Privacy Policy

Draft for Google OAuth verification — review with counsel and fill the [bracketed] fields before publishing.

Hark is a native desktop email and calendar client for Google Workspace and Gmail accounts (macOS today; Windows and Linux planned), published by [LEGAL ENTITY — e.g. Souplin / your company], [jurisdiction] ("we", "us"). This policy explains what Hark does — and, more importantly, does not do — with your data.

The short version

Hark has no backend for your mail or calendar. When you connect a Google account, your device talks directlyto Google's servers. Your email, calendar, contacts, and Google access tokens stay on your device. We never receive, proxy, store, or have any access to your Google data. We cannot read your mail because it never reaches us.

What data Hark accesses, and where it stays

With your explicit consent on Google's sign-in screen, Hark uses Google APIs on your device to:

• read, organize (label/archive/snooze/trash), search, and compose/send your Gmail;
• read and manage your Google Calendar events and Google Tasks;
• read your contacts for recipient/attendee autocomplete;
• read/update Gmail settings you change in the app (signature, vacation, filters, send-as aliases);
• attach Google Drive files you explicitly pick to calendar events.

All of this happens in a direct connection between your device and Google (googleapis.com). The data is stored locally on your device:

• Google access/refresh tokens:in your operating system's secure keystore (macOS Keychain / Windows Credential Manager / Linux Secret Service), encrypted by the OS.
• A local cache of recent messages, calendar events, and downloaded attachments, to make the app fast and available offline. You can clear this at any time, and it is removed when you sign out or delete the app.

We do not transmit any of this to our servers — we have no server that touches it.

What we (the publisher) receive

For the core mail/calendar app: nothing. There is no telemetry that contains your account list, email addresses, subjects, message content, or contacts.

If/when optional features are introduced:

• Crash diagnostics (opt-in, off by default): if you turn this on, Hark may send OS-generated crash reports (anonymous stack traces and device model — no email content, no account identifiers) to help us fix crashes.
• Subscription/billing (a future paid tier): if you purchase a subscription, payment is processed by [Stripe]; we receive a subscription record (a device-bound install identifier, subscription status, and a recovery email you provide for restore). This billing identity is separate from your Google account — we never link it to, or receive, your Gmail data.

How Google user data is used — and Limited Use

Hark's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Specifically:

• Google user data is used only to provide and improve the user-facing email/calendar features inside Hark, on your device.
• We do not transfer Google user data to third parties except as necessary to provide those features (the direct device↔Google connection), for security, or to comply with law.
• We do not use Google user data for advertising.
• We do not allow humans to read Google user data, except with your explicit consent for a specific support request, where required for security/abuse, or as required by law.
• We do not use Google user data to train generalized/ML models.

Data retention & deletion

Because your Google data lives only on your device, you control it: clearing the cache, signing out, or deleting Hark removes the local copy and the stored tokens. To revoke Hark's access entirely, remove it at Google Account → Security → Third-party access.

Children

Hark is not directed to children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction).

Changes

We may update this policy; the "Last updated" date reflects the latest version. Material changes will be noted in-app or on the website.

Contact

[SUPPORT EMAIL — TBD] · [LEGAL ENTITY, postal address]