Hilltop Privacy Policy

Last updated: 18 August 2026

Hilltop is a visual media library that connects to Google Drive and helps professional users organise, browse, search and understand their media.

Hilltop is operated by Damien Attenborough, trading as Hilltop, in the United Kingdom.

If you have a question about this policy or how Hilltop handles your data, email hello@usehilltop.com.

1. Our approach to privacy

Hilltop is designed to work with your existing Google Drive rather than replace it.

That means:

• your original files remain in Google Drive;
• Hilltop accesses Drive data only where needed to provide the features you use;
• Hilltop does not move or modify your original files;
• we store lightweight previews, metadata and other information needed to organise and search your media;
• some features use selected third-party AI services;
• we do not sell your personal data;
• we do not use your private files or customer data to train AI models.

We select service providers, including AI providers, with their security, privacy, data-retention and model-training practices in mind.

2. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies when you:

• visit the Hilltop website;
• apply for access;
• create or use a Hilltop account;
• connect Google Drive;
• import or organise media;
• contact us or provide feedback.

Hilltop is intended for businesses and professional users aged 18 or over.

Where an organisation or professional user uses Hilltop to process personal data contained in their own media library, that customer will often be the data controller for that content and Hilltop will process it on their behalf.

3. Information we collect

Account and identity information

When you sign in with Google or use Hilltop, we may process:

• your name and email address;
• your Google account identifier and profile information;
• your Hilltop user and organisation identifiers;
• workspace and organisation membership;
• authentication and session information.

Early-access application information

If you apply to use Hilltop, we may collect information such as:

• your name and email;
• organisation and professional role;
• the kinds of media you work with;
• where your media is stored;
• approximate library size;
• problems or needs you tell us about;
• feedback preferences.

Google Drive information

When you connect Google Drive, Hilltop may access information needed to provide its features, including:

• file and folder names and IDs;
• folder relationships;
• file and media types;
• file sizes and dates;
• image and video dimensions;
• video duration;
• Drive links and thumbnail information;
• files and folders you choose to import or access through Hilltop;
• Drive search terms you enter through Hilltop.

Hilltop may temporarily download an original file when required for a feature, such as video transcription.

Hilltop does not use your Drive access for unrelated purposes.

Google connection credentials

To maintain an authorised Google Drive connection, Hilltop may store:

• your Google provider account identifier;
• granted OAuth permissions;
• token-expiry and connection-status information;
• an encrypted Google refresh token.

Refresh tokens are encrypted before storage.

Media and workspace information

When you use Hilltop, we may store:

• filenames and media metadata;
• generated previews;
• tags;
• albums and boards;
• notes and descriptions;
• related links and file relationships;
• import and processing status;
• AI-generated image descriptions and search metadata;
• video transcripts;
• information about the AI provider and model used for processing.

Website analytics

Hilltop uses Vercel Web Analytics to understand aggregate website and product usage.

This may include information such as page views, approximate location, browser, operating system, device type and referring page.

Vercel Web Analytics is designed to operate without cookies and provide aggregated analytics rather than identify individual visitors.

Information you provide directly

We may also process information you send through:

• emails and support requests;
• feedback and research conversations;
• bug reports.

4. How we use information

We process information to:

• create and manage Hilltop accounts;
• authenticate users;
• connect to Google Drive;
• import and organise selected media;
• create previews;
• generate descriptions and transcripts;
• provide search and discovery features;
• maintain authorised Google connections;
• secure and troubleshoot the service;
• understand how Hilltop is used and improve it;
• provide support and service communications;
• manage early-access applications.

For core service functionality, our lawful basis is generally that processing is necessary to provide the service you have asked us to provide.

For areas such as security, reliability, product improvement and basic analytics, we may rely on our legitimate interests in operating and improving Hilltop, where those interests are not overridden by your rights.

Where we rely on consent for a particular activity, you may withdraw that consent.

We do not currently use personal information for third-party advertising.

5. How Hilltop uses Google user data

Hilltop uses Google authentication and the Google Drive API so you can use your existing Drive media through Hilltop.

Google user data accessed by Hilltop may include:

• basic Google account identity information;
• file and folder metadata;
• Drive file and folder identifiers;
• selected image and video content;
• Google-generated thumbnails;
• Drive search results required for features you use.

We use this information only to provide user-facing Hilltop features such as browsing, importing, organising, previewing, searching and processing media.

Google Drive data may be stored in Hilltop where necessary to provide those features, including as:

• file metadata;
• generated previews;
• transcripts;
• image descriptions;
• search metadata;
• user-created organisational information.

Original Google Drive files generally remain in Google Drive rather than being stored as originals by Hilltop.

Some Google-derived media may be transferred to service providers where necessary to provide a feature. For example:

• image previews may be sent to Moondream for image analysis;
• original video or audio files may be sent to ElevenLabs for transcription.

We do not sell Google user data or use it for advertising.

Human access to private Google-derived content is limited to circumstances where it is reasonably necessary to provide support you have requested, investigate security or abuse, comply with law, or where you otherwise authorise access.

Hilltop's use of information received from Google APIs complies with the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements.

You can revoke Hilltop's access through your Google account settings.

6. AI processing

Hilltop uses selected third-party AI services for specific features.

Moondream

Hilltop uses Moondream, operated by M87 Labs, for image descriptions and image search metadata.

Hilltop sends Moondream a processed PNG version of the media preview required for analysis.

We do not intentionally include your Hilltop user ID, organisation ID, Google Drive ID, notes or tags in these requests.

Moondream's current terms state that customer content is not used to train generally available Moondream models or third-party models unless the customer explicitly opts in.

ElevenLabs

Hilltop uses ElevenLabs Speech-to-Text, currently using the Scribe model, to create audio and video transcripts.

To generate a transcript, the original media file is transmitted to ElevenLabs. The request may also include its filename and MIME type.

Hilltop's ElevenLabs account is configured so that newly submitted customer data is not used to improve ElevenLabs' models.

Standard Hilltop processing does not currently use ElevenLabs' Enterprise Zero Retention Mode, so ElevenLabs may retain submitted data in accordance with its applicable service terms and policies.

Our approach to AI providers

Hilltop does not use customer private files or customer data to train AI models.

Where customer content needs to be processed by an external AI service, we aim to select and configure providers so that customer content is not used to train their general-purpose models.

We also consider providers' security, retention and privacy practices when deciding which services Hilltop uses.

AI-generated descriptions, transcripts and other outputs may contain errors. They are intended to help organise and discover media rather than act as authoritative statements about people or content.

Hilltop does not use these outputs to make legal or similarly significant automated decisions about individuals.

7. Where your data is processed

Hilltop uses established infrastructure providers to operate the service.

Supabase

Hilltop uses Supabase for its primary database and private preview storage.

The Hilltop Supabase project is hosted in Ireland (eu-west-1).

Information stored there may include:

• account and organisation information;
• Google Drive metadata;
• encrypted Google credentials;
• media previews;
• tags, notes, albums and boards;
• transcripts and AI-generated descriptions;
• processing information.

Vercel

Hilltop is hosted using Vercel.

Hilltop's server-side Vercel Functions are configured to run in Dublin, Ireland (dub1).

Vercel also uses globally distributed infrastructure to deliver website assets efficiently.

Google

Original customer media remains in Google Drive unless temporarily retrieved for processing required by a Hilltop feature.

Google's infrastructure and handling of data are also governed by its own applicable terms and privacy policies.

Resend states that its account data, including email metadata, logs and API records, is stored in the United States.

AI providers

Some media is transmitted to AI providers where necessary to provide a requested feature.

Moondream and ElevenLabs may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we take steps intended to ensure that appropriate safeguards or legal mechanisms are in place where required by UK data-protection law.

Contact hello@usehilltop.com if you would like more information about international transfers relevant to your data.

8. Who we share information with

We do not sell personal data.

We share information only where necessary to operate Hilltop, provide requested features, protect the service, comply with law, or where you direct us to do so.

Our current principal service providers are:

• Google — authentication, Google Drive access and original media storage;
• Supabase — database and private preview storage;
• Vercel — application hosting, server-side execution and web analytics;
• Moondream / M87 Labs — image analysis;
• ElevenLabs — audio and video transcription;
• Sentry — error/performance monitoring and application diagnostics;
• PostHog — product analytics;
• Resend — transactional and service email delivery, involving recipient email addresses, message content, delivery metadata and related operational email data.

Resend is used for email delivery. Hilltop does not send Google Drive originals, media previews, filenames, tags, notes, transcripts or AI-generated descriptions to Resend as part of its current email notifications.

We may also disclose information where reasonably necessary to comply with law, protect Hilltop or its users, investigate fraud or security incidents, or in connection with a future business reorganisation or sale.

9. Cookies

Hilltop uses cookies or local browser storage where necessary for functions such as authentication, security and maintaining your session.

We currently avoid advertising and behavioural-tracking cookies.

Vercel Web Analytics does not use cookies for visitor analytics.

If we introduce non-essential tracking technologies in future, we will update this policy and obtain consent where required.

10. How long we keep information

We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or where required for security, support or legal obligations.

In general:

• account and workspace information is kept while your account or workspace remains active;
• imported metadata, previews, transcripts, descriptions and organisational information are kept while they remain part of your Hilltop workspace;
• Google credentials are kept while required to maintain your authorised Google connection.

If you delete an item from Hilltop, it is removed from the live Hilltop service.

Deleting an item from Hilltop does not delete the original item from Google Drive.

If you disconnect or revoke Google access, Hilltop stops using that authorisation and removes credentials that are no longer needed to maintain the connection.

Hilltop does not currently operate a user-facing backup or deletion-recovery system. If we introduce backups or recoverable deletion, we will document the relevant retention period and update this policy.

11. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures intended to protect customer information.

These include measures such as:

• encrypted HTTPS connections;
• restricted access to customer data;
• private media-preview storage;
• server-side handling of service credentials;
• encryption of Google refresh tokens before storage;
• infrastructure access controls.

No online service can guarantee absolute security, but we aim to minimise both the customer data we hold and the access granted to external services.

12. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law may give you rights including the right to:

• access your personal data;
• correct inaccurate personal data;
• ask us to erase personal data;
• restrict certain processing;
• object to certain processing;
• receive certain data in a portable format;
• withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.

Some rights are subject to legal conditions and exceptions.

To exercise a privacy right, contact hello@usehilltop.com.

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data-protection regulator.

13. Personal data contained in customer media

Customer media may contain information about people other than the Hilltop user.

Where a professional user or organisation chooses to process that content through Hilltop, the customer is generally responsible for ensuring they have an appropriate basis for doing so and for meeting their obligations to those individuals.

Hilltop processes that content for the purpose of providing the service requested by the customer.

We do not use customer media to build advertising profiles or independently identify people depicted in customer content.

14. Age and children's data

Hilltop accounts are intended for businesses and professional users aged 18 or over.

Customer media may contain images, video or other information relating to children where a professional customer has a lawful reason to manage that content. In those circumstances, the customer remains responsible for the underlying content and its lawful use.

15. Changes to this policy

Hilltop is currently an early-access product and will continue to evolve.

We may update this policy as the service, infrastructure, providers or legal requirements change. The date at the top of the policy will always show the latest revision.

Where a change materially affects how we use personal data, we will provide appropriate notice and seek consent where required.

16. Questions or privacy requests

Privacy and trust are important parts of how we're building Hilltop. If you have a question about what data Hilltop holds, how a feature uses your content, or anything else covered by this policy, you're welcome to get in touch.

Hilltop
Operated by Damien Attenborough, trading as Hilltop
London, United Kingdom

hello@usehilltop.com

We aim to answer privacy and data-protection enquiries clearly and promptly.