Audacity is an open-source audio editor that has been embroiled in controversy ever since its new owner, Muse Group, updated its privacy policy. Without getting too deep into the controversy, the Muse Group plans to roll out changes that will collect telemetry and other data. Muse Group posted an updated privacy policy describing its data collection in Audacity.
In response, many users have been looking for alternatives that don’t collect such information, and “content creators” are only too happy to fill the void with recommendations that are often far sketchier than Audacity’s data collection plan.
For example, YouTube channel TechGumbo recently posted a “Top 5 Best Free Audacity Alternatives (2021)” video that discusses the issue and then recommends five alternatives.
But their first recommendation, Bear Audio, is beyond absurd.
First, Bear Audio is a completely online, HTML5-based audio editor. If you are concerned about an open-source desktop app sending data to developers, you should be doubly concerned about an online-only audio editor where you are literally uploading your audio to a company’s servers.
Second, the WHOIS data for BearAudio.Com indicates that the domain is registered in China, although the service is apparently provided on servers in the United States.
Third, Bear Audio’s privacy policy suggests that it collects far more information than Audacity does. Because users upload audio to Bear Audio’s servers, it has access to much more information than Audacity ever would.
What Information Do We Collect?
Bearaudiotool.com (“Bearaudiotool.com”, “we” or “us”) collects (a) the e-mail addresses of those who communicate with us via e-mail, (b) aggregate information concerning what pages users access or visit, (c) information volunteered by the user (such as survey information and/or site registrations) and (d) information related to your use of the site, including IP address, geographic location, and date and time of your request.
How Do We Use the Information?
Bearaudiotool.com uses collected information for the following purposes:
To fulfill a contract or take steps linked to a contract such as processing your registration on our website or sending you information about changes to our terms or policies;
Where it is necessary for purposes which are in Bearaudiotool.com’s or third parties’ legitimate interests such (a) to provide the information or content you have requested, (b) to contact you about our programs, products, features or services, (c) for internal business purposes such as identification and authentication or customer service, (d) to ensure the security of our website, by trying to prevent unauthorized or malicious activities, (e) to enforce compliance with our terms of use and other policies, (f) to help other organizations (such as copyright owners) to enforce their rights, and (g) to tailor content, advertisements and offers for you or for other purposes disclosed at the time of collection.
If you do not wish to receive information about our programs, products, features or services, you may send an email to us at [email protected].Where you give us consent: such as (a) where you ask us to send marketing information to you via a medium where we need your consent; (b) where you give us consent to place cookies and to use similar technologies; and (c) on other occasions where we ask you for consent, for a purpose which we explain at that time.
Where we are legally required to do so. We may also provide access to your personally identifiable information when legally required to do so, to cooperate with police investigations or other legal proceedings, to protect against misuse or unauthorized use of our website, to limit our legal liability and protect our rights, or to protect the rights, property or safety of visitors of the website or the public. In those instances, the information is provided only for that purpose.How Do We Share Your Information?
We do not share or sell your personal data to other organizations for commercial purposes, except to provide products or services you’ve requested, when we have your permission, or under the following circumstances:
It is necessary to share information in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the physical safety of any person, violations of Terms of Service, or as otherwise required by law.
We transfer information about you if Bearaudiotool.com is acquired by or merged with another company. In this event, Bearaudiotool.com will notify you before information about you is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
We provide such information to trusted businesses or persons for the sole purpose of processing personally identifying information on our behalf. When this is done, it is subject to agreements that oblige those parties to process such information only on our instructions and in compliance with this Privacy Policy and appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
We provide such information to third parties who have entered into non-disclosure agreements with us.
We provide such information to a company controlled by, or under common control with, Bearaudiotool.com for any purpose permitted by this Privacy Policy.
I want to be clear; I am not saying that it is unsafe to use Bear Audio any more than it is unsafe to use Audacity. But if you are in a situation where the sort of data collection that Audacity is planning would be a major concern, then it is absurd for TechGumbo and others to recommend something like Bear Audio as a safer alternative.