Privacy Policy — Sudamate

1. Who we are

Sudamate is a Korean conversation-practice app operated by Dodamverse, based in Hong Kong (“Sudamate,” “we,” “us”). For data-protection purposes, Dodamverse is the data controller. This policy explains what we collect when you use the Sudamate iOS app or the web app at app.sudamate.com, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have. You can reach us any time at admin@sudamate.com.

2. What we collect

We collect only what we need to give you a working tutor:

Account. Your email and display name from your Google or Apple sign-in. We do not receive your password.
Profile. Information you choose to share in onboarding or Settings (display name, pronouns, birthday, location, timezone, profession, industry, Korean level, motivation, and topics).
Voice recordings. Audio captured during a practice session, stored privately in your account so you can replay it.
Conversation transcripts. The Korean and English text the AI tutor produces and what we transcribe from your speech.
Pronunciation and fluency scores. Per-sentence and per-session scoring derived from your audio.
Call schedule (iOS only). Your chosen weekly practice slot. We store this with your account so it syncs across devices, and your device uses it to schedule local reminder notifications.
Usage analytics. Events about how you use the app (screens viewed, features used, app version, device type) so we can fix bugs and prioritize work. These events are linked to your account identifier and email — they are not anonymous.
Technical data. Basic information your device and browser send automatically when you connect, such as IP address and approximate region, used for security and to keep the service running.

3. How we use it and our legal basis

To run live voice conversations and return tutor responses.
To compute pronunciation, grammar, and fluency feedback.
To remember your settings and past sessions across devices.
To improve the product — bug fixes, usability, reliability.
To send the call-schedule reminders you opted into (local notifications only; no server-side push).
To keep the service secure and to comply with our legal obligations.

For users in the EU/UK, our legal bases are: performance of our contract with you (running the tutor, saving your sessions); our legitimate interests (keeping the service secure, fixing bugs, understanding usage); and your consent where we ask for it (for example, optional analytics cookies). Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

We do notsell your data, show third-party ads, or use your voice recordings to train other companies’ models.

4. Service providers

We rely on trusted third-party providers to operate the service. They process your data only on our instructions, under contract, and only for the purposes below — not for their own purposes. We use providers for:

Cloud hosting, databases, and file storage.
Account sign-in and authentication.
Real-time AI voice conversation.
Speech recognition and pronunciation/fluency scoring.
AI text generation for grammar feedback and session recaps.
Product and website analytics.
Contextual features (for example, looking up local weather from the city in your profile).

We do not share your personal data with third parties for their own marketing.

5. International transfers

We and our service providers operate globally, so your data — including audio, transcripts, and analytics — may be processed in countries outside where you live, including the United States, the EU, and Asia. Where data leaves a region with data-transfer rules (such as the EU/UK), we rely on appropriate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses, to protect it.

6. Cookies and similar technologies

Our web app uses essential cookies to keep you signed in; these cannot be turned off without breaking sign-in. Our website and apps also use analytics technologies (including a tag manager and analytics cookies) to understand usage. Where required by law, we ask for your consent before setting non-essential cookies, and you can change your browser settings to block or delete cookies.

7. Where data lives and how long we keep it

Account, profile, session, transcript, score, and audio data is retained as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we immediately delete your records across our database in a single cascade and remove your audio from storage. Analytics events are retained for a limited period under our analytics provider’s default retention policy. We may keep limited records for longer where the law requires it.

8. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you have rights over your personal data. You can exercise most of them directly in the Settings tab, or by emailing admin@sudamate.com. We will not discriminate against you for exercising them.

Hong Kong (PDPO). You may request access to, and correction of, the personal data we hold about you.
Taiwan (PDPA). You may inquire about, review, copy, correct, or delete your data, and ask us to stop collecting, processing, or using it.
United States (incl. California).You may request to know, delete, or correct your personal information, and opt out of any “sale” or “sharing” — though we do not sell or share your personal information.
EU/UK (GDPR). You have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection, the right to withdraw consent, and the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority (in the UK, the ICO).

9. Your choices

Access and edit. Open the Settings tab to view or change any profile field.
Delete your account. Settings tab → Delete account. This is immediate and permanent.
Disable notifications. iOS Settings → Sudamate → Notifications.
Email us. Privacy questions: admin@sudamate.com.

10. Voice data

We process your voice recordings only to power the conversation, to generate pronunciation and fluency feedback, and so you can replay your own sessions. We do not use your voice for biometric identification, to build a voiceprint, or to recognize you across services.

11. Security

We protect your data with encryption in transit, access controls, and row-level security so that you can only access your own recordings and sessions. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to keep your data safe and will notify you and the relevant authorities of a breach where the law requires.

12. Children

Sudamate is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect data from them. In some regions a higher minimum age applies for consent to data processing. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.

13. Changes

When we update this policy we will revise the effective date above. Material changes will be highlighted on the page for at least 30 days.

14. Contact

Dodamverse, the operator of Sudamate, can be reached at admin@sudamate.com. If you are in Hong Kong and are not satisfied with our response, you may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD).