Privacy Policy & Cookies

MyAutoSound ("we", "us", "our") is an online vehicle sound diagnostic service operated by an individual based in Québec, Canada. Contact us at myautosoundcontact@gmail.com.

This Privacy Policy applies to our website, progressive web app, and all related features (the "Service").

• Account information such as email address, account identifiers, authentication provider information, and basic profile metadata when you sign in or create an account through Firebase Authentication or similar systems.
• Usage data such as pages viewed, approximate device and browser information, server logs, and technical diagnostics. Analytics may be collected through third-party services such as Google Analytics, only where applicable and subject to your cookie choices.
• Vehicle information you enter, such as make, model, year, mileage, transmission, fuel type, warning lights, notes, and other diagnostic form inputs.
• Audio files and recordings that you upload or record for diagnosis, including metadata such as duration, file type, and technical processing data. These files are sent to our AI processing partner (OpenAI) — see the Audio & AI processing section.
• AI diagnostic inputs and outputs, including structured form data, transcript text, sound classifications, generated reports, and history entries associated with your account.
• Credits and billing-related data, such as credit balance, credit usage, unlock actions, purchased package identifiers, transaction references, payment status, and related account history.
• Contribution uploads submitted through any "earn credit" or contributor workflow, including uploaded files, descriptions, consent flags, moderation status, anti-abuse metadata, and storage references.
• Location data only if you choose to use location-based features such as "Find garages near me" and grant permission in your browser or device.
• Feedback and support communications, such as message content, optional email addresses, and support requests.
• Local storage data on your device, including saved drafts, preferences, local UI state, vehicle settings, cookie choices, and other browser-stored items.

• To provide the Service, including free and paid diagnostic features.
• To create and manage your account, keep you signed in, and secure access to account-only features.
• To process and display diagnostic results, PDF outputs, premium unlocks, and account history.
• To transmit your inputs and audio to AI processing services (OpenAI) in order to generate diagnostic results.
• To manage credits, purchases, unlock consumption, and fraud-prevention controls.
• To process contribution uploads, moderation decisions, contributor status, and related credits.
• To improve product quality, debugging, security, anti-abuse systems, and performance.
• To provide analytics and aggregate usage insights, subject to your consent choices where required.
• To communicate with you about support, feedback, service issues, account matters, or transaction-related events.

We operate from Québec, Canada and are subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Québec's Act to Modernize the Legislative Provisions Respecting the Protection of Personal Information (Law 25). Where users are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we also recognize applicable GDPR obligations.

• Performance of a contract / service provision: to provide account features, diagnostics, credits, paid unlocks, and transaction-related services you request.
• Consent: analytics cookies, device location, contributor consent, audio processing authorization, and optional contact or feedback follow-up where applicable.
• Legitimate interests: fraud prevention, abuse detection, security monitoring, diagnostics, debugging, and service improvement.
• Legal obligations: compliance with applicable laws, lawful requests, or accounting and recordkeeping requirements.

• OpenAI — When you submit a text description, structured form inputs, or an audio recording for diagnosis, that data is sent to OpenAI's API (including Whisper for audio transcription and GPT models for analysis). OpenAI processes your inputs on their servers, which may be located in the United States. Their processing is governed by OpenAI's Privacy Policy. We do not control OpenAI's data handling beyond what our API agreement specifies.
• Firebase / Google Cloud is used for authentication, Firestore database, file storage, and related backend infrastructure.
• Stripe or other payment processors may process payments, checkout sessions, and transaction verification. We do not store full card details on our own servers.
• Hosting and backend providers may process technical data needed to run the site and backend services (e.g., Render for backend hosting).
• Google services may be used for Maps, Places, Analytics, or related functionality, depending on the feature you use.
• OpenStreetMap / Nominatim / Overpass may be used to enrich addresses or map results where applicable.
• Email or support tools may process contact or feedback requests.
• We may disclose data if required by law, legal process, or to protect our rights, users, or systems.
• We do not sell your personal data.

When you use the audio diagnostic feature (live recording or file upload), the following happens:

• Your audio file is transmitted over an encrypted connection to our backend server.
• The file is then sent to OpenAI's Whisper API for transcription and/or audio analysis, and to OpenAI's GPT models for diagnostic interpretation.
• The audio file is deleted from our server immediately after processing, whether the request succeeds or fails.
• OpenAI may retain API inputs according to their own data policies. We recommend reviewing OpenAI's Privacy Policy.
• Audio submitted through the contribution workflow (earn credits) is stored separately with your explicit consent for training or review purposes, as disclosed at the time of submission.

By using the audio feature, you consent to this processing.

• Account information is retained for as long as your account remains active and for a reasonable period afterward where needed for security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, or internal recordkeeping.
• Diagnostic history, profile data, and related records may be retained for as long as needed to operate the Service, provide account history, investigate issues, and prevent abuse — unless deleted earlier or subject to legal obligations.
• Audio files submitted for diagnosis are deleted immediately after processing. They are not stored on our servers beyond the time required to complete the diagnosis request.
• Contribution audio files are retained in storage for as long as needed for moderation, training use (with your consent), and anti-abuse controls.
• Billing and transaction records may be retained as required for accounting, fraud prevention, audit, or legal compliance.
• Analytics data is retained according to the applicable provider's settings.
• Local drafts and browser-stored items remain on your device until you clear them or your browser removes them.

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or port personal information we hold about you. Under Quebec Law 25 and PIPEDA, you may request information about how your data is used or request corrections.

• You can accept or decline cookies where presented.
• You can revoke device location access in your browser or device settings.
• You can clear local drafts, saved selections, and browser storage from your device.
• You can contact us at myautosoundcontact@gmail.com to request access, correction, or deletion of personal data, subject to applicable law and legitimate retention needs.
• You may be able to delete certain content using account or browser controls, but some records may be retained for legal, fraud-prevention, or security reasons.
• To stop receiving service communications, contact us directly.

The Service is not directed to children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you are under 18, do not use the Service or purchase paid features. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, we will take steps to delete it.

Third-party providers we use — including OpenAI, Google/Firebase, Stripe, and our hosting provider — may process or store data outside Québec, Canada, including in the United States or other jurisdictions. This includes your audio files, diagnostic inputs, and account data. By using the Service, you understand that your data may be transferred and processed internationally, subject to the safeguards and policies of those providers.

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including HTTPS encryption in transit, server-side token verification, rate limiting, and restricted access controls. However, no method of transmission, storage, or online security is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security against all threats.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. Material changes may be highlighted within the Service. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

For any privacy-related questions, access requests, or complaints, contact us at:

myautosoundcontact@gmail.com

We will respond within a reasonable timeframe, consistent with our obligations under PIPEDA and Québec Law 25.

The Service may use cookies, local storage, session storage, and similar browser technologies to remember your choices, support logins, improve usability, maintain local drafts, store selected preferences, and manage analytics consent.

Examples of browser-stored items may include:

• localStorage["cookieConsent"] for cookie choices.
• Draft and form state such as mas_draft_v2 and related draft/history keys.
• Vehicle profile, car selection, credits UI cache, and other account or UI convenience keys stored locally on your device.

Some cookies or storage items are necessary for the Service to function properly. Others, such as analytics-related items, may be optional depending on your consent choice. You can reset your cookie choice at any time using the button in the Your choices section.