Privacy Policy

Last updated: 3 June 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how bearcove SARL (“bearcove”, “we”) handles information in connection with the Avette macOS application and the Avette website.

Data controller: bearcove SARL, RCS Lyon 934 149 618, 4 Quai Jean Moulin, c/o La Cordée SAS, 69001 Lyon, France — hi@bearcove.eu.

Summary

Your audio never leaves your Mac. Dictation is transcribed entirely on-device. We do not receive, transmit, or store your microphone audio or your transcripts.
We do not run analytics or telemetry in the app and do not build user profiles.
The only network activity is downloading the speech model on first run and validating your license. Both are described below.

1. Audio and transcripts (on-device only)

Avette captures microphone audio solely to transcribe it locally using an on-device model. Audio and the resulting text are processed on your device and are not sent to bearcove or any third party by the app. Transcription history, if kept, is stored locally on your Mac under your control.

2. Model download

On first launch (and when updating the model), Avette downloads model weights from bearcove's model server (models.avette.eu). As with any download, the server and its hosting provider process your IP address and request metadata to deliver the files. [DRAFT: name the hosting provider once models.avette.eu is set up.]

3. Purchases and licensing

Payments. bearcove is the seller. Payments are processed by Mollie B.V. (Keizersgracht 313, 1016 EE Amsterdam, the Netherlands), our payment service provider, who handles your payment details (such as card or other payment data and related billing information) under its own privacy policy. bearcove does not receive or store full card numbers.
Order records. To fulfil and support your purchase and to meet our legal (accounting and tax) obligations, we keep order records such as your email address, the product purchased, the amount and currency, your country (for VAT), the invoice, and the license key issued.
Activation and validation. When you activate or validate a license in the app, your license key, a random device identifier and your Mac’s name are sent to bearcove’s licensing service to confirm your entitlement and enforce the number of devices covered by your license. This is necessary to perform our contract with you (GDPR Art. 6(1)(b)).
Email. We use your email address to send your license key and invoice and to contact you about your purchase or license (for example, support).

4. Website and downloads

The Avette website is hosted on a server provided by Hetzner (Hetzner Online GmbH) in Helsinki, Finland, and the app installer is distributed via Scaleway object storage (Paris, France). These providers process standard server and request logs (including IP address) as processors, for security and delivery. We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies on the website.

Performing our contract with you — selling, delivering, activating, and supporting your license (Art. 6(1)(b)).
Complying with legal obligations — for example, issuing invoices and keeping accounting records (Art. 6(1)(c)).
Our legitimate interests — securing and operating the website and preventing license abuse (Art. 6(1)(f)).

6. International transfers

Some providers may process data outside the EEA. Where that happens, the transfer is protected by appropriate safeguards (such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses or an adequacy decision) as set out in those providers’ terms.

7. Retention

We keep order and license records for as long as needed to provide and support your license, and to meet legal (e.g. accounting and tax) obligations — in France, invoices are typically retained for ten years. On-device data (audio, transcripts, history) stays only on your Mac, under your control, until you delete it.

8. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request access to, rectification of, or erasure of your personal data; restriction of or objection to processing; and data portability. Contact hi@bearcove.eu. You may lodge a complaint with the French supervisory authority, the CNIL, or your local authority.

9. Children

Avette is not directed to children and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

10. Changes

We may update this policy; material changes will be posted here with a new “Last updated” date.

11. Contact

bearcove SARL — hi@bearcove.eu — 4 Quai Jean Moulin, c/o La Cordée SAS, 69001 Lyon, France.