Is Gauth safe? Who runs it, what it keeps, and who can see your homework

The Morse teamPublished November 12, 202611 min read

As of November 2026, Gauth is safe to use in the sense that it's a genuine homework app run by the same US joint venture that runs TikTok, but it isn't private: Gauth's US privacy policy says the photos, typed questions, and voice recordings you send it can be used "to train and improve technology, such as our machine learning models and algorithms," and Gauth's US terms give its operator an "irrevocable" license to that content (Gauth). In the US, Gauth is now run by TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, in which ByteDance keeps a 19.9% stake (Gauth, TikTok).

We read Gauth's US privacy policy and US terms of service (both last updated January 22, 2026), its trust center, honor code, and Australian online safety page, its App Store and Google Play listings, the joint venture's announcement, Executive Order 14352, and the class action complaint filed against Gauth's operator, all on November 12, 2026. Where something is only alleged, we say so. Gauth deserves credit for a short privacy policy, about 2,000 words, that names its operator, says plainly that it trains on what you submit, and tells you not to share "confidential or sensitive information" with its AI.

Gauth's privacy at a glance

Read November 12, 2026, US versions.

Who owns Gauth, and is it still ByteDance?

Gauth's US operator is TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, and ByteDance is a minority owner. Gauth's US terms, last updated January 22, 2026, say Gauth is operated by TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, "a company registered in the United States" (Gauth). The joint venture's announcement, dated January 23, 2026, says ByteDance "retains 19.9%" and that Silver Lake, Oracle, and MGX each hold 15% (TikTok). That announcement says the venture's safeguards cover CapCut, Lemon8, "and a portfolio of other apps and websites in the U.S.," without naming Gauth.

Executive Order 14352, signed September 25, 2025, approved the deal as a "qualified divestiture" because ByteDance and its affiliates "will own less than 20 percent of the entity" (Federal Register). The order extends that approval to "any other application or website duly operated by the new joint venture."

Two other companies still appear in Gauth's documents:

• TT Commerce & Global Services: Gauth's US terms say Premium Services for US users "will be provided by TT Commerce & Global Services," which the terms define as "BD TikTok USA LLC and its affiliates" (Gauth). Gauth's US privacy policy says Gauth shares information with TT Commerce & Global Services "to facilitate a global and interoperable experience" (Gauth). Gauth's terms don't say who owns TT Commerce & Global Services.
• GauthTech: Gauth's App Store listing names "GAUTHTECH PTE. LTD." as the seller (App Store), and Gauth's Google Play listing names GauthTech Pte. Ltd. as the developer (Google Play).

Gauth's US privacy address is 5800 Bristol Parkway in Culver City, California, and Gauth's US terms send disputes to California courts (Gauth, Gauth). CapCut, another app the joint venture runs, has the same arrangement, which we cover in does CapCut use your videos for AI.

What does Gauth collect when you snap a homework photo?

Gauth collects the photo or question you send, plus data about your device. Gauth's US privacy policy says it collects "the content you submit to and generate using the Platform," including "written prompts, uploaded files, and voice recordings" (Gauth). Gauth's US terms define your content as "text, math problems, answers, photographs, data and information" (Gauth). Gauth's App Store label lists "Photos or Videos" as user content linked to your identity (App Store).

A photo of a worksheet often shows more than the problem, such as your name at the top, your teacher's name, the school's header, or a classmate's handwriting. Gauth's own terms ban posting "a photograph of another person" without that person's consent (Gauth).

Gauth also collects device data automatically. Its US privacy policy lists "your IP address, unique device identifiers, mobile carrier and device information, approximate location," and usage data such as "the duration and frequency of your use" (Gauth).

Gauth publishes no retention periods. Its US privacy policy says it keeps information "for as long as necessary to provide the Platform," and says periods "will be different depending on the type of information" (Gauth). Gauth's trust center says it stores data "in secure servers around the globe" (Gauth).

Does Gauth use your homework to train AI?

Yes. Gauth's US privacy policy lists "To train and improve technology, such as our machine learning models and algorithms" among the uses of your information (Gauth). The US policy describes no setting that turns training off, and makes one exception: Gauth doesn't use data "obtained through Google Workspace APIs" to train "generalized AI or machine learning models."

Gauth's license runs wider than training. Its US terms grant the operator a "non-exclusive, worldwide, unlimited, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully sublicensable (through multiple tiers) and fully transferable" right to your content (Gauth). Those terms let Gauth "sell" and "create derivative works based upon" your content "to provide the Services to users and develop the Services and similar products." QuillBot's terms take a similar license, which we cover in is QuillBot safe.

Can other people see your Gauth questions?

Some of them can. Gauth's US privacy policy says "Certain User Content may be visible to other users as well as third parties, such as search engines" (Gauth). Gauth's US terms let the operator and its partners "publish your User Content in a searchable format that may be accessed by other users" (Gauth). Neither document says which content goes public or how to keep yours private.

Gauth sends some questions to people. Gauth's App Store listing advertises "a global network of subject matter experts" (App Store). Gauth's US terms say Gauth "may engage tutors as independent contractors" (Gauth).

Everyone who can get a Gauth question, by Gauth's own documents

Built from the sources linked in each row, read November 12, 2026.

Gauth's Australian online safety page says Gauth enforces its terms "using a mix of automated and human moderation" (Gauth).

Does Gauth sell your data or track you?

Gauth says it doesn't sell your data, and its app store labels describe tracking. Gauth's US privacy policy says the Platform "does not sell your personal information or share your personal information with third parties for purposes of cross-context behavioral advertising where restricted by applicable law" (Gauth). The same policy says Gauth doesn't support "Do Not Track" requests.

Gauth's App Store label says Identifiers "may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies" (App Store). Gauth's Google Play data safety section lists device IDs collected for "App functionality, Analytics, Advertising or marketing" (Google Play). How this kind of tracking works across AI apps is in do AI chatbots share your data with trackers.

What is the Gauth lawsuit about?

A Gauth user sued Gauth's US operator on August 31, 2026, alleging that Gauth sent students' questions to Google. The case is Lominchar v. TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, No. 2:26-cv-09700, in the US District Court for the Central District of California (complaint). The complaint alleges that Google Analytics code on Gauth sends Google "the full text of the academic question," a persistent identifier called the "cid," and data on "the timing, duration, and depth" of each visit. It also alleges that users can ask questions without "being shown" any privacy policy. The complaint says the plaintiff was 17 and in high school when he first used Gauth, and that "No registration, sign-in, or account is required" to ask a question.

The claims are allegations, not findings. The complaint brings claims under the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the California Invasion of Privacy Act, among others. As of November 12, 2026, our searches found no ruling in the case and no regulator action naming Gauth. This isn't legal advice.

Is Gauth safe for kids?

Gauth's own rules set the floor at 13. Gauth's US privacy policy says Gauth "is not directed at, and may not be used by, children under the age of 13" (Gauth). Gauth's US terms say anyone under the age of majority needs "the express permission and consent from a parent or legal guardian" (Gauth). The same terms say Gauth "may, at its discretion, request proof of age or parental consent." Gauth's trust center says some markets set a higher minimum age (Gauth).

The App Store shows a different number. Gauth's App Store listing shows a 4+ rating (App Store). A parent who sees "4+" on the listing should read Gauth's terms, which say 13. Our guide to AI privacy for students covers what schools can see in the AI tools they hand out.

Is Gauth secure?

Gauth's own trust center names no security certification, though some guides list several. A security profile that ranks for "is Gauth safe" lists Gauth as "SOC 2 Compliant," "HIPAA Compliant," and "FedRamp Compliant" (Nudge Security). Gauth's trust center, read November 12, 2026, describes "encryption, security, and access controls" (Gauth). The joint venture's announcement says its security program will "adhere to" NIST and ISO 27001 standards, without naming Gauth (TikTok).

How do you delete your Gauth account?

By email. Gauth's US terms say "You may request termination of your account at any time by e-mailing us" (Gauth). Gauth's US privacy policy says you can ask to "know, access, correct or delete" your information at privacy@gauth-us.com (Gauth). Gauth may ask you to send the request "from the email address associated with your account." Gauth's Google Play listing says the developer "provides a way for you to request that your data be deleted" (Google Play). Neither Gauth's policy nor its terms say whether deleting your account ends the irrevocable license.

How Morse keeps an adult learner's questions on your own device

Every row in the tables above starts with a question you typed or photographed sitting on Gauth's servers as User Content, under a license that doesn't end. Morse is built so your chats don't sit on our servers. Your chat history is stored only in your browser, encrypted, and Morse's servers don't keep your messages or log what you write. Your Morse account holds your sign-in details, plan, balance, and a usage ledger with no content.

Morse is for adults, who confirm at sign-up that they're 18 or older. It suits an adult student working through a statistics course, a parent relearning algebra to help at the kitchen table, or a tutor preparing a lesson.

• Training and the license. Morse doesn't train AI on your content, sell your data, or show ads, so there's no setting to look for.
• Who else sees it. Morse's servers don't keep your question; the mode you pick decides what the model host sees (below). Attached files are sent with the message and never stored by Morse.
• Tracking. Morse runs no advertising trackers or third-party analytics.
• Deletion. Your device holds the history, so clearing your browser or deleting your account removes it for good. Morse can't recover it either, so save the worked solutions you want to keep.

Pick the mode by what you're asking:

• Private, for working through problem sets you'd rather no company train on. New chats start in Private, on open-weight models such as DeepSeek, Kimi, and GLM. Morse has zero data retention agreements with its inference, search, and other providers, so those providers keep nothing, and where a provider confirms zero retention on each reply, Morse checks it and refuses a reply that doesn't.
• Anonymous, for checking a proof with GPT, Claude, or Gemini without your name on it. Our proxy removes your account, email, and IP address and sends the message under Morse's own account, so the provider sees the question without knowing it's you. The provider may keep it for a limited time to check for abuse, under its own policy, so tutors should leave students' names out.
• E2EE, for anything no one should read, like a parent's notes on a learning evaluation or an adult student's accommodation request. Your browser checks the enclave's hardware attestation, then encrypts the message so only that enclave can read it, and our servers relay ciphertext they can't read. That rests on the enclave hardware and attestation working as designed, and the enclaves are run by third-party providers, not by Morse. E2EE chats come with Pro, at $19 a month.

In every mode, your history locks when you sign out, and opening it takes a key that stays on your device plus one our server issues at sign-in. Because we don't store chats, we usually have very little to give authorities, as our privacy policy explains.

So is Gauth safe for your homework?

Gauth is a real app with plain-spoken policies and a broad claim on what you send it. Before the next photo:

• Training: assume every question and photo can train Gauth's models, since the US policy offers no opt-out. Morse doesn't train AI on your chats.
• What's in the frame: crop out names, school headers, and classmates' work before you snap a worksheet.
• Going public: treat a Gauth question as something other users and search engines might see.
• Tracking: on the App Store, Gauth's label lists cross-app tracking, so check your phone's tracking settings for the app.
• A child in your home: Gauth's terms say 13 and up, with your consent for minors, whatever the App Store's 4+ rating says.
• Leaving: email privacy@gauth-us.com from your account's address, and ask for deletion, not just account closure.

If you're an adult studying on your own, you can try Morse from the home page without an account, or start free with no card.