Notability forces new privacy policy on users who already bought the app

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Notability forces new privacy policy on users who already bought the app to train its AI on the users own writing and recordings. Users are locked out of the application unless they agree to the new privacy policy after an update in August.

Notability forces new privacy policy on users who already bought the app

Basic Information
Release Year	2010
Product Type	Software
In Production	Yes
Official Website	https://notability.com/

Background

Up until 2021 Notability was a one time payement app (lifetime licence), purchasable on the App Store.

After November 1st, 2021 it became with optional annual subscription. The free version contains severe limits on note edits, making it almost a demo of the application. That's why users who already bought the app before November 2021 were given lifetime access to all existing features and any content previously purchased in the app.

Over the years different tiers of subscription appeared, justified by new AI-related functionalities.

For instance the app was purchasable for 9.99$ before November 2021, the annual subscription initially costed 11.99$. The base annual subscription as of 2025 is 20$, while the Notability pro plan 99$.

Users Privacy violations

User unable to access Notability unless the new Privacy Policy is accepted

In July 2025, Notability updated its Privacy Policy. All users, including those who purchased the app before November 2021, were locked out of the app and their notes until they accepted the new terms. User reports and concerns are discussed in these Reddit threads (1, 2, 3).

Key concerns raised about the updated policy include:

• AI processing of personal notes and voice: Notability uses AI services to process notes and voice recordings for features like transcripts, summaries, and quizzes. Although they state data is deleted after processing, temporary retention and the use of unnamed third-party providers raise transparency and control concerns.
• Persistent storage of audio transcripts: Original audio is deleted after processing, but the resulting text transcripts are retained indefinitely on Notability servers unless a user requests deletion.
• No clear opt-out or local processing: There is no obvious option to run transcripts or summaries entirely on-device. These features send content to third-party processors, and users are not clearly informed at the moment of use that data will leave their device.
• Data sharing in case of acquisition or merger: The terms allow transferring user data if the company is acquired or merges. Given the sensitivity of personal and educational notes, this presents potential risks if ownership changes.
• Limited transparency about AI vendors: The policy references “AI providers” without naming them, preventing users from assessing their reliability or compliance.
• Children’s privacy protections: While certain features are not intended for users under 16, protections appear to rely on self-reported age, meaning data could be collected from minors who do not disclose their age.

TODO

- Review the difference between the old policy and the new one

- More incidents: I'm quite sure this same behavior happened one more time, but it's really hard to track is down