The Hot Seat
Privacy Policy
Last updated: 2026-06-08
The Hot Seat is a rehearsal tool: you practice a pitch or a hard conversation against a panel of AI characters. This policy explains, in plain English, what happens to your information when you use it. It is a template and not legal advice.
The short version
- Almost everything you do stays on your device, saved in your browser's local storage.
- The words you type and your panel's setup are sent to Google's Gemini AI so it can generate the panel's responses. On the free tier we use, Google may review and use that content to improve their services, so please don't enter anything sensitive or confidential.
- Photos you add stay on your device and are never sent to the AI.
- We don't sell your personal data.
What we store on your device
The Hot Seat is local-first. Your rehearsal sessions, the custom people and panels you build, your photos, and your settings are saved in your browser's local storage on the device you're using. That data doesn't leave your device except as described below, and it isn't synced to us. If you use a different browser or device, you won't see it there.
Optional account
You can use the app fully without an account. If accounts are enabled and you choose to sign in, we use a passwordless magic link, which means we store your email address with our authentication provider (Supabase) to send that link and recognize you. We never ask for or store a password. If accounts aren't configured for your build of the app, no email is collected at all.
What we send to the AI
To generate the panel's reactions and your readiness report, we send the following to Google's Gemini API: the messages you type (and the topic and audience you optionally provide) and the text descriptions of the panelists in your room (their name, role, and the traits you wrote for them). We do this only when you actively run a round or pull a report.
We use Google's free tier. On that tier, Google may review, retain, and use the content you send to improve their products and services, as described in Google's own terms. Because of that, please don't enter sensitive, private, or confidential information — treat it like anything you wouldn't want a third party to read. The Hot Seat is a place to rehearse, not a vault.
Photos stay on your device
When you add a photo to a custom panelist, the image is resized and cropped in your browser and stored locally as that panelist's avatar. Photos are not included in anything we send to the AI — the model only ever receives text. The likeness is a visual aid for you, on your device.
Voices are local
When panelists speak aloud, that uses your browser's built-in text-to-speech (the Web Speech API). The spoken audio is generated on your device by your browser; we don't send a separate recording anywhere to make it.
Analytics
We use Vercel Analytics, which collects anonymous, cookieless usage metrics (such as page views) to help us understand how the app is used. It doesn't set cookies and doesn't collect personal data. We don't use any other tracking.
No sale of personal data
We don't sell your personal data. The only third parties involved are the ones described here: Google (to generate AI responses), Vercel (anonymous, cookieless usage analytics), and, if you sign in, our authentication provider for your email.
How to delete your data
Because your content lives in your browser, you can remove it by clearing this site's data in your browser settings (or using the app's own delete/clear controls for sessions and panelists). If you created an account, you can ask us to delete the email associated with it. Content already sent to Google's AI is handled under Google's policies and isn't something we can reach in to delete.
Children
The Hot Seat isn't intended for anyone under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from children under 13.
Changes
We may update this policy as the app evolves. When we make a meaningful change, we'll update the date at the top.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Reach us at legal@dolcevitahospitality.com.