If The Past Could Talk
Privacy Policy

Who We Are

If The Past Could Talk is operated by Teacher Space Limited, a company incorporated in Ireland. Our registered address is in Dublin, Ireland.

Contact: info@teacherspace.ie

What Data We Process

Depending on the features you choose, the app may process:

• Photos: If you choose camera or gallery identification, the image is sent to the AI services used to identify the site and prepare a response. Do not photograph children or include information you do not want processed by those providers.
• Location: If you grant browser location permission, the app uses it to find nearby mapped places. Location is not used for advertising or visitor profiles.
• Photo metadata: Location metadata in a selected image may be read by the app to support place matching.
• Talk questions and voice input: Text questions and voice input used for transcription are processed by the services needed to produce a Talk response.
• Generated narration: Story text may be sent to speech providers to create audio.
• Aggregate usage events: The app sends selected page and feature labels to an aggregate counter. The counter is not used in the app to build visitor-level profiles. Hosting and service providers may process standard request metadata, such as information needed to deliver and secure a web request.
• Email: The curriculum PDF form asks for your email address so we can provide the PDF you requested. If you contact us by email, we use the address and message to reply.

Cookies and Local Storage

The app uses browser storage for local application preferences and session/access state, including whether you dismissed the privacy notice. This is not used to build advertising profiles.

Cookies and browser storage are used as follows:

• No advertising cookies or cross-site tracking cookies.
• Local browser storage for app and session state.

We do record selected usage events as aggregate totals, such as page views or feature actions. The event payload contains event and page labels rather than an account ID. A request still passes through hosting and service providers, which may process standard technical request information.

Third-Party Services

Depending on the feature, information may be processed by the following providers. Their own privacy notices and service terms also apply:

• Anthropic (Claude AI): Visual identification and AI-generated historical responses. Anthropic Privacy Policy
• ElevenLabs: Text-to-speech voice synthesis. ElevenLabs Privacy Policy
• Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services: Irish-language voice synthesis. Microsoft Privacy Statement
• Cloudflare: Hosting, API proxy and aggregate usage counter. Cloudflare Privacy Policy
• Netlify: Website hosting and the curriculum PDF request form. Netlify Privacy Policy
• Payhip: Payment processing for passes. Payhip Privacy Policy
• Google Fonts: Typography. Fonts are loaded from Google's CDN. Google Privacy Policy
• Wikimedia Commons: A small number of landmark photographs are fetched directly from Wikimedia Commons' public API to illustrate the homepage and information pages. This is a standard anonymous, cookie-free API call — no data about you is sent beyond what any web request includes. Wikimedia Privacy Policy

Children's Privacy

The app does not require an account to explore. The curriculum PDF email form is intended for the adult or educator requesting the material. Please do not enter a child's name, contact details or other identifying information into Talk questions.

School use is governed by the school's own data protection policy and the terms agreed with Teacher Space Limited.

Your Rights Under GDPR

If you have submitted an email address or other personal information and have a question or request about it, contact us at the address below.

• Ask about information you submitted through the curriculum form or a contact email.
• Contact the Data Protection Commission (Ireland): dataprotection.ie.

For any privacy queries: info@teacherspace.ie

External Service Providers

Some features send the information described above to external service providers so they can provide that feature. Providers may process information in different countries and under their own privacy notices and service terms. Links to the providers' notices are listed above.

Changes to This Policy

If we make material changes to this notice, we will update the date at the top of this page and explain any new data uses before they begin.

Google and YouTube Connection for Administrators

This separate connection, named IF THE PAST COULD TALK Publishing, is for authorised administrators of our YouTube channel. Website visitors, pupils and teachers do not need to grant Google account access to use the public website.

The connection uses YouTube API Services. It reads the authorised channel identity and uploaded-video details, including posting copy, visibility, publication times and processing status, to confirm the intended destination, deliver our films and check the outcome. It can upload a film and apply its authorised visibility or publishing time. Automatic publishing is enabled only after the operator completes the connection and rollout checks; connecting Google alone does not authorise a video release.

Google's consent screen requests the youtube.force-ssl permission. This is a broad permission that includes viewing, editing and permanently deleting YouTube videos, ratings, comments and captions. Our publisher uses it for channel verification, uploads, video checks and publication. It has no function for deleting published YouTube videos. Google handles sign-in; we do not ask for your Google password.

OAuth connection credentials are held in encrypted secrets in our private GitHub repository, with a private setup backup on the owner's computer. Short-lived access tokens are used in memory. The authorised workflows run through GitHub Actions and send the selected video and posting details to YouTube. See Google's Privacy Policy and GitHub's Privacy Statement.

The automated publisher separates YouTube-returned video identifiers and delivery state from our original stories, media, package hashes and attempt records. Its API receipts use private GitHub Actions archives configured for three-day expiry; the worker verifies the expiry and exact contents before continuing. It only loads the current Irish day's receipts. Missing, expired or unavailable receipts hold an uncertain upload rather than permit another copy. Locally generated attempt records remain to prevent duplicates after receipt expiry. Private setup or troubleshooting copies are handled separately by the operator.

Our private Telegram connection can deliver our film, captions and a general workflow result to authorised reviewers. The automated publisher does not send API receipt identifiers, credentials or raw API responses to Telegram. See Telegram's Privacy Policy. These administrative services do not add an advertising or account-connection requirement to the public website.

To request disconnection, deletion of administrative connection information or details about a private troubleshooting copy, email info@teacherspace.ie. The operator handles these requests: stop active publishing, block new connections, remove private receipt archives and verify deletion, including a further check for any upload already in flight. A request does not automatically delete published videos, the public website or our independently generated content and duplicate-prevention records. Do not include passwords or token values in an email.

You may also revoke the application's access through Google Account connections. Revocation prevents further authorised API requests but does not itself remove information held by GitHub, the operator or YouTube. Contact us to request removal of copies we hold; manage published videos through YouTube.