GhostSpeaker — Privacy Policy

1. Scope & Introduction

1.1   This Privacy Policy ("Policy") is published by NodeCore LLC ("Company," "we," "us," or "our"), the operator of the GhostSpeaker Discord application ("Application" or "Bot"), a text-to-speech service integrated with The Arcanum Forge gaming community. This Policy describes the categories of information the Company collects in connection with the Application, the purposes for which such information is used, the circumstances under which such information may be disclosed, and the rights of individuals with respect to such information.

1.2   This Policy applies to all persons who access or use the Application, including Discord server administrators who add the Application to a Guild and end users who interact with the Application within a Guild (collectively, "Users" or "you").

1.3   This Policy is incorporated by reference into the GhostSpeaker Terms of Service. By using the Application, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy. If you do not agree with the practices described herein, you should discontinue use of the Application.

1.4   The Application is developed and operated in compliance with Discord's Developer Terms of Service and Discord's Developer Policy, which govern the use of Discord's platform APIs and impose obligations on application developers with respect to data handling and user privacy.

2. Definitions

"API Data"

means any data obtained by the Application through Discord's application programming interfaces.

"Discord User ID"

means the unique numeric identifier assigned by Discord to each user account.

"Guild"

means a Discord server to which the Application has been added.

"Guild ID"

means the unique numeric identifier assigned by Discord to each Guild.

"Message Content"

means the text body of a Discord message submitted to the Application via a designated text channel for the purpose of TTS synthesis.

"Personal Data"

means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, as defined under applicable data protection law.

"Processing"

means any operation performed on data, including collection, storage, use, transmission, and deletion.

"TTS Service"

means the text-to-speech audio synthesis and playback functionality provided by the Application.

3. Data Controller

3.1   For purposes of applicable data protection law, the data controller responsible for the Processing of Personal Data in connection with the Application is:

3.2   The Application operates through and is subject to Discord's platform. Discord, Inc. independently collects and processes data in accordance with its own Privacy Policy, and the Company is not responsible for Discord's data practices.

4. Information We Collect

4.1   The Application collects and processes the following categories of information in connection with the provision of the TTS Service:

4.2   The Company does not collect, and the Application is not designed to collect, any of the following categories of information: legal name, physical address, email address, telephone number, financial account information, government-issued identification, biometric data, health information, or any other sensitive personal information beyond the categories enumerated in Section 4.1.

4.3   The Company does not use tracking technologies such as cookies, pixel tags, or similar persistent identifiers in connection with the Application.

5. Privileged Intent Disclosure

5.1   In accordance with Discord's Developer Policy and the requirements applicable to bots utilizing Discord's privileged gateway intents, the Company hereby discloses the following:

5.2   Message Content Intent. The Application utilizes Discord's Message Content privileged intent, which grants the Application the ability to read the text content of messages posted in designated text channels to which the Application has been granted access. This intent is strictly necessary for the Application to receive the text that Users submit for TTS synthesis. Without access to Message Content, the TTS Service cannot function.

5.3   Scope of Access. The Application reads Message Content exclusively from text channels that have been expressly designated for TTS input within a Guild's configuration. The Application does not read, monitor, or process messages in any other channels.

5.4   No Retention of Message Content. Message Content accessed through the Message Content Intent is processed solely in volatile memory for the purpose of generating TTS audio. Message Content is not written to disk, logged, transmitted to third parties (except as necessary for cloud TTS processing as described in Section 12), or retained in any form following the completion of audio synthesis for the corresponding request.

5.5   Guild Members Intent. The Application may utilize Discord's Guild Members privileged intent for the limited purpose of resolving user display names for TTS announcement functionality. No member roster data is stored or processed beyond immediate in-session use.

6. Legal Basis for Processing

6.1   To the extent applicable data protection law requires identification of a legal basis for the Processing of Personal Data, the Company processes Personal Data on the following bases:

1. Performance of a Contract / Provision of Service. Processing of Discord User IDs, Guild IDs, Message Content, and Voice Channel State data is necessary to deliver the TTS Service that Users and Server Administrators have requested by adding the Application to a Guild and invoking its commands.
2. Legitimate Interests. Processing of Operational Log Data is conducted pursuant to the Company's legitimate interest in maintaining the security, stability, and performance of the Application, provided that such interests are not overridden by the rights and interests of Users.
3. Consent. Where required by applicable law, the Company will obtain your consent prior to Processing your Personal Data. Where consent is the basis for Processing, you may withdraw such consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of Processing carried out prior to withdrawal.

7. How We Use Information

7.1   The Company uses the information described in Section 4 solely for the following purposes:

1. To synthesize and deliver TTS audio in response to User requests within a Guild's voice channels;
2. To maintain and apply User-specific voice preferences across TTS sessions;
3. To maintain and apply Guild-level voice, language, and channel configuration settings;
4. To diagnose and remediate technical errors, failures, or performance degradation affecting the Application;
5. To monitor the Application for abuse, policy violations, and unauthorized use;
6. To send courtesy inactivity notifications via Discord direct message to Guild owners when the Application has not been used within a Guild for thirty (30) or more consecutive days, for the purpose of confirming the installation remains wanted;
7. To send administrative and onboarding communications via Discord direct message to Guild owners—including a welcome message when the Application joins a Guild and a confirmation message upon completion of channel setup via the /ghost-setup command—each providing setup guidance, an administrative command reference, and a link to the Application's public documentation; and
8. To comply with applicable legal obligations, including responding to lawful governmental requests.

7.2   Prohibition on Sale of Data. The Company does not sell, license, rent, trade, or otherwise transfer for monetary or other valuable consideration any API Data or Personal Data obtained through the Application. This prohibition is absolute and applies regardless of the form of consideration or the identity of the prospective recipient.

7.3   The Company does not use information obtained through the Application for advertising, marketing, profiling, behavioral tracking, or any purpose not expressly enumerated in Section 7.1.

8. Disclosure of Information

8.1   The Company does not disclose Personal Data or API Data to third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

1. Service Providers. The Company may transmit Message Content to Microsoft Corporation for processing by its Edge TTS cloud service, solely for the purpose of generating TTS audio output when a User has selected a voice powered by that service. Such transmission is governed by Microsoft's applicable terms and privacy policies. The Company does not authorize Microsoft to use such data for any purpose other than providing the requested TTS synthesis service.
2. Legal Requirements. The Company may disclose information if required to do so by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or when the Company believes in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Company, its Users, or the public.
3. Business Transfers. In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, dissolution, or sale of all or substantially all of the Company's assets, Personal Data held by the Company may be transferred to the successor entity, subject to the same privacy protections as set forth herein.
4. With Your Consent. The Company may share your information in other circumstances with your prior express consent.

8.2   Under no circumstances does the Company disclose API Data to third parties for the purpose of enabling such parties to target, profile, or advertise to Discord users.

9. Data Retention

9.1   The Company retains Personal Data and API Data only for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which such data was collected, or as required by applicable law. The following specific retention periods apply:

10. Guild Removal & Data Deletion

10.1   Automatic Deletion upon Guild Removal. In accordance with Discord's Developer Policy, the Application is designed to process Discord's GUILD_DELETE gateway event. Upon receipt of such event — which is transmitted by Discord when the Application is removed from a Guild or when a Guild is deleted — the Company shall initiate deletion of all Guild-specific configuration data and User preference data associated with that Guild. Such deletion shall be completed within thirty (30) days of the triggering event.

10.2   User-Initiated Deletion Requests. Any User may request deletion of data associated with their Discord User ID by submitting a request to the Company using the contact information set forth in Section 17. The Company shall process such requests within a reasonable timeframe and shall delete or anonymize the relevant data to the extent technically feasible, subject to any legal obligations requiring retention.

10.3   Server Administrator Requests. Server Administrators may request deletion of all data associated with their Guild at any time by removing the Application from the Guild (which triggers the automated process described in Section 10.1) or by submitting a direct request to the Company.

10.4   Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may retain certain data beyond the periods specified herein to the extent required by applicable law, regulation, or legal process, or to resolve disputes and enforce its agreements.

11. Security Measures

11.1   The Company employs commercially reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect Personal Data and API Data against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Such measures include, without limitation:

1. Hosting of the Application on private network infrastructure with access restricted to authorized personnel;
2. Use of encrypted communication protocols for data in transit;
3. End-to-end encryption of voice audio transmitted within Discord voice channels, implemented in accordance with Discord's Audio & Video End-to-End Encryption (DAVE) protocol;
4. Limiting access to stored configuration data to the minimum necessary for Application operation;
5. Regular review of Application security posture and operational logs; and
6. Network-level access controls restricting inbound and outbound connections to authorized endpoints.

11.2   Notwithstanding the foregoing, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and the Company cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data security incident that creates a material risk of harm to Users, the Company will take reasonable steps to notify affected parties to the extent required by applicable law.

12. Third-Party Services

12.1   The Application interacts with or depends upon the following third-party services, each of which operates pursuant to its own terms and privacy policies:

1. Discord, Inc. The Application is built upon and operates through Discord's platform. Discord independently collects and processes user data in accordance with its Privacy Policy, available at discord.com/privacy. The Company is not responsible for Discord's data collection or processing practices.
2. Microsoft Corporation (Edge TTS). When a User selects a voice powered by Microsoft's Edge TTS cloud service, the text content of the TTS request is transmitted to Microsoft's servers for audio synthesis. Such data is subject to Microsoft's Privacy Statement, available at privacy.microsoft.com. The Company does not control and is not responsible for Microsoft's processing of such data beyond what is described herein.
3. Kokoro TTS (Local Processing). Certain voice options utilize the Kokoro neural TTS model, which is executed locally on Company-controlled server infrastructure. Text processed by Kokoro voices is not transmitted to any external server or third party.

12.2   The Company shall not be liable for the data practices of any third-party service. Users are encouraged to review the privacy policies of all third-party services referenced herein.

13. International Data Transfers

13.1   The Company operates its infrastructure within private network environments. To the extent TTS requests are processed by Microsoft's Edge TTS service, such data may be transmitted to and processed in data centers operated by Microsoft in various jurisdictions, including jurisdictions outside your country of residence. By using voice options powered by Microsoft Edge TTS, you acknowledge that your TTS input may be transferred internationally and processed in accordance with Microsoft's data protection policies.

13.2   Where required by applicable law, the Company implements appropriate safeguards for international data transfers, including reliance on data processing agreements with service providers incorporating standard contractual clauses or equivalent protections.

14. Children's Privacy

14.1   The Application is not directed to, and the Company does not knowingly collect Personal Data from, children under the age of thirteen (13) years, or such greater minimum age as may be required by applicable law in the relevant jurisdiction (including, without limitation, sixteen (16) years in certain European jurisdictions).

14.2   Discord's Terms of Service independently prohibit use of the Discord platform by persons below the applicable minimum age. By using the Application, Users represent and warrant that they meet the applicable minimum age requirement.

14.3   If the Company becomes aware that it has collected Personal Data from a child below the applicable minimum age without verifiable parental consent, it will take prompt steps to delete such information. If you believe that a child below the applicable minimum age has accessed the Application and provided Personal Data, please contact the Company using the information in Section 17.

15. Your Rights

15.1   Subject to applicable law and the limitations inherent in the Application's data processing model, Users may have the following rights with respect to their Personal Data:

1. Right of Access. You may request confirmation of whether the Company holds Personal Data relating to you and, if so, a description of the categories of such data and the purposes for which it is processed.
2. Right to Rectification. You may request correction of any inaccurate Personal Data held by the Company.
3. Right to Erasure. You may request deletion of Personal Data associated with your Discord User ID, subject to the Company's legal obligations and the limitations described in Section 10.
4. Right to Restriction. You may request that the Company restrict its Processing of your Personal Data in certain circumstances.
5. Right to Data Portability. Where technically feasible and required by applicable law, you may request a copy of Personal Data you have provided to the Application in a structured, commonly used format.
6. Right to Object. You may object to the Processing of your Personal Data on the basis of the Company's legitimate interests, as described in Section 6.1(b), subject to the Company's right to demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for continued Processing.
7. Right to Withdraw Consent. Where Processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw such consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of Processing carried out prior to withdrawal.

15.2   To exercise any of the foregoing rights, please submit a written request to the Company using the contact information set forth in Section 17, including your Discord User ID. The Company will endeavor to respond to verified requests within thirty (30) days.

15.3   If you believe the Company has not adequately addressed your privacy concerns, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with the applicable data protection supervisory authority in your jurisdiction.

15.4   California Residents. California residents may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including the right to know, the right to delete, the right to correct, the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (the Company does not sell or share personal information as defined thereunder), and the right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights.

16. Changes to This Policy

16.1   The Company reserves the right to modify this Policy at any time. In the event of material changes, the Company will update the "Last Revised" date set forth at the top of this page. The modified Policy will be effective upon posting at this URL.

16.2   Your continued use of the Application following the posting of a revised Policy constitutes your acceptance of such revised Policy. If you do not agree to the revised Policy, you must discontinue use of the Application.

16.3   The Company encourages Users to review this Policy periodically to remain informed of the Company's data practices.

17. Contact & Data Requests

17.1   Questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Policy or the Company's data practices — including requests to access, correct, delete, or port Personal Data — may be directed to:

17.2   To enable the Company to process your request, please include your Discord User ID and a description of your request. The Company reserves the right to verify your identity before processing any request relating to Personal Data.

17.3   To report abuse of the Application or violations of applicable policies, Users may also utilize Discord's built-in reporting mechanisms or contact the Company directly using the information above.