Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 16, 2026

1. Introduction

Ragab Technologies ("we," "us," or "our") operates Heark (the "Service"), accessible at hearkapp.com and through our mobile applications. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Service. Please read this policy carefully. By using the Service, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect your email address and any profile information you choose to provide.

Usage Data

We automatically collect information about how you interact with the Service, including articles converted, playback preferences, and feature usage. This helps us improve the product.

Article Content

When you submit a URL or paste text for conversion, we process that content to generate audio. We retain the article text and generated audio in your library so you can access it later.

Payment Information

If you subscribe to a paid plan, payment processing is handled by our third-party payment processors (see Section 5). We do not store your full credit card number. We receive limited billing details (such as the last four digits and expiration date) for display purposes.

Device and Technical Information

When you use our mobile applications, we may collect device identifiers, device type, operating system version, app version, language preferences, and general location information (country or region level, not precise geolocation). This information is used for analytics, troubleshooting, and improving the Service.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes and legal bases:

  • To provide the Service (contract performance) — converting articles to audio, managing your account and library
  • To manage subscriptions and payments (contract performance) — processing transactions, sending receipts
  • To send transactional communications (contract performance) — welcome emails, subscription confirmations, renewal reminders
  • To improve and personalize the Service (legitimate interest) — analyzing usage patterns, optimizing features
  • To detect and prevent abuse or fraud (legitimate interest) — enforcing our Terms of Service, protecting users
  • To comply with legal obligations (legal obligation) — responding to lawful requests, tax record-keeping

4. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:

  • Service providers — third-party vendors that help us operate the Service (see Section 5 for a complete list)
  • Legal compliance — if required by law, regulation, or legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Ragab Technologies, our users, or others
  • Business transfers — in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, in which case your information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you of any such transfer and any choices you may have regarding your information

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that process your data:

  • Supabase — authentication, database, and file storage (stores account data, article content, and generated audio)
  • Stripe — payment processing for web subscriptions (processes payment card information)
  • RevenueCat — in-app purchase management for mobile subscriptions (processes purchase history, device identifiers, and subscription status)
  • ElevenLabs — text-to-speech audio generation (processes article text content to produce audio)
  • Google reCAPTCHA — spam and abuse prevention (processes device and interaction data)
  • PostHog — product analytics (processes usage events, device information, and anonymized interaction data)

Each of these services has its own privacy policy governing the data they process. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies. We enter into data processing agreements with our service providers where required by applicable law.

6. Data Retention

We retain your data according to the following schedule:

  • Account data — retained for as long as your account is active, plus 30 days after account deletion
  • Article content and generated audio — retained for as long as your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account deletion
  • Payment records — retained for up to 7 years after the transaction as required by tax and financial regulations
  • Analytics data — retained in anonymized/aggregated form. Identifiable analytics data is deleted within 90 days
  • Server logs — retained for up to 90 days for security and troubleshooting purposes

If you delete your account, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or as specified above.

7. International Data Transfers

The Service is operated from the United States. If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where our servers and service providers are located.

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we rely on the following mechanisms to transfer your data to the United States: (a) Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, as incorporated into our agreements with service providers; and (b) your explicit consent to the transfer as provided when you create an account and accept these terms.

8. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate data
  • Request deletion of your data
  • Export your data in a portable format (including your article library and generated audio files in standard formats)
  • Object to or restrict certain processing
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
  • Lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority in your jurisdiction

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@hearkapp.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days (or sooner if required by applicable law).

10. Additional Rights for EEA, UK, and Swiss Users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have the following additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or equivalent legislation:

  • Legal basis for processing: We process your personal data on the legal bases described in Section 3 (contract performance, legitimate interest, legal obligation, or consent).
  • Right to data portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format (JSON or CSV for account and library data; MP3 for generated audio files).
  • Right to erasure: You have the right to request deletion of your personal data, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain records.
  • Right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we restrict processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
  • Right to object: You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests. We will cease processing unless we demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests.
  • Supervisory authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Ragab Technologies acts as the data controller for personal data collected through the Service. For GDPR-related inquiries, contact us at hello@hearkapp.com.

11. Additional Rights for California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provide you with additional rights regarding your personal information.

Categories of Personal Information Collected

In the preceding 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information:

  • Identifiers — email address, account name, device identifiers
  • Commercial information — subscription and purchase history
  • Internet or electronic network activity — usage data, browsing history within the Service, interaction with features
  • Geolocation data — approximate location (country or region level only)

Sale and Sharing of Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes. We have not sold or shared personal information in the preceding 12 months.

Your California Privacy Rights

As a California resident, you have the right to:

  • Know — request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected, the sources, the purposes, and the third parties with whom we share it
  • Delete — request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
  • Correct — request correction of inaccurate personal information
  • Non-discrimination — we will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights

To submit a request, email us at hello@hearkapp.com with the subject line "California Privacy Request." We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days.

12. Cookies

We use essential cookies for authentication and session management. We also use analytics cookies (PostHog) to understand how users interact with the Service. You can disable non-essential cookies in your browser settings.

13. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at hello@hearkapp.com.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page, updating the "Last updated" date, and sending notice via email for material changes that affect how we use or share your personal data. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at hello@hearkapp.com.

Ragab Technologies
Operating as Heark
215 N Payne St, STE 33961
Alexandria, VA 22314