Privacy Policy
1. Who we are
Tech Interview Coach AI ("we", "us", "our") operates the Telegram bot @TechInterviewCoach_bot and the website at techinterviewcoach.net. For data-related enquiries contact us at info@techinterviewcoach.net.
2. Data we collect
When you use our Telegram bot we collect:
- Telegram ID — a numeric identifier provided by Telegram when you start the bot. We use it to identify your account.
- Telegram username and first name — optional fields your Telegram account may expose. Used only to display your name in the admin interface.
- Voice recordings — the audio clips you send as answers. These are forwarded to OpenAI Whisper for speech-to-text transcription and are never stored by us. OpenAI does not retain audio beyond the API call under their standard API data usage policy.
- Answer transcripts — the text produced by transcribing your voice. Stored in our database linked to your account.
- AI feedback and scores — the structured feedback (score, strengths, gaps, ideal answer hint) generated by GPT-4o for each of your answers. Stored so you can track progress.
- Session data — the interview role you chose, question texts shown to you, timestamps. Used for progress charts and to avoid repeating the same questions.
- Payment data — if you purchase a Pro subscription via Telegram Stars, we store the Telegram payment charge ID and the number of Stars paid. We do not handle or store any credit card information; that is processed entirely by Telegram.
- Feedback messages — if you send a message via the /feedback command, we store its text to allow us to respond.
We do not collect: email addresses, phone numbers, location data, or any data beyond what is listed above.
3. Legal basis for processing (GDPR)
We rely on the following legal bases under GDPR Article 6:
- Contract performance — processing your data is necessary to provide the interview coaching service you requested when you started the bot.
- Legitimate interests — we maintain session logs and event logs to detect abuse, debug issues, and improve the service.
- Legal obligation — we may retain payment records to comply with financial record-keeping requirements.
4. How we use your data
- To generate and deliver interview questions tailored to your role.
- To transcribe your voice answers and evaluate them with AI.
- To show you your scores and progress over time.
- To manage your free/Pro quota and subscription status.
- To respond to feedback messages you send us.
- To detect and prevent abuse of the service.
We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or automated decision-making with legal or significant effects.
5. Third-party processors
We share data with the following sub-processors, solely to deliver the service:
- OpenAI, LLC — your voice clips are sent to the Whisper API for transcription; your answer transcripts are sent to the GPT-4o API for evaluation. OpenAI processes data under their API data usage policy, which states that API inputs and outputs are not used to train models and are not retained beyond 30 days for safety monitoring.
- Telegram Messenger Inc. — the platform through which you interact with the bot. Telegram's own Privacy Policy applies to all Telegram-layer data.
- Hetzner Online GmbH — our server infrastructure provider (Germany, EU). Your data is stored on servers in the EU.
- Redis Labs / Upstash — used for temporary session state (FSM data). Session data is short-lived and automatically purged.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party.
6. Data retention
- Voice recordings — never stored (discarded immediately after transcription API call).
- Answer transcripts, scores, and session data — retained for as long as your account is active, or for a maximum of 2 years of inactivity, then deleted.
- Payment charge IDs — retained for 5 years to comply with financial record-keeping obligations.
- Feedback messages — retained for 1 year, then deleted.
7. Your rights (GDPR / CCPA)
You have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
- Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate data.
- Erasure ("right to be forgotten") — request deletion of your account and all associated data. We will process this within 30 days.
- Portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format (JSON).
- Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Restriction — ask us to restrict processing in certain circumstances.
- Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw at any time.
To exercise any right, email info@techinterviewcoach.net
with your Telegram ID (visible in the bot via /stats) and a description of your request.
We will respond within 30 days. If you are in the EU and believe we are not handling your data lawfully,
you have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority.
8. Data security
All data is stored in a PostgreSQL database accessible only within a private network. Connections are encrypted in transit (TLS). The admin panel is accessible only via an encrypted Tailscale VPN and is not exposed to the public internet. We follow industry-standard practices and review our security posture regularly.
9. Children's privacy
This service is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with their data, contact us and we will delete it promptly.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the bot after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. For significant changes we will notify active users via a bot message.
11. Contact
For any privacy-related questions or requests:
Email: info@techinterviewcoach.net
Telegram: @TechInterviewCoach_bot → /feedback