Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice explains how Scholarmind ("we", "us") collects, uses and protects your personal data when you use ScholarMind (the "Service"). We act as the data controller for the personal data described below.

1. Data We Collect

• Account data — name, email address, login credentials, language preference.
• Content data — theses, chapters, bibliography, comments and other content you create or upload.
• Usage & telemetry — pages visited, features used, credit consumption, error logs.
• Device & technical data — IP address, browser type, device identifiers, approximate location derived from IP.
• Support communications — messages you send to support.

Payment data (card details, billing address) is collected directly by our Merchant of Record, Paddle, and is not stored on our servers.

2. Why We Use It (Purposes & Legal Basis)

• Provide the Service (account creation, generating outputs, storing your work) — performance of contract.
• Process orders & manage credits — performance of contract.
• Security & fraud prevention — legitimate interest in protecting our platform and users.
• Improve the product (aggregate analytics, debugging) — legitimate interest.
• Customer support — performance of contract / legitimate interest.
• Legal & tax compliance — legal obligation.
• Marketing communications — only with your consent (you can withdraw at any time).

3. Who We Share It With

• Paddle.com — our Merchant of Record, for sale of the product, subscription management, payments, tax compliance, invoicing and refunds.
• Service providers / sub-processors — hosting, database, AI model providers, email delivery, analytics and error monitoring. They process data only on our instructions.
• Professional advisers — legal, accounting, audit.
• Authorities — where required by law or to protect rights, safety, or property.

4. International Transfers

Some of our service providers operate outside the EEA/UK. Where personal data is transferred internationally, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as adequacy decisions or Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

5. Data Retention

We keep your account and content data for as long as your account is active. After account deletion, content is removed within 30 days, except where we must retain certain records (e.g. tax/accounting records, fraud prevention) for periods required by law. Backups may persist for a limited additional period before being overwritten.

6. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to: access your personal data, request rectification or erasure, restrict or object to processing, request portability, and withdraw consent at any time. EEA/UK users also have the right to lodge a complaint with their local supervisory authority. We will respond to verified requests within one month.

To exercise any right, contact support@scholarmind.app.

7. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (TLS), encrypted storage, access controls, and regular review of our security practices.

8. Cookies

We use strictly necessary cookies and local storage to keep you signed in and to remember preferences (language, theme). We do not use advertising cookies. Where we use analytics, we rely on privacy-respecting providers and aggregate data only.

9. Changes to This Notice

We may update this Notice from time to time. We will notify you of material changes through the Service or by email.

10. Contact

Scholarmind — support@scholarmind.app