The short version: Fade processes everything on your device. We collect no data about you, your meetings, your calendar, or your usage. There are no servers to send data to. There is no telemetry. There is no analytics. This privacy policy exists because we believe in transparency, not because we need to disclose data practices.
Fade is a macOS desktop application developed by Hamlet Software ("we," "us," "our"). Fade helps users detect AI recording bots that may be present in their online meetings. It is a detection and awareness tool, not a legal service or legal advice platform.
Fade scans for the presence of AI recording bots using three methods:
All three methods operate entirely on your device.
None.
Fade makes zero outbound network connections. It has no server infrastructure, no API endpoints, no analytics service, and no telemetry system. Your data never leaves your Mac.
Specifically:
You can verify this yourself using network monitoring tools such as Little Snitch, Lulu, or Wireshark. You will find exactly zero outbound connections from Fade.
Fade stores the following data locally on your Mac:
Calendar data, meeting participant lists, and process scan results are held in memory only while Fade is running. They are not written to disk, not cached, and not persisted between app sessions.
Fade requests read-only access to your macOS Calendar. This allows Fade to scan upcoming meeting invites for known bot attendee email addresses. Fade does not modify, delete, or create calendar events. Calendar data is processed in memory and immediately discarded after scanning. This permission is optional and only used with Pro features.
Fade requests Accessibility API access to read the user interface of meeting applications (Zoom, Teams, Meet). This is the same API used by screen readers and accessibility tools. Fade reads only text content from participant list windows to identify bot names and recording indicators. Fade does not capture screen content, record keystrokes, or access any content outside of meeting participant UI elements. This permission is optional and only used with Pro features.
Fade uses macOS built-in text-to-speech to optionally speak a non-consent statement aloud during meetings. This uses the system speech synthesizer and does not involve any network connection, external service, or audio recording.
For absolute clarity:
The Fade desktop application connects to zero third-party services. It has no dependencies on external APIs, cloud infrastructure, or third-party SDKs that transmit data.
Our website (usefade.com) is a static site. If you purchase a Pro license through our website, payment processing is handled by our payment processor. We do not directly handle or store payment card information. Please refer to our payment processor's privacy policy for details on how they handle payment data.
We do not share data with third parties because we do not collect data. There is nothing to share.
We do not sell data. We do not provide data to advertisers. We do not participate in data broker networks. Our business model is simple: we sell software licenses.
License tokens are stored in macOS Keychain, which provides hardware-backed encryption on Apple Silicon Macs. App preferences and objection logs are stored within the app's sandboxed container. Because Fade does not transmit data over any network, there is no risk of data interception in transit.
Fade is a professional productivity tool designed for adults. We do not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 13, or any other age group, because we do not collect information from anyone.
Because Fade processes all data locally on your device and transmits nothing to us, there are no cross-border data transfers. Your data stays on your Mac regardless of where you are located. For users subject to the GDPR, UK GDPR, or similar data protection regulations: we are not a data controller or data processor of your personal data because we never receive it.
Under various privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.), you have rights regarding your personal data, including the right to access, correct, delete, and port your data. Because we collect no personal data, these rights are satisfied by design. All data Fade creates lives on your Mac and is under your complete control.
To delete all Fade data from your Mac, simply uninstall the application. You can also clear specific data through the app's Settings panel.
If we ever change this privacy policy, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. If we ever introduce any form of data collection or network communication (for example, automatic update checking), we will clearly disclose it here before implementing it and will provide you with notice in the application.
If you have questions about this privacy policy or Fade's data practices, you can reach us at:
Email: privacy@usefade.com