Overview
Motherboard is operated by Shortscut for saving, analyzing, and curating short-form video references (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X). This policy explains what information we collect when you use Motherboard or the public Shortscut Library, how we use it, and the limited set of service providers who help us operate the product.
We do not sell your information. We do not share it with third parties for their marketing or advertising. If you unlock the public Shortscut Library, we use the name and email you submit to send Shortscut marketing emails unless you opt out. We do not use phone numbers or SMS data for marketing.
Information we collect
We collect only what we need to run the product:
- Account information. Your email address, password (stored hashed via our auth provider), and an optional display name.
- Phone number. If you opt in to text-message features, the phone number you register in Settings. We use it to identify your incoming texts and to send analysis- related replies and notifications.
- Videos you save. The URLs you submit and the publicly available metadata returned by the source platform (title, caption, thumbnail, author handle, posted date, duration, and on TikTok and Instagram, public engagement counts at the time of save).
- Public library lead information. If you unlock the public Shortscut Library, we collect your name, email address, marketing consent text/version, consent timestamp, opt-out status, source page, IP address, and user agent.
- AI analysis output. Transcripts, scene breakdowns, summaries, and tags generated automatically from the videos you save.
- SMS audit log. The content of inbound text messages you send to our number, along with the sending phone number and a delivery status, retained for troubleshooting and abuse prevention.
- Basic operational logs. Standard server request logs (IP address, user agent, timestamp) used to keep the service running and detect abuse.
How we use your information
- To authenticate you and keep your account secure.
- To save the videos you submit, fetch their metadata, and run AI analysis on the content.
- To match incoming text messages to your account and reply with confirmations or analysis status updates.
- To operate, debug, and improve the product for the small group of internal users it serves.
- To send Shortscut marketing emails to people who explicitly unlock the public Shortscut Library and consent to those emails.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your information. We do not share it with third parties for their marketing. You can opt out of Shortscut marketing emails at any time from the unsubscribe link or by contacting us.
Marketing email
The public Shortscut Library is email-gated. By submitting the gate form, you agree that Shortscut may send you marketing emails. You can unsubscribe at any time from the unsubscribe link or by visiting the public unsubscribe page. We record opt-out status and stop using unsubscribed addresses for marketing emails.
SMS messaging
SMS is opt-in. You add your phone number from Settings; you can remove it at any time, or reply STOP to any message we send to unsubscribe. Reply HELP for help. Message frequency varies based on the videos you save. Message and data rates may apply.
Phone numbers and SMS opt-in information are never shared with third parties and are never used for marketing purposes. Our SMS provider (Twilio) processes messages solely to deliver them on our behalf.
Service providers
We rely on a small number of vendors to operate Motherboard. These providers process data only as needed to deliver their service to us, under their own security and privacy obligations. They are not permitted to use your information for their own marketing.
- Supabase — authentication and database hosting.
- Vercel — application hosting.
- Cloudflare R2 — storage of video thumbnails and downloaded source files used for analysis.
- Twilio — SMS delivery for inbound and outbound text messages.
- Google (Gemini API) — AI model used to transcribe and analyze video content.
- RapidAPI / YouTube Data API — fetching public video metadata from source platforms.
Data retention and deletion
We retain your account and saved content for as long as your account is active. You can delete saved videos at any time from within the app. To delete your account or any other data we hold about you, email us at support@shortscut.com. SMS audit logs are retained for up to 12 months for abuse prevention and then deleted.
Security
Access to Motherboard requires authentication. Data is transmitted over TLS and stored on the managed services listed above. No system is perfectly secure, but we limit access to production data to the small set of operators who need it.
Children
Motherboard is an internal workplace tool and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify users in the app.
Contact
Questions about this policy or about the data we hold about you? Email support@shortscut.com.