Privacy Policy

Who is responsible

Understudy is operated by Mohamed Ashraf, a sole trader based in Beni Suef, Egypt, who is the data controller for the information described below. For any privacy question or request, email support@understudyhq.com. Payments are handled by our merchant of record, who is a separate controller for the billing data they collect at checkout.

What we collect

• Account data: email, name, password (hashed), email-verification state.
• Content you create: resume, answers, notes, STAR stories, study progress, saved resources, AI conversations, mock-interview transcripts and scorecards.
• Usage and billing facts: AI-action and mock allowances used, subscription state, and payment facts held by our merchant of record — we never see or store card numbers.
• Operational logs: request IDs, hashed identifiers, timings, and error codes. Logs never contain your prompts, resume, or transcripts.

How we use it

To run Understudy: personalize your prep, meter allowances, process payments, send account email (verification, password reset, invites, receipts), and keep the service secure. We don’t sell your data or show your content to other users.

AI processing

AI features send the relevant content (for example your resume text or a coaching question) to Google’s Gemini API to generate a response. Google states that paid API prompts are not used to improve its products, but data may be retained briefly for abuse monitoring under its terms; we cannot promise zero provider-side retention. Live mock interviews stream your audio directly to the Gemini Live API; we store the transcript and scorecard, never the raw audio. More detail: AI disclosure.

Retention and deletion

Your content stays until you delete your account from Settings. Ending a subscription makes paid features unavailable but does not delete your content. An account deletion removes application content; our payment provider may retain billing records where tax, fraud, or other legal obligations require it.

Cookies and analytics

Three first-party cookies keep the app working: a session cookie that keeps you signed in, pf_ref which remembers a referral code for 90 days so the person who referred you gets credit, and layout-mode which remembers your sidebar preference. These are necessary to provide the service and are always on.

We also use Google Analytics to understand which pages people find useful. It is switched off until you accept it— we load it with consent denied by default, so no analytics cookie is set and no data reaches Google unless you choose Accept on the banner. If you decline, or ignore it, only the essential cookies above are used. Accepting shares your IP address, pages viewed, and general device information with Google as a separate controller. You can change your mind at any time by clearing this site’s cookies and local storage, which brings the banner back.

Your rights

Export your data from Settings, correct it in the app, or delete your account entirely. For anything else — access, objection, complaints — email support@understudyhq.com.