iSpeak Translation API — Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy describes how Silver, Inc. ("Silver Inc," "we," "us") collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use the iSpeak Translation API (the "Service") at silverfamilytree.com/api/v1/ or the public demo at pajhlub-audio.html.

  Plain-language summary: We collect the email you sign up with, the text you send for translation, your IP address (for abuse prevention), and your payment info (if you're a paying customer — held by Stripe, not us). We use it to run the Service, prevent abuse, and bill you. We do not sell your data. We cache popular translations to speed things up.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account information

Email address — provided at signup; we send a verification link before issuing your API key
Optional metadata — organization name, site name, billing email (Pro/Enterprise/Nonprofit tiers)

2.2 API usage data

Text submitted for translation — stored temporarily to perform the translation, and cached in our database to speed up future requests for the same text
Translation output — cached for the same purpose
Audio requests — the text submitted to the Hmong TTS endpoint and the audio returned
Request metadata — timestamps, character counts, source/target language, response latency
API key identifier — the hashed key used for each request

2.3 Technical information

IP address — captured for rate limiting, fraud prevention, and to comply with sanctions/export rules. We extract real client IP from the Cloudflare CF-Connecting-IP header.
Request headers — User-Agent and similar standard HTTP headers

2.4 Payment information

If you subscribe to a paid tier or buy a one-time setup, Stripe, Inc. processes your payment. We do not see or store your full card number, CVV, or expiration. Stripe gives us only a payment-method identifier and a customer ID, which we link to your iSpeak account so we can manage your subscription.

2.5 What we do NOT collect

Government ID numbers (SSN, driver's license, passport, etc.)
Biometric data
Browsing history outside the Service
Location data beyond what's inferred from IP for abuse prevention
Cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking

3. How We Use Information

Purpose	Data used	Legal basis (EU/UK)
Deliver the translation Service	Submitted text, language pair, API key	Contract performance
Cache results to speed up the Service	Submitted text + translation output	Legitimate interest
Enforce quotas and bill subscriptions	API key, usage counters, billing email	Contract performance
Prevent abuse (rate limit, fraud, scraping)	IP address, request patterns, API key	Legitimate interest
Send transactional emails (verification, receipts, suspension notices)	Email address	Contract performance
Comply with law and respond to legal process	Whatever a valid court order requires	Legal obligation

We do not use your translation content to train AI models. We do not sell your data to advertisers.

4. Third-Party Service Providers

The Service relies on these third parties, each with their own privacy policies:

Provider	What they receive	Privacy policy
Google Cloud (Translation API)	The text you submit for translation	link
Stripe, Inc.	Payment card details + billing email	link
Hostinger (SMTP / hosting)	Email addresses for transactional mail	link
Cloudflare	IP address + request metadata for DDoS protection	link

Google Cloud Translation processes your submitted text per Google's terms; Google states that data submitted via Translation API is not retained beyond the request and is not used to train Google's own models. We rely on this as a contractual commitment from Google.

5. Data Retention

Data type	Retention
Account email + API key	Until you delete your account, then 30 days for backup expiry
Cached translations	Indefinite (cache content is text-only and not tied to individual identity)
API request logs	90 days, then anonymized for aggregate analytics
Billing records	7 years (US tax requirement)
Suspended-account audit log	3 years (for fraud-pattern detection)

6. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights:

Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Correction: Ask us to fix inaccurate information
Deletion: Ask us to delete your account and associated data (subject to legal retention obligations like billing records)
Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interest
Withdraw consent: If processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, email admin@silverfamilytree.com. We will respond within 30 days.

7. International Data Transfers

Silver, Inc. is based in Minnesota, USA. The Service runs on infrastructure in the United States. If you are accessing the Service from the European Union, United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions with cross-border data transfer rules, your data is being transferred to the US. We rely on the contractual safeguards of our third-party providers (Google Cloud, Stripe, Cloudflare) which include Standard Contractual Clauses for EU-to-US transfers.

8. Security

We protect your information using:

HTTPS / TLS 1.2+ for all API and web traffic (enforced by Cloudflare)
Bearer-token API key authentication; keys are stored hashed in our database
Cloudflare DDoS protection and Web Application Firewall
Per-IP and per-key rate limiting at both nginx and application layers
Bcrypt password hashing for related Silver Family Tree accounts
Operating system patching, principle of least privilege on the VPS, and restricted SSH access

No system is perfectly secure. If we become aware of a breach affecting your data, we will notify you and any required authorities promptly.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If we learn we have collected such information, we will delete it. If you believe a child has provided us their information, please email admin@silverfamilytree.com.

10. Cookies and Tracking

The iSpeak demo page (pajhlub-audio.html) does not set tracking cookies. We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or similar third-party tracking on our marketing pages. Cloudflare may set a single security cookie (__cf_bm) to distinguish humans from bots; you can clear this at any time.

11. California (CCPA/CPRA)

California residents have the rights described in §6 above, plus the right to know what categories of personal information we collect and the right to opt out of any "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced via email to your account address at least 30 days before they take effect. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page always reflects the most recent revision.

13. Contact

Privacy questions, data requests, or concerns:

Email: admin@silverfamilytree.com
Company: Silver, Inc., Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

Template notice: This document is a starting template provided to launch the Service. Before broad public launch, Silver, Inc. should have this Privacy Policy reviewed by qualified privacy counsel for compliance with GDPR (EU/UK), CCPA/CPRA (California), and any other applicable privacy law. This template does not constitute legal advice.