1. Introduction
ScienceIQ ("we", "us", "our"), operated by Artemis Technology, provides an AI-powered research and study platform. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you use our website and services (collectively, the "Service").
By using ScienceIQ, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
2. Data We Collect
2.1 Account Information
When you create an account, we collect:
- Name and email address
- Profile picture (if provided via social login)
- Authentication credentials (hashed passwords for email sign-up, or OAuth tokens for Google, Apple, and Facebook sign-in)
2.2 User-Generated Content
When you use the Service, we store:
- Uploaded documents (scientific papers, articles)
- Chat messages and conversations with the AI assistant
- Study materials you create or generate (quizzes, flashcards, mind maps, learning plans, presentations)
- Notes, reading progress, and study goals
- Folder organization and group participation data
2.3 Payment Information
Payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. We do not store your full credit card number, CVV, or banking details on our servers. We retain only a Stripe customer ID, subscription status, and billing period for account management. Please refer to Stripe's Privacy Policy for details on how your payment data is handled.
2.4 Usage Data
We automatically collect:
- Feature usage counts (e.g., number of papers analyzed, quizzes generated) for subscription limit enforcement
- Credit consumption and transaction history
- Session tokens and authentication timestamps
3. How We Use Your Data
We use your personal data to:
- Provide and maintain the Service, including AI-powered analysis and study material generation
- Authenticate your identity and manage your account
- Process payments and manage subscriptions
- Enforce usage limits based on your subscription tier
- Improve the Service and develop new features
- Communicate with you about your account, updates, or support inquiries
- Comply with legal obligations
4. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services to operate ScienceIQ:
- OpenAI — Your uploaded documents and prompts are sent to OpenAI's API for AI-powered analysis, summarization, quiz generation, and other study features. OpenAI processes this data according to their Privacy Policy. OpenAI's API data is not used to train their models.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) — Uploaded documents are stored securely in AWS S3 cloud storage.
- Stripe — Handles all payment processing and subscription management.
- Authentication Providers — Google, Apple, and Facebook may receive limited data (such as authentication tokens) when you choose to sign in via their services.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party for marketing or advertising purposes.
5. Data Storage and Security
Your data is stored in secured PostgreSQL databases and AWS S3 storage. We implement industry-standard security measures including:
- Encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS)
- Hashed and salted passwords (bcrypt)
- Secure, HTTP-only session tokens
- Access controls and principle of least privilege for internal systems
While we strive to protect your personal data, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law (e.g., financial transaction records).
Uploaded documents and generated study materials are deleted when you remove them from the platform or upon account deletion.
7. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Rectification — Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Erasure — Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
- Data Portability — Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Restriction — Request that we limit processing of your data
- Objection — Object to processing of your data for certain purposes
- Withdraw Consent — Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the email address provided below. We will respond within 30 days.
8. European Users (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal data under the following legal bases:
- Contract — Processing necessary to provide the Service you signed up for
- Legitimate Interest — Improving our Service, preventing fraud, and ensuring security
- Consent — Where you have given explicit consent (e.g., optional communications)
- Legal Obligation — Where required by applicable law
Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the EEA. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in compliance with GDPR requirements.
9. Cookies and Local Storage
We use strictly necessary cookies for authentication and session management. We do not use third-party tracking cookies or advertising cookies. Local storage may be used to save UI preferences such as language settings.
10. Children's Privacy
ScienceIQ is intended for users aged 16 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child under 16, we will take steps to delete it promptly.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
