Privacy Policy
Short and honest
Wortfang helps you translate words and passages and build your own vocabulary. To produce a translation, pronunciation and vocabulary pairs, Wortfang sends the text you enter to our own translation service — which runs on our own hardware in Germany, not on any third-party AI cloud. There are no user accounts, no advertising, no analytics and no third-party trackers.
Data controller
Matthias Baumann, MBN Software, Germany. Contact for privacy questions: wortfang@mbnsoftware.de.
What data does Wortfang process?
When you translate a word, sentence or passage, the text you enter is sent over an encrypted connection (HTTPS) to our translation service to generate the translation, IPA pronunciation and vocabulary pairs. If you import text from a web address, the address you provide is sent so the page can be fetched. Your saved words, lists and learning progress are created on your device.
Self-hosted translation
The translation is produced by a large language model that we host on our own servers in Germany. The text you submit is processed only to generate the response. It is not sent to, or shared with, any third-party translation or AI provider such as Google, DeepL or OpenAI.
Caching for speed
To make repeated translations fast, results may be cached on our server for a limited time, keyed to the submitted text. The cache holds the text and its translation, not who requested it.
Importing from a web address
If you use the import feature, our server fetches the page at the address you provide and extracts its text so you can translate it. Only the address you enter is used for this.
Dictionary data
For offline lookups, Wortfang downloads dictionary data derived from Wiktionary to your device. These downloads contain no personal data.
iCloud sync
Wortfang can store your vocabulary and lists in your own iCloud (iCloud Drive, container iCloud.de.mbnsoftware.Wortfang) so they are available across your devices. This is your iCloud storage; neither MBN Software nor any third party has access to it. You can manage or delete this data via your device's iCloud settings.
On-device storage
Your saved words, lists and learning progress are stored on your device and are removed when you uninstall the app. Data already synced to iCloud is managed through your iCloud.
Server logs
Our servers keep standard technical log entries — such as timestamps and the requesting IP address — for a limited time to operate the service securely and prevent abuse. These logs are not used to profile you and are not combined with your translation content for any other purpose.
Legal basis
Processing of your translation text is based on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), which you give by using the translation features, and on the performance of the contract to use the app (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR). Technical security logging is based on our legitimate interest in operating the service safely (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
Retention
Translation requests are processed transiently to generate a response. Cached results and technical logs are kept only for a limited time and then deleted. Your vocabulary remains on your device and in your iCloud until you delete it or uninstall the app.
Recipients
Your translation text is processed only on our own infrastructure in Germany. When iCloud sync is enabled, Apple Inc. acts as your iCloud provider for the data you store there. There are no other recipients and no third-party AI providers.
Your rights
You have the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability and objection (Art. 15–21 GDPR). For data on your device or in your iCloud you exercise these rights directly via your device and iCloud settings; for any other request contact wortfang@mbnsoftware.de.
Right to lodge a complaint
You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, for example the authority responsible for your place of residence.