Privacy Policy
Zoodler is a software service that turns podcast episodes and creator ideas into short-form vertical videos. This policy explains what information we collect from people who use the service, how we use it, when we share it with third parties, and what choices you have about it.
01Who we are
Zoodler is operated by 8th Lane Interactive, Inc. ("Zoodler," "we," "us," or "our"). We operate
zoodler.com, app.zoodler.com, and the associated APIs and
services (collectively, the "Service") from the United States. You can reach us at
support@zoodler.com.
02Information we collect
We collect the categories of information described below. We collect only what we need to operate, secure, bill, and improve the Service.
Account information
Your email address, hashed password, display name, and account preferences (theme, notification settings).
Billing information
Subscription billing is handled by Stripe. Stripe collects and stores your payment method directly; Zoodler stores only your Stripe customer ID, subscription ID, plan tier, billing cycle, and a record of charges, credits, and refunds.
Content you provide
Podcast RSS feed URLs you connect, audio fetched from those feeds for processing, brand assets you upload (logos, reference images), text prompts you submit, and the generated outputs produced from your inputs.
Usage information
Pages and features visited, video generation events, render durations, credit consumption, error reports, and similar telemetry tied to your account.
Device and abuse-prevention information
At signup we record your IP address and browser user-agent string. We use a hash of this combination to enforce the free-tier quota (three generation runs per unique device) and to detect attempts to create multiple accounts to evade limits. We do not use this information for any other purpose.
Communications
Support emails, feedback you send, and our replies.
Cookies and local storage
The Service stores an authentication session token, your selected color theme, and a PostHog analytics distinct ID. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.
03How we use your information
- To provide the Service — ingest RSS feeds, transcribe audio, generate videos, store outputs, and deliver them to your account.
- To process payments, manage subscriptions, issue receipts, and apply credit refunds.
- To prevent abuse of free-tier credits and detect fraudulent or harmful activity.
- To respond to support requests and provide customer service.
- To analyze how the Service is used and improve it.
- To send transactional email (billing receipts, password resets, render-failure notifications, security notices).
- To comply with legal obligations, enforce our Terms of Service, and protect the rights and safety of users and the public.
04Audio, video, and AI processing
When you connect a podcast feed, we download audio for each episode you choose to process, run automated transcription, generate text descriptions, render visuals, synthesize speech and music, and produce short-form video files. Source audio fetched from a feed is retained only while needed to complete processing. Transcripts and generated outputs are retained for as long as your account is active so that you can re-render, edit, or download them.
Generated outputs are produced by automated models. You are responsible for reviewing each generated output before publishing it. We do not guarantee accuracy, originality, or non-infringement of any AI-generated content. See our Terms of Service for more.
05Sub-processors
We rely on the following third-party processors to operate the Service. Each receives only the data needed to perform its function.
- Stripe
- Subscription billing, payment processing, customer portal. Receives your email, name (if provided to Stripe), payment method, and transaction history.
- OpenAI
- Text generation, image generation, audio transcription (Whisper), and text-to-speech. Receives the inputs needed for each call (transcripts, prompts, audio segments). We do not authorize OpenAI to use your content to train its models.
- ElevenLabs
- Text-to-speech (Studio plan only). Receives the text we send for synthesis.
- DigitalOcean
- Server infrastructure (compute, storage volumes). All data we store is hosted in the United States.
- PostHog
- Product analytics — page views, feature usage, and account-tied events. We use a single project key shared between the marketing site and the application so that activity is recorded against one identity per user.
- Mailchimp
- Marketing email, only if you explicitly opt in. Transactional email is sent directly from our servers and does not pass through Mailchimp.
We may add or change sub-processors over time. Material changes will be reflected in this policy.
06Legal basis (EEA, UK)
If you are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we process your information on the following legal bases:
- Contract. Processing necessary to provide the Service you signed up for, including billing.
- Legitimate interests. Operating, securing, and improving the Service; preventing fraud and abuse of free-tier limits; responding to support requests.
- Consent. Marketing email (opt-in), and any optional features we may add that require explicit consent.
- Legal obligation. Retaining billing records, responding to lawful requests.
07Data retention
- Account data and generated outputs are retained for the life of your account.
- When you delete your account, we remove account, content, and usage data within 30 days, except where longer retention is required by law (billing records are typically retained for seven years).
- Free-tier signup fingerprints (hashed IP and user agent) are retained for 12 months to prevent abuse of the free quota.
- Server logs are retained for up to 90 days for debugging and security investigations.
08Your rights
You may, at any time:
- Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate account information through the in-app settings.
- Request deletion of your account and the data associated with it, subject to the billing-records exception above.
- Export your generated videos and the metadata associated with them.
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests, or withdraw any consent you have previously given.
- Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you are in the EEA or UK.
To exercise these rights, email support@zoodler.com from the address on your account. We respond within 30 days.
09California privacy rights
California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what categories of personal information we have collected, the right to delete it (with limited exceptions), and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell personal information, and we have not done so in the preceding 12 months.
10International transfers
Zoodler is operated from the United States, and our servers and primary sub-processors are located in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer.
11Children
The Service is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a minor has provided us information, please email support@zoodler.com and we will delete it.
12Security
We use industry-standard encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest, role-based access controls within our infrastructure, and routine monitoring for unauthorized access. No security system is perfect; you are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential and for promptly notifying us of any suspected unauthorized access.
13Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will publish the updated version here and update the "Effective" date at the top of the page. For material changes, we will notify active subscribers by email at least 14 days before the change takes effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of an update constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
14Contact
Questions, complaints, or requests about this policy can be sent to support@zoodler.com.