Duolingo records your voice when you use speaking exercises and uses those recordings to assess your pronunciation and improve its technology.
This analysis describes what Duolingo's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The clause establishes the scope and stated purpose of voice data collection, which is a material data practice given that voice recordings constitute sensitive audio data. This provision defines the operational basis for voice capture and processing within the service.
The updated privacy policy no longer contains explicit language stating that Duolingo uses cookies to enhance user experience and analyze performance, or that it shares user information with social media, advertising, and analytics partners. The policy also no longer displays a 'Do Not Sell My Personal Information' button. These removals may affect the transparency of Duolingo's practices as disclosed in the policy document itself, though actual data practices may remain unchanged. Users should review the complete updated privacy policy to understand current disclosures about data collection and sharing.
View change record →The updated policy now discloses a new Math Tutor feature that processes audio through Apple for transcription; audio is deleted but text transcripts may be retained and shared with AI vendors. Duolingo also clarified that IP addresses may be retained longer than 30 days for paying subscribers specifically for payment processing and fraud prevention. The policy changed the Video Call feature from 'Duolingo offers' to 'Duolingo may offer', clarifying it is optional. You can disable FullStory and Session Replay activity recording using the Tracking toggle in app Settings.
View change record →Removal of explicit disclosure about voice data collection is significant as it previously provided clear notice about a sensitive form of biometric data collection used for speech recognition.
View full change record →Your voice recordings are collected during speaking exercises and may be used beyond immediate pronunciation feedback, including to train Duolingo's speech recognition systems, which raises questions about retention and secondary use of biometric-adjacent data.
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"We collect voice recordings when you use voice-based features in our app, such as speaking exercises. We use these recordings to evaluate your pronunciation and improve our speech recognition technology.— Excerpt from Duolingo's Duolingo Privacy Policy
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: Voice data collection implicates GDPR Art. 9 if voice recordings are processed to infer health or biometric data (special category); Illinois BIPA (740 ILCS 14) if voice recordings constitute 'biometric identifiers'; Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act (CUBI); Washington My Health MY Data Act. FTC Act Section 5 applies to deceptive practices around biometric data. Primary enforcers: Illinois AG, FTC, EU DPAs.
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The clause establishes the scope and stated purpose of voice data collection, which is a material data practice given that voice recordings constitute sensitive audio data. This provision defines the operational basis for voice capture and processing within the service.
Your voice recordings are collected during speaking exercises and may be used beyond immediate pronunciation feedback, including to train Duolingo's speech recognition systems, which raises questions about retention and secondary use of biometric-adjacent data.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 4 platforms. See the full comparison.
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