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10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions _documentation/general/app-permissions.md
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---
texts: documentation.general.app-permissions
layout: doc
parent: general
icon: "fa-solid fa-unlock-alt"
---

# {% t {{ page.texts }}.title %}

{% tf {{ page.url | remove_first: "/" }}.md %}
2 changes: 2 additions & 0 deletions _i18n/en.yml
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Expand Up @@ -163,6 +163,8 @@ documentation:
intro: "Below, you can find more details about the AntennaPod project."
ads:
title: "About advertisements in AntennaPod"
app-permissions:
title: "App permissions"
backup:
title: "Backing up your episodes"
beta:
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13 changes: 13 additions & 0 deletions _i18n/en/documentation/general/app-permissions.md
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AntennaPod will not ask you for any general permissions. However you can give the following permissions:
* **Show notifications**: Via `Settings` » `Notifications` you can give AntennaPod the permission to create notifications.
* **Storage access**: When you add a 'local folder' the app will ask for long-term access to a specific folder. When you import a database or an OPML file, selecting that file will give the app one-time access to it.

Apart from that, the app requires the following permissions which are automatically granted by Android:
- **Full network access**: to refresh podcasts, download and stream episodes, load images and enable synchronization
- **View network connections** and **View Wi-Fi connections**:
- to check if there is an active internet connection, before and while taking any of the above-mentioned actions
- for the setting `Downloads` » `Mobile updates`, to determine whether the above actions are allowed by the user on the current (mobile and/or metered) connection
- **Pair with Bluetooth devices**: for the setting `Playback` » `Headphones or Bluetooth disconnect`, to automatically pause or play when the phone connects with or disconnects from a Bluetooth device
- **Run at startup**: to (re)start services like refreshing podcasts and enabling auto-downloads
- **Control vibration**: for the option `Vibrate shortly before end` of the sleep timer, to vibrate if this setting is enabled
- **Prevent device from sleeping**: needed to ensure media playback and downloads continue in the background
96 changes: 62 additions & 34 deletions _i18n/en/general/privacy.md
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AntennaPod is developed and maintained by individual volunteers and not represented by any legal entity. The community doesn't need your data, so the app and website are designed to be fully GDPR compliant. Read on to learn more.
AntennaPod is developed and maintained by individual volunteers and is not represented by any legal entity. The community is not interested in your data, so the app and website are designed to be GDPR compliant. Read on to learn more.

## What data the AntennaPod app might collect, store and process
The app only records data strictly necessary for the app to function. This includes for example the list of podcasts you follow, the app settings, and authentication data provided for specific podcasts or services (such as synchronization services). The app does not include any advertisement libraries or any 3rd party tracking (analytics) code, such as Google Analytics.
## The app

**All data provided and created when using the AntennaPod app is stored locally on your device. AntennaPod does not send or upload your data anywhere, except where strictly necessary for the functioning of the app.** Please see the second next section for the cases in which your data may be provided to third parties.
### Data AntennaPod may collect, store, and process
The app only records data strictly necessary for the app to function. This includes the list of podcasts you follow, the app settings and authentication data provided for specific podcasts or services (such as synchronization services). The app does not include any advertising libraries or third-party tracking or analytics code, such as Google Analytics.

The only case where your data from 3rd parties is handled, is when using a synchronization service if enabled via the settings. In that case, the app may receive subscriptions and playback events provided by the service.
**All data provided and created when using the AntennaPod app is stored locally on your device. AntennaPod does not send or upload your data anywhere, except where strictly necessary for the functioning of the app or when you actively share debugging information with us.** The next section explains when your data may reach third parties. If you're interested, you may also read about AntennaPod's [app permissions](/documentation/general/app-permissions) in the documentation.

## App permissions
The app requests the following privacy-relevant Android permissions:
When sharing debugging information (either via email using the ‘Crash Report’ function or via Android’s crash reporting functionality), the following data is processed:
- device type
- Android version
- AntennaPod version

- Read from/write to Storage (Photos/Media/Files): The storage permission is used to open files that are not downloaded directly from within the app. It can also be used to import app settings or OPML files. The permission is only requested if you perform an action that requires reading from storage.
The only instance in which personal data *from* third parties is handled is when using a synchronization service if enabled via the settings. In that case, the app may receive subscriptions and playback events provided by the service.

## What app data other parties might collect, store and process
### Data other parties may collect, store, and process

- Podcast hosters: When provided in the podcast settings, a host will receive authentication data you provided. Any web servers that provide the podcast feeds might collect additional data, such as your IP address, access time and what is being accessed. This includes the episodes you are downloading or streaming. Please refer to their respective privacy policies for details. You can view the URL of a podcast by opening the podcast and pressing the info icon. AntennaPod does not allow remote servers to set cookies. The servers can detect the fact that you are using AntennaPod and which version of AntennaPod you are using (HTTP User-Agent). If multiple podcasts are hosted on the same server, the server can detect the list of podcasts that you subscribed to and that are hosted on that server. This might happen if publishers use feedburner, podtrac or similar services to distribute their feeds.
- Discovery and search services: When opening the Discover screen in the app, it sends a call to Apple to collect podcast suggestions. They may store the query, including country (which by default is the device's country). These suggestions can be disabled by choosing "off" in the region selector. When using the search feature in AntennaPod, the services PodcastIndex.org, Apple Podcasts and fyyd may store your query, including the search terms. Discovery and search queries also include IP address, time, and app name "AntennaPod". After subscribing, the feed is served from the podcast hoster, meaning the discovery/search service is no longer involved.
- Synchronization services: When enabled via the settings, AntennaPod synchronizes your data. This data may include login credentials, subscribed podcasts, listened episodes, play, pause & favorite actions with date & time stamps and IP address. For more information, see your provider's privacy policy.
- Google: If you have activated backup & reset in your phone settings (`Settings` » `Backup & Reset` » `Back up my data`), you should be aware that Android itself will periodically save a copy of your phone's data in Google's servers. This backup contains private information, including your WiFi passwords, messages and call history. It may also include data from AntennaPod and from other apps you use. The developers of AntennaPod do not have access to this data. For more information, see [Google's privacy policy](https://policies.google.com).
#### Podcast hosters
- When provided in the podcast settings, a host will receive authentication data you provided.
- Web servers that provide podcast feeds may collect additional data, such as your IP address, access time and what is being accessed. This includes the episodes you are downloading or streaming. Please refer to their respective privacy policies for details. You can view a podcast’s URL by opening the podcast and pressing the info icon. AntennaPod allows remote servers to set cookies but clears them when the app is restarted. When AntennaPod reaches out to a server it only sends the cookies created by the same server (based on the domain name). If multiple podcasts are hosted on the same server, the server can detect the list of podcasts that you subscribed to and that are hosted on that server. This can happen when publishers use services like FeedBurner, Podtrac, or similar to distribute their feeds.
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This sending of cookies only to the correct servers is a bit too detailed and confusing for regular users, I would say.

Suggested change
- Web servers that provide podcast feeds may collect additional data, such as your IP address, access time and what is being accessed. This includes the episodes you are downloading or streaming. Please refer to their respective privacy policies for details. You can view a podcast’s URL by opening the podcast and pressing the info icon. AntennaPod allows remote servers to set cookies but clears them when the app is restarted. When AntennaPod reaches out to a server it only sends the cookies created by the same server (based on the domain name). If multiple podcasts are hosted on the same server, the server can detect the list of podcasts that you subscribed to and that are hosted on that server. This can happen when publishers use services like FeedBurner, Podtrac, or similar to distribute their feeds.
- Web servers that provide podcast feeds may collect additional data, such as your IP address, access time and what is being accessed. This includes the episodes you are downloading or streaming. Please refer to their respective privacy policies for details. You can view a podcast’s URL by opening the podcast and pressing the info icon. AntennaPod automatically clears any cookies set by the remote servers when the app is restarted. If multiple podcasts are hosted on the same server, the server can detect the list of podcasts that you subscribed to and that are hosted on that server. This can happen when publishers use services like FeedBurner, Podtrac, or similar to distribute their feeds.

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@ByteHamster I'm not sure. Most people will not read this document. People actually reading it are most likely interested in understanding how exactly it works. So I would not say we're writing for 'regular users'.
Given this I think we can go a bit more into the technical details (for example, indicating that we apply the same principles about cross-domain access as browsers). What about this?

Suggested change
- Web servers that provide podcast feeds may collect additional data, such as your IP address, access time and what is being accessed. This includes the episodes you are downloading or streaming. Please refer to their respective privacy policies for details. You can view a podcast’s URL by opening the podcast and pressing the info icon. AntennaPod allows remote servers to set cookies but clears them when the app is restarted. When AntennaPod reaches out to a server it only sends the cookies created by the same server (based on the domain name). If multiple podcasts are hosted on the same server, the server can detect the list of podcasts that you subscribed to and that are hosted on that server. This can happen when publishers use services like FeedBurner, Podtrac, or similar to distribute their feeds.
- Web servers that provide podcast feeds may collect additional data, such as your IP address, access time and what is being accessed. This includes the episodes you are downloading or streaming. Please refer to their respective privacy policies for details. You can view a podcast’s URL by opening the podcast and pressing the info icon. AntennaPod allows servers to set cookies but clears them each time the app is restarted. Web servers only get access to cookies that were set by the same server. If multiple podcasts are hosted on the same server, that server can potentially detect which of its hosted podcasts you've subscribed to. This can happen when publishers use services like FeedBurner, Podtrac, or similar to distribute their feeds.

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for example, indicating that we apply the same principles about cross-domain access as browsers

That goes without saying. Explicitly stating this feels quite odd. Cookies are never sent to a server that did not set them, just by the way cookies work technically.

- Servers can detect that you are using AntennaPod and which version (via the HTTP User-Agent).

## What data might be collected, stored and processed from AntennaPod online services
- The donation system: AntennaPod uses Open Collective, offered by Open Collective Inc (USA) & Open Collective Europe ASBL (Belgium). When you make a donation, these entities get access to certain data. For more information, see [Open Collective's privacy policy](https://opencollective.com/privacypolicy).
- The website: AntennaPod's website is hosted via GitHub Pages. [GitHub's privacy policy](https://docs.github.com/en/github/site-policy/github-privacy-statement#github-pages) notices that "GitHub may collect User Personal Information from visitors to your GitHub Pages website, including logs of visitor IP addresses, to comply with legal obligations, and to maintain the security and integrity of the Website and the Service." The website does not store any cookies on your machine, and no 3rd party tracking (analytics) or other services are used.
- The forum: AntennaPod's forum uses the Discourse software, hosted by the core team. Please see the [forum's privacy policy](https://forum.antennapod.org/privacy) for which data is concerned.
#### Discovery and search services
- When opening the Discover screen in the app, it sends a call to Apple to collect podcast suggestions. They may store the request (e.g. your IP address and the selected region, which by default is the device's country). These suggestions can be disabled via the top-menu of the Discover screen. In the F-Droid release you have actively consent before getting Apple's recommendations.
- When using the search feature in AntennaPod, the services PodcastIndex.org ([privacy policy](https://github.com/Podcastindex-org/legal/blob/main/PrivacyPolicy.md)), Apple Podcasts ([privacy policy](https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/)) and fyyd ([privacy policy](https://fyyd.de/privacy)) may store your query, including the search terms.
- Discovery and search queries also include IP address, time, and app name "AntennaPod". After subscribing, the feed is served from the podcast hoster, meaning the discovery/search service is no longer involved.

## What data the AntennaPod core team may have access to
The developers of AntennaPod do **not** have access to any of your information, except when you
#### Synchronization and back-up services
- When enabled via the settings, AntennaPod synchronizes your data. This may include login credentials, subscribed podcasts, listened episodes, play/pause/favorite actions with timestamps, and your IP address. For more information, see your synchronization provider's privacy policy.
- If back-ups are enabled on your phone (`Settings` » `Backup & Reset` » `Back up my data`), Android will periodically save a copy of your phone's data in Google's servers. This backup contains private information, including your WiFi passwords, messages and call history. It may also include data from AntennaPod and from other apps you use. The developers of AntennaPod do not have access to this data. For more information, see [Google's privacy policy](https://policies.google.com).

- actively share debugging information (either via email using the 'Crash Report' function, or via the Android crash reporting functionality of Google):
- device type
- Android version
- AntennaPod version
- actively share a review in the Google Play store:
- public profile information
- AntennaPod version
- device type
- device language
- Android version
- visit or participate on our forum: as described in the [forum's privacy policy](https://forum.antennapod.org/privacy)
- actively make a financial contribution via Open Collective (unless you make an [anonymous guest](https://docs.opencollective.com/help/financial-contributors/payments#contributing-as-a-guest) or [incognito](https://docs.opencollective.com/help/financial-contributors/payments#select-a-contributor) contribution):
#### Android system managers
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I have never heard that word. How about just "Google"?

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I came up with this term because a) if possible I'd like to avoid mentioning specific parties in these headings (as we don't do it anywhere else in the policy) and b) I don't know if/what services other manufactorers to collect their diagnostics data. Murena doesn't seem to have this. Samsung does because we have received automatic reports via email about battery discharge.

If we change this to 'Google', then should we also move the point about 'back-ups' in the same section? At the same time Samsung seems to have its own app settings back-up service. Maybe we should add a general note along the lines of 'Your phone manufacturer might have a similar service; check their privacy policy'

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Maybe "device vendors"? I guess Google still somehow counts as a device vendor because they build the system that vendors ship on their device

If you enabled [sharing of usage and diagnostics](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6078260) with Google and use Android's reporting functionality when AntennaPod crashes or becomes unresponsive, related data i sent to Google. For more information, see [Google's privacy policy](https://policies.google.com).

## Online services

### Data from services hosted by the team
- **The forum**: AntennaPod's forum uses the Discourse software, hosted by the core team. Please see the [forum's privacy policy](https://forum.antennapod.org/privacy) for more details.

### Data from services hosted by other parties

#### The donation system
AntennaPod uses Open Collective, operated by Open Collective Inc. (USA) and Open Collective Europe ASBL (Belgium). When you make a donation, data flows to:
- these entities - for more information, see [Open Collective Inc.'s privacy policy](https://opencollective.com/privacypolicy)
- unless contributing as an [anonymous guest](https://docs.opencollective.com/help/financial-contributors/payments#contributing-as-a-guest) or [incognito](https://docs.opencollective.com/help/financial-contributors/payments#select-a-contributor) user, the AntennaPod team gets access to (but will not extract) your:
- public profile information (name, company, description, image, Twitter, GitHub, website)
- email address

## Updates of this Privacy Policy
The developers may update this policy in the future. It is advisable to check the policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are made on this document.
#### The website
AntennaPod's website is hosted via GitHub Pages.
- When you visit our website, you are interacting with GitHub, Inc. or GitHub B.V. - see their [privacy policy](https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/privacy-policies/github-general-privacy-statement) for the data they collect and process.
- The website does not set any cookies and does not use third-party tracking, analytics or other services. The 'Translate' page in the 'Contribute' section contains an embedded graph which retrieved from the servers of Weblate s.r.o. ([privacy policy](https://weblate.org/en-gb/privacy/)).

#### Google play
When you actively leave a review in the Google Play store, the AntennaPod team gets access to your public profile information and may extract and store the following in any online service used by the team (e.g. GitHub or the forum):
- review text
- AntennaPod version
- device type
- device language
- Android version

#### Weblate
When you contribute to AntennaPod's translations:
- you are interacting with the hosted service of Weblate s.r.o. - see their [privacy policy](https://weblate.org/en-gb/privacy/) for the data they collect and process.
- the AntennaPod team gets access to:
- The 'Username', 'Full name' and 'Account e-mail' as set in [your profile](https://hosted.weblate.org/accounts/profile/#account)
- When you joined the project and detailed [statistics](https://docs.weblate.org/en/latest/devel/reporting.html#stats) about your contributions, as well as the [languages](https://docs.weblate.org/en/latest/devel/reporting.html#credits) you contribute to and the date and timestamps of your contributions.

#### Git
When you contribute to AntennaPod's codebase via git, you are interacting with GitHub, Inc. or GitHub B.V. - see their [privacy policy](https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/privacy-policies/github-general-privacy-statement) for the data they collect and process.

## Updates to this Privacy Policy
The developers may update this policy in the future. It is advisable to check it periodically for changes. Changes become effective upon publication in this document.

This Privacy Policy was last updated on 2024-07-13.
If you have questions, open an issue on GitHub or our forum.

<!-- mdpo-disable-next-line -->
{% if site.lang != 'en' %}

This privacy policy is translated from English to help you understand how AntennaPod deals with the topic. In case of conflict between the the original and the translated version, the English one will prevail.
This privacy policy has been translated from English to help you understand how AntennaPod handles privacy. In case of conflict between the the original and the translated version, the English one will prevail.

<!-- mdpo-disable-next-line -->
{% endif %}