Your privacy,
our foundation

Emerald BV (hereinafter "Khutba World", "we", "us"), operator of Khutba World, is based in the Netherlands and is the data controller for your personal data when using our website, web app, and mobile applications.

Contact: For questions about this privacy policy or your privacy rights, you can reach us at privacy@khutba.world.

We only collect data necessary for Khutba World to function properly:

• Account data: name, email address, and a hashed password when you create an account.
• Usage data: which khutbas you have viewed, language preferences, favorite mosque, and app settings.
• Location data: approximate location (city or coordinates) for prayer times and qibla direction. Only when you grant permission.
• Technical data: device type, browser version, IP address (anonymized), language preferences.
• Payment data: for subscriptions we use Stripe. We do not store credit card details ourselves.
• Audio from live khutbas: the khutba audio is broadcast by the mosque and processed in real time for translation. We do not store this audio by default.
• Push tokens: when you allow notifications, we store an anonymous device token to send you alerts.

We process your data for the following purposes:

• Providing real-time translations and summaries
• Managing your account and subscription
• Personalizing your experience (language, mosque, prayer times)
• Sending relevant notifications (e.g., when a khutba starts at your mosque)
• Improving our AI translation models — exclusively using anonymized data
• Complying with legal obligations (accounting, tax duties)

We process your data based on the legal grounds under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Performance of the contract: to deliver Khutba World to you.
• Consent: for location data, push notifications, and marketing emails.
• Legitimate interest: for security, fraud detection, and product improvement.
• Legal obligation: for tax and financial record-keeping.

We never sell your data. We only share it with carefully selected processors that help us deliver the service:

• Neon: managed PostgreSQL database (servers in the EU)
• Vercel: web application hosting
• Cloudflare: real-time infrastructure (PartyKit) and CDN
• ElevenLabs: primary speech-to-text processing for Arabic sermons
• Deepgram: automatic fallback for speech-to-text when the primary service is unavailable
• Google Cloud Translation: live translation service
• OpenAI / Anthropic: AI summaries and contextual linking
• Stripe: payment processing for subscriptions
• Resend: transactional emails

We have a data processing agreement with each processor. Where possible, data is processed within the European Economic Area (EEA). For transfers outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses.

• Account data: for as long as your account is active, plus 30 days after deletion.
• Sermon translations: unlimited, unless you or the mosque requests deletion.
• Payment details: 7 years (tax retention requirement).
• Log files: up to 90 days.
• Audio of live sermons: not stored by default, only temporarily processed for real-time translation.

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: ask us to delete your data ("right to be forgotten").
• Right to restriction: restrict the processing of your data.
• Right to data portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interest.
• Withdrawal of consent: withdraw your consent at any time.

Requests can be submitted via privacy@khutba.world. We will respond within 30 days.

We protect your data with appropriate technical and organizational measures:

• TLS encryption for all data traffic
• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt / argon2
• Database encryption at rest
• Restricted access to production systems
• Logging and monitoring of suspicious activity
• Periodic security audits and dependency updates

We use cookies and similar technologies for:

• Functional cookies: to keep you logged in and remember your preferences (necessary, no consent required).
• Analytics cookies: anonymized data to improve the service (based on legitimate interest).

We do not use third-party tracking cookies for advertising.

Khutba World is intended for users aged 16 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16. Parents who believe their child has registered can contact us via privacy@khutba.world.

Do you have a complaint about how we handle your data? Please contact us first. You also always have the right to file a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority via autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl.

This privacy policy may be updated from time to time. In case of significant changes, we will notify you via email or an in-app notification. The most recent version is always available on this page.