Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Citation Engine ("we," "our," or "us") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our website at https://citationengine.com and our academic writing tools. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data responsibly.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address – Used for account authentication, communication, and service updates
• Password – Securely hashed and stored for account security
• Account preferences – Settings and usage statistics to improve your experience

2.2 Input Data (Immediately Processed and Discarded)

We temporarily process but do not permanently store:

• URLs – Processed to generate citations and immediately discarded
• Uploaded files – (PDF, images) Processed for text extraction/analysis and immediately deleted
• Text input – Used for paraphrasing, proofreading, humanizing, and other AI services, then immediately discarded
• Academic content – Essays, documents, or text for reverse citation analysis, processed and immediately discarded

2.3 Advertising and Analytics Data

Through our advertising partners and analytics services, we may collect:

• Cookie identifiers – Unique identifiers stored on your device
• Advertising IDs – Mobile advertising identifiers for personalized ads
• Browsing behavior – Pages visited, time spent, and interaction patterns
• Referral information – Which websites directed you to our service
• Device information – Screen size, device type, operating system
• Interest segments – Categories based on your browsing behavior for ad targeting

2.4 Technical Information

• IP addresses – Used for security, rate limiting, and preventing abuse
• Browser information – To ensure compatibility and optimal performance
• Usage analytics – Anonymous data about feature usage to improve our services
• Cookies – Session management and authentication tokens

2.5 Payment Information

For premium subscriptions:

• Stripe customer data – Payment processing handled securely by Stripe
• Subscription status – To manage access to premium features
• Billing information – Stored securely by Stripe, not on our servers

3. How We Use Your Information

3.1 Service Provision

• Generate citations from URLs and metadata
• Process text for AI-powered writing assistance (paraphrasing, proofreading, humanizing)
• Provide reverse citation analysis
• Extract and summarize content from documents and links
• Manage user accounts and authentication

3.2 Communication

• Send account verification emails
• Provide customer support
• Send important service updates (with option to unsubscribe from marketing)

3.4 Advertising and Marketing

• Display personalized advertisements through Google AdSense
• Show relevant ads based on your interests and browsing behavior
• Measure advertising effectiveness and optimize ad performance
• Provide anonymous reporting to advertisers about ad impressions and clicks

3.5 Security and Abuse Prevention

• Prevent unauthorized access and fraud
• Rate limiting to ensure fair usage
• IP-based monitoring for suspicious activity

4. Data Processing and Retention

4.1 Immediate Deletion

The following data is processed and immediately deleted:

• URLs submitted for citation generation
• Files uploaded for analysis (PDFs, images)
• Text input for AI processing
• Academic content for reverse citation analysis

4.2 Account Data Retention

• Account information – Retained until account deletion
• Usage statistics – Anonymized and retained for service improvement
• Payment records – Retained as required by law and Stripe's policies

5. Third-Party Services

5.1 Payment Processing

Stripe: All payment processing is handled by Stripe. Your payment information is never stored on our servers. Stripe's privacy policy applies to payment data.

5.2 AI Services

We use third-party AI services for text processing. Your input is sent to these services but is not stored by them or us.

5.3 Advertising Services

Google AdSense: We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our website. Google AdSense may use cookies and web beacons to serve ads based on your prior visits to our website or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.

You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google's Ads Settings. You can also opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.

5.4 Analytics

Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to understand usage patterns and improve our service. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information about how visitors use our site. This information is used to compile reports and help us improve the site. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the site from, and the pages they visited.

5.5 Email Services

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): Used for sending account verification and service emails.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or share your personal information except:

• Advertising partners – Anonymous, aggregated data for ad targeting and measurement
• Legal requirements – When required by law, court order, or legal process
• Service providers – With trusted partners who help operate our service (Stripe, email providers, Google)
• Security – To protect against fraud, abuse, or security threats
• Business transfer – In the event of a merger or acquisition (users will be notified)

6.1 Advertising Data Sharing

We share certain information with advertising partners:

• Anonymous usage data – Aggregated statistics about site usage
• Ad performance metrics – Click rates, impressions, and conversion data
• Interest categories – General interest segments without personal identification
• Device information – Technical specifications for ad optimization

Important: We never share personally identifiable information (like email addresses or names) with advertising partners.

7. Your Rights and Choices

7.1 Account Management

• Access and update – View and modify your account information
• Delete account – Permanently delete your account and associated data
• Data export – Request a copy of your account data

7.2 Subscription Management

• Cancel subscription – End your premium subscription at any time
• Payment method updates – Manage billing through Stripe

7.3 Advertising and Cookie Preferences

• Personalized ads – Opt out of interest-based advertising
• Cookie consent – Manage your cookie preferences
• Ad blocking – Use browser extensions to block advertisements
• Tracking protection – Enable enhanced tracking protection in your browser

7.4 Communication Preferences

• Opt out of marketing emails (account-related emails will continue)
• Manage notification preferences

8. Security Measures

• Encryption – All data transmitted using HTTPS/TLS encryption
• Password security – Passwords are hashed using industry-standard bcrypt
• Access controls – Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Regular audits – Security practices reviewed and updated regularly
• Immediate deletion – Input content processed and discarded in real-time

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

9.1 Types of Cookies We Use

We use several types of cookies and similar tracking technologies:

Essential Cookies

• Authentication cookies – Keep you logged in securely
• Security cookies – Prevent fraud and protect your account
• Session cookies – Remember your preferences during your visit

Analytics Cookies

• Google Analytics cookies – Help us understand how visitors use our site
• Performance cookies – Monitor site performance and user experience
• Usage tracking – Analyze feature usage to improve our services

Advertising Cookies

• Google AdSense cookies – Enable personalized advertising
• Targeting cookies – Show ads relevant to your interests
• Retargeting cookies – Display ads based on your previous visits
• Third-party advertising cookies – Placed by our advertising partners

9.2 Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have several options to manage cookies:

• Browser settings – Most browsers allow you to control cookies through settings
• Opt-out tools – Use industry opt-out tools like DAA AdChoices
• Google Ads Settings – Manage personalized ads at Google Ads Settings
• Do Not Track – We respect browser Do Not Track signals where technically feasible

Note: Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website and your user experience.

9.3 Third-Party Cookies

Third-party services may place cookies on your device when you visit our site:

• Google (Analytics & AdSense) – For analytics and advertising purposes
• Advertising networks – To serve targeted advertisements
• Social media platforms – If you interact with embedded social content

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

10.1 Right to Know

You have the right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell about you.

10.2 Right to Delete

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.

10.3 Right to Opt-Out

You have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information. We do not sell personal information in the traditional sense, but sharing data with advertising partners may be considered a "sale" under CCPA.

10.4 Right to Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.

To exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected].

11. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

11.1 Legal Basis for Processing

• Consent – For marketing communications and advertising
• Contract – To provide our services
• Legitimate interests – For analytics, security, and service improvement

11.2 Your GDPR Rights

• Right of access – Obtain a copy of your personal data
• Right to rectification – Correct inaccurate personal data
• Right to erasure – Request deletion of your personal data
• Right to restrict processing – Limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability – Receive your data in a portable format
• Right to object – Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent – Withdraw consent for data processing

12. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly.

13. International Users and Data Transfers

If you are located outside the United States, please note that your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States and other countries where our service providers are located. By using our service, you consent to such transfer and processing.

13.1 Data Transfer Safeguards

When transferring data internationally, we implement appropriate safeguards:

• Standard Contractual Clauses – With EU-based service providers
• Adequacy decisions – Transfers to countries with adequate protection
• Certification schemes – Privacy Shield successor frameworks where applicable

14. Data Retention Periods

We retain different types of data for varying periods:

• Account data – Until account deletion or 3 years after last activity
• Payment records – 7 years as required by law
• Analytics data – 26 months (Google Analytics default)
• Advertising data – Up to 24 months for optimization
• Security logs – 90 days for incident investigation
• Input content – Immediately deleted after processing

15. Third-Party Software

Citation Engine uses the following open source software components:

• TinyMCE – Rich text editor licensed under GPLv2+. Source code is available at https://github.com/tinymce/tinymce

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Posting an updated version with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending an email notification for material changes
• Displaying a notice on our website

Continued use of our service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.