Map every operation and data class
List the original media, microphone stream, temporary audio, transcript, timestamps, speaker clusters, summaries, vocabulary, account identifiers, license data, crash details, analytics events, model files, logs, and backups. For each, record where it is created, where it travels, who can access it, why it exists, and when it is deleted.
A single product can have a local transcription engine and online model download, activation, update, support, or optional sync. Those statements are compatible when documented separately. They become misleading when collapsed into “completely offline.”
Test behavior, not only policy language
Read the vendor’s current privacy notice and technical documentation. Then observe a representative install, first launch, model acquisition, transcription, export, idle period, update check, error, and uninstall. Note required destinations, failed offline behavior, and any control that changes the traffic.
Network observation alone cannot prove what encrypted traffic contains, and source review alone may not describe deployed configuration. Combine evidence and state the limit of each method.
Local files still need protection
Check the default save directory, temporary file path, autosave, recycle bin, indexing, thumbnails, cloud-synced folders, backup, multi-user permissions, and uninstall cleanup. A transcript stored locally can still be exposed through a lost device, shared Windows account, remote support tool, consumer sync client, or unencrypted backup.
Use device encryption, a protected account, least-privilege sharing, a defined retention period, and secure deletion appropriate to the storage technology and risk. Avoid recording data that is not needed in the first place.
Questions a vendor should answer plainly
Can the core job run after models are installed and the network is disconnected? Which hosts are contacted and why? Is telemetry optional? Does source media train models? What remains after deletion or uninstall? Are backups and crash attachments included? Can enterprise policy disable online features? What changes when an optional cloud integration is enabled?
A dated, operation-level answer is more durable than a privacy badge. Recheck after material releases because data flow can change with packaging, activation, diagnostics, and model delivery.