller for any recordings you make. Recording laws vary significantly by jurisdiction:

• United States: Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 2511) permits one-party consent recording. However, twelve states require all-party consent, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Violations may constitute a felony.
• European Union / EEA: Under the GDPR, recording individuals requires a lawful basis (typically consent under Article 6(1)(a)) and may require explicit notice under Article 13.
• Canada: The Criminal Code (s. 184) permits one-party consent recording, but provincial privacy legislation may impose additional obligations.
• Other jurisdictions: Many countries have specific wiretapping, eavesdropping, or data protection laws that govern audio recording.

It is your sole responsibility to determine which recording-consent laws apply, obtain all required consents from all parties before recording, provide any required notices, and comply with all applicable local, state, national, and international laws regarding audio recording and surveillance.

We provide no legal advice and make no representations regarding the legality of any specific recording. We expressly disclaim any liability arising from your failure to comply with applicable recording laws. We recommend you inform all participants when a recording is active, obtain consent before recording, and consult a qualified attorney if uncertain.

2. Data We Collect

2.1 Audio Recordings

When you initiate a recording, the App captures audio via your device microphone. Audio files are stored locally on your device.

2.2 Transcripts

Audio is transcribed entirely on-device using the WhisperKit speech-recognition engine. Transcripts are stored locally alongside their source recordings.

2.3 Meeting Metadata

If you grant calendar access, the App reads upcoming calendar events to associate recordings with meetings. The App never creates, modifies, or deletes calendar events.

2.4 App Preferences

We store your settings (e.g., selected transcription model, theme) using on-device UserDefaults.

2.5 Data We Do NOT Collect

• No analytics or telemetry
• No crash reports transmitted to us or any third party
• No advertising identifiers
• No personal information transmitted to any server in the default configuration
• No tracking of any kind

3. On-Device Processing

All audio processing, transcription, speaker identification, and summarization occur entirely on your device. No audio, transcript, or personal information is transmitted to our servers or any third-party server in the App's default configuration. The App uses:

• WhisperKit (Argmax, Inc.; MIT-licensed) for on-device speech-to-text via Apple Core ML and the Apple Neural Engine.
• On-device summarization and Q&A — Apple's on-device Foundation Models (Apple Intelligence) on supported devices and OS versions; otherwise a built-in deterministic keyword/sentence heuristic. No language model is downloaded by the App, and no transcript or audio is sent off-device in either case.
• Apple Core ML for on-device speaker-embedding extraction (speaker identification).

None of this processing transmits your data off-device.

4. iCloud Sync (Opt-In)

If you are signed into iCloud and have enabled it for HarkNote, the App may sync recording metadata (via CloudKit private database) and audio files (via your iCloud Drive container). This is governed by Apple's iCloud Terms and Privacy Policy; data is encrypted in transit and at rest by Apple. We do not have access to your iCloud data. You may disable iCloud sync at any time in iOS Settings.

5. Data Storage and Security

All data is stored on-device using iOS sandboxed storage and Apple SwiftData. We rely on iOS platform security — hardware encryption, Data Protection, and the Secure Enclave — which encrypts app data at rest when the device is locked.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

Recordings and transcripts persist until you delete them within the App. Deleting a recording removes the audio file, transcript, and all associated metadata. Uninstalling the App removes all locally stored data. iCloud-synced data may be deleted via iOS Settings. We retain no copies of your data on any server.

7. Third-Party Services

The App integrates no third-party analytics, advertising, or tracking services. The only third-party dependency is WhisperKit, which operates entirely on-device. Future versions may offer optional cloud processing; any such feature will be strictly opt-in, clearly disclosed, and will not activate without your explicit consent.

8. Children's Privacy

HarkNote is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

9. Your Rights

Since all data resides on your device, you exercise access, deletion, restriction, and portability rights directly: audio files are standard .wav, accessible via the Files app, and any recording can be deleted at any time without contacting us.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be presented in-app with a new consent prompt. Continued use after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

CTK Advisors LLC
Email: privacy@harknote.app

12. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Disputes shall be resolved in the courts of Travis County, Texas.

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By using HarkNote, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy, including your obligation to comply with all applicable recording-consent laws.