Audacity’s updated user agreement says data collection and transfer to law enforcement agencies

The developers of the software for editing audio files Audacity at the beginning of June updated the user agreement, but users have carefully read it just now – and were not satisfied . The free app now collects user data for “analytics”, “app enhancements” – for example, IP addresses, operating system version, processor model, and the country the user is in.

There is also a clause on the collection of data necessary “for law enforcement agencies, court proceedings and requests from the authorities” – and there is no clarification about what kind of data is collected. And this obscure data will be passed on to “all competent law enforcement agencies, regulators, government agencies, the court and other third parties where they (data), in our opinion, may be needed.” And the data will be transferred to potential buyers.

User data is stored on servers in the European Economic Area, however, according to representatives of the Muse Group, which developed Audacity, the company is “periodically required to provide user data to the office  in the United States.” Users’ IP addresses are stored “in a definable version” for 24 hours, and then hashed, and in this version they are stored for another year.

Apparently, the ban on the use of the program by persons under the age of 13 is also associated with the collection of data: according to the GDPR, a citizen of at least 13 years of age can give permission to collect personal data.