Privacy Policy
Vellumark is a local-first iOS app for capturing book pages, extracting highlights and marginalia into Markdown, and organizing that material for later review and export. This Privacy Policy explains what data Vellumark collects, how it is used, when it leaves your device, and the choices available to you.
1. Who operates Vellumark
Vellumark is operated by the developer reachable at qiuyuexp@gmail.com.
2. Data we collect
We may collect or process the following categories of data:
- Library content you create in the app, such as book titles, author names, page images, extracted text, notes, highlights, Markdown, page numbers, and related metadata.
- Extraction submission data when you use cloud recognition, including the page image you submit, prompt version, extraction settings, and the extraction output returned to the app.
- Subscription and entitlement data provided through Apple, such as subscription status, product identifiers, renewal state, and purchase restoration information.
- Optional sync and backup data if you enable iCloud Sync, including mirrored copies of supported library content stored in your iCloud account.
- Security and abuse-prevention data needed to protect the cloud extraction service, including App Attest device identifiers, attestation and assertion records, one-time challenges, sign counters, rate-limit records, IP address information, and related technical metadata.
- Diagnostic and service data, such as operational logs, request status, error details, coarse usage metrics, and similar information needed to keep the service reliable and secure.
3. How we use data
We use data to:
- Provide the app's core features, including page capture, extraction, editing, organization, search, export, sync, and backup.
- Process page images through our backend and AI providers when you choose to run extraction.
- Verify device integrity, enforce rate limits, prevent abuse, and protect the service.
- Verify subscriptions, enforce free and paid usage limits, and restore purchases.
- Troubleshoot failures, improve reliability, monitor abuse, and maintain security.
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use.
4. When your data leaves your device
Vellumark is local-first, but some features require off-device processing:
- Cloud extraction: when you tap Extract Text, the scanned page image and related request metadata are sent to Vellumark's backend, which then submits the image and instructions to Google Gemini for AI-based extraction.
- Optional iCloud Sync: if enabled, Vellumark mirrors supported library content to your iCloud account.
- Apple commerce flows: subscription, billing, and restore flows are handled through Apple.
If you do not use cloud extraction, your page content remains on-device except for any sync or backup features you explicitly enable.
5. AI and service provider disclosure
Vellumark uses third-party providers to operate the service. These providers may process your data under their own terms and privacy policies.
Google Gemini and Google Cloud
When you use cloud extraction, Vellumark sends the submitted page image and extraction instructions to Google services used to operate the feature, including Google Gemini for AI processing and Google Cloud infrastructure for backend hosting and security operations.
We do not design the feature to permanently store your page images or extraction output in our own backend database after the request completes, but the data is processed transiently to fulfill the request and may appear in limited operational or security logs where necessary.
Google may also process prompts, uploaded files, outputs, logging data, and related service metadata according to the service tier and terms that apply to the Google AI services used to run Vellumark. This can include limited retention for safety, abuse prevention, debugging, legal compliance, and service operations. You should avoid submitting content that contains highly sensitive personal information unless you are comfortable with that off-device processing.
Apple
Apple processes subscription, billing, purchase restoration, and any optional iCloud Sync activity through Apple services and your Apple account.
Other infrastructure and support providers
We may also use hosting, storage, diagnostics, email, or other vendors reasonably necessary to run, secure, and support Vellumark.
6. Data sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We share data only as reasonably necessary to:
- Provide the services you request.
- Operate the app through Apple, Google, hosting, storage, or AI service providers.
- Prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
- Comply with law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental requests.
- Protect the rights, safety, and integrity of Vellumark, our users, and the public.
7. Retention
Retention depends on the kind of data involved:
- On-device library data: retained until you delete it, remove the app, or reset device storage.
- Recently Deleted content: may remain recoverable for a limited period inside the app before permanent removal.
- iCloud mirrored data: retained in your iCloud account until removed by you or synced for deletion.
- Backend extraction content: we do not intend to keep page images or extracted Markdown in our own backend database after request completion, except for transient processing, temporary caching, or incidental diagnostic records.
- Security and abuse-prevention records: App Attest records, challenge records, rate-limit records, sign counters, IP-based abuse controls, and similar technical records may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to secure the service, investigate misuse, and meet legal requirements.
- Provider-side records: Apple, Google, and other providers may keep logs or records according to their own retention schedules and terms.
8. International processing
Your data may be processed in countries other than the one where you live, including countries where our service providers operate infrastructure or support functions. Those countries may have data protection rules that differ from those in your jurisdiction.
9. Your choices and rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, or information about the personal data we process about you.
You can also:
- Use Vellumark without enabling iCloud Sync.
- Choose whether to submit pages for cloud extraction.
- Delete books, scans, and notes in the app.
- Remove mirrored iCloud data using in-app controls where available.
- Manage or cancel subscriptions through Apple.
To make a privacy request, contact qiuyuexp@gmail.com.
10. Children
Vellumark is not directed to children under the minimum age required by applicable law in their region, and it should not be used by anyone who cannot validly agree to these terms and disclosures.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the date above and may provide additional notice where appropriate.
12. Contact
Privacy and support contact: qiuyuexp@gmail.com