Privacy Policy

The Commons Privacy Policy

Last updated September 7, 2026

The Commons helps communities capture conversations, generate transcripts and summaries, gather votes and rankings, and share clear outputs after a session. This Privacy Policy explains what information The Commons may collect, how it is used, when it is shared, and what choices are available to people who use the service.

1. Information The Commons may collect

Account and organization information

If you create an account, sign in as a host, request a demo, or are invited by an organization using The Commons, the service may collect information such as your name, email address, organization name, role, and related account details.

Session content

When a session uses recording or transcription features, The Commons may collect audio, transcript text, summaries, themes, votes, rankings, comments, prompts, and other content created during the session.

Participant check-ins and demographic information

Organizations may configure optional participant check-ins to understand who is present and who may be missing from a conversation. Depending on the session design, this may include non-sensitive demographic fields and, in some cases, protected or sensitive demographic categories. The exact fields collected depend on how the hosting organization configures the session.

Device, usage, and diagnostics information

The Commons may collect limited technical information needed to operate, secure, and improve the service, such as app version, device type, error logs, crash information, and related performance data. If analytics or diagnostics tools are enabled in a given release, those tools may collect interaction or diagnostic events consistent with this policy and the app's App Store privacy disclosure.

Optional nearby-room location

If you choose nearby-room search and allow location access, your device sends latitude and longitude to The Commons. These coordinates can be precise, depending on your device settings. The Commons sends them to OpenStreetMap's Nominatim service to resolve a city and state for finding organizations and sessions. You can instead enter a room code or choose a state and city without sharing device location. Network and service-provider logs may contain location requests.

Support and communications

If you contact The Commons for help, request deletion, or submit feedback, the service may collect the information you provide in that request and any follow-up communications related to it.

2. How information is used

  • To operate sessions, join people to the correct conversation, and produce transcripts, summaries, themes, votes, rankings, and related outputs.
  • To provide organizers and authorized participants with access to session results.
  • To maintain security, prevent misuse, troubleshoot issues, and monitor service reliability.
  • To respond to support requests, deletion requests, and other communications.
  • To improve service quality, workflows, facilitation tools, and product performance.
  • To comply with legal obligations and enforce applicable terms.

OpenAI processing

The Commons uses OpenAI's API for transcription and AI-assisted session preparation, ballots, themes, reports, and translations. Using these features sends the relevant audio, written or spoken host brief, supplied document content, transcript excerpts, report text, or follow-up instructions to OpenAI for processing. Live transcription can send audio directly from the device to OpenAI. Content you include may identify people.

OpenAI's handling of API content is governed by the applicable business terms and API data controls. See OpenAI's privacy policy and OpenAI API data controls. Account deletion in The Commons does not make a separate promise about deletion from provider logs, backups, or previously shared organization records.

3. Sharing and disclosure

The Commons does not sell personal information and is not designed around third-party advertising or cross-app tracking.

Information may be shared in the following situations:

  • With the hosting organization and authorized users. Session outputs may be available to the organization running the session and to participants or administrators the organization authorizes.
  • With service providers. The Commons may use vendors or subprocessors to host data, provide authentication, support transcription, generate summaries, monitor errors, or operate the service. Those providers are expected to process data only for approved service purposes.
  • For legal or safety reasons. Information may be disclosed if reasonably necessary to comply with law, protect rights, investigate abuse, or address security incidents.
  • In connection with a business transfer. If the service is reorganized, merged, or transferred, relevant information may be transferred as part of that transaction subject to applicable law.

4. Retention

Retention depends on the type of information and the hosting organization's handling of its session records.

  • Session audio is stored for transcription and session review. Account deletion does not automatically delete shared session audio.
  • Transcripts, summaries, votes, rankings, and other outputs may be retained for as long as needed to provide the service to the organization, unless deleted earlier.
  • Support records and technical logs may be retained for operational, security, and compliance purposes.

5. Choices, permissions, and deletion

The Commons may ask for access to device features such as the camera to scan QR codes and the microphone to record an authorized session. These permissions are requested only when relevant to the feature in use.

Where The Commons offers attribution settings, organizers may choose whether outputs are anonymous, grouped, or named. Optional demographic questions may also be omitted depending on the session configuration.

Signed-in users can confirm account deletion in the iOS app or on the account-deletion page using their current password. This removes account access, the account's contact details, organization memberships, saved demographic and sign-up profiles, and RSVPs. Completion is confirmed immediately in the app or on the page. A recovery request is also available for people who cannot access their account.

Account deletion does not erase shared session records. Existing recordings, transcripts, published reports, attendance, votes, and submitted session demographics remain with the hosting organization. The account profile is replaced by a deleted-account record; content shared during a session may still contain identifying information. Contact the hosting organization or The Commons with a request concerning retained session content.

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6. Children's privacy

The Commons is not intended to knowingly collect personal information from children in violation of applicable law. Organizations using The Commons are responsible for selecting age-appropriate sessions, obtaining any required participant notice or consent, and configuring the service in a lawful way for their audience.

7. Changes to this policy

The Commons may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect product changes, legal obligations, or operational updates. When this policy changes materially, the updated date at the top of the page will be revised.