Privacy Policy

CiteMe ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website, browser extension, and related services.

This policy complies with the Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD - Lei 13.709/2018) and the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

1. Data Controller

CiteMe is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

2. Data We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Email address, name (optional), profile picture (if using Google OAuth)
• Library Data: Citations you save, projects you create, formatting preferences
• Payment Information: Processed securely by Paddle; we do not store credit card numbers
• Communications: Support requests, feedback, and emails you send us

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: Search queries, citation styles used, features accessed
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, screen resolution
• Log Data: IP address (hashed for privacy), timestamps, error logs
• Cookies: Essential cookies for authentication and preferences (see Section 7)

2.3 Browser Extension & Word Add-in Data

The CiteMe browser extension (available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari) and the CiteMe Microsoft Word Add-in:

• The browser extension does NOT read or store your browsing history
• The browser extension does NOT access pages unless you explicitly click to cite
• Both store local data: recent searches, preferred style, quota usage
• Both send citation queries to our servers only when you initiate a search
• The browser extension collects anonymous product analytics (e.g. feature usage counts, citation style selected) to improve the service. Each installation is identified by a random UUID that is not linked to your identity. No search queries, citation content, or personal data are included in analytics events.
• The Word Add-in stores citation data in the document via Custom XML Parts for bibliography generation; no document content is sent to our servers

2.4 Google Docs™ Add-on Data

The CiteMe Google Docs™ Add-on accesses the following Google user data:

• Current Document (documents.currentonly): The add-on reads and modifies only the Google Docs™ document it is installed in, to insert in-text citations and generate bibliographies. We do NOT access any other documents in your Google Drive™.
• Email Address (userinfo.email): Used solely to identify your CiteMe account and display your account status in the add-on sidebar.
• External Requests (script.external_request): The add-on sends your search queries to the CiteMe API (citeme.app) to retrieve citation data. Only the search query text, citation style preference, and your authentication token are transmitted. No document content is sent to our servers.

Data stored locally within Google Apps Script (per-user preferences, authentication tokens, per-document citation metadata) is managed by Google's infrastructure and subject to Google's security controls.

2.5 PDF Import & Reader

• PDF Identifier Scan (client-side): When we only need to identify a paper (DOI, ISBN, PMID, or title), the scan runs entirely in your browser. Only the extracted identifier is sent to our API.
• PDF Bibliography Extraction (server-side, not stored): For the PDF-to-BibTeX, PDF-to-RIS, PDF Citation Generator, Reference Checker, and the free /read reader, your PDF is uploaded to our servers so our extraction service can parse the bibliography section. The PDF is discarded immediately after extraction — we keep only the extracted reference text, never the file itself.
• PDF Reader (Pro — stored upload): If you opt in to attach a PDF to a library item for in-app reading on a Pro plan, the file is uploaded and persisted in our secure cloud storage (Supabase Storage, encrypted at rest) against your monthly page quota. You can delete uploaded PDFs at any time from your library.
• Annotations and reading history you create are stored in your account and are never shared with third parties.
• When you delete your account, all uploaded PDFs are permanently deleted.

3. How We Use Your Data

We process your data based on the following legal grounds (LGPD Art. 7 / GDPR Art. 6):

3.1 Service Delivery (Contract Performance)

• Searching academic databases and formatting citations
• Saving and organizing your citation library
• Processing subscription payments
• Providing browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari), Google Docs™ add-on, and Microsoft Word Add-in functionality

3.2 Legitimate Interest

• Improving search quality and citation accuracy
• Detecting and preventing abuse, fraud, and security threats
• Analyzing usage patterns to improve the service (aggregated, non-identifying)
• Enforcing usage quotas and rate limits

3.3 Consent

• Sending optional product updates or feature announcements (you can opt out at any time)

We do NOT use your data for advertising, profiling, automated decision-making, or selling to third parties.

4. Data Sharing & Third Parties

We share your data only with service providers necessary to operate CiteMe. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data.

We may also disclose your data if required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights.

5. Data Retention

• Account data: Retained while your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account deletion request.
• Library data (citations, projects): Retained while your account is active. You can delete individual items at any time or export your entire library.
• Usage logs: Aggregated usage statistics are retained indefinitely. Individual request logs (containing hashed IPs) are retained for up to 90 days.
• Payment records: Retained as required by tax and accounting regulations (typically 5 years).
• Rate limit data: Hashed identifiers in Redis expire automatically within 1 hour to 30 days depending on the counter type.

6. Your Rights

Under LGPD (Art. 18) and GDPR (Arts. 15–22), you have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Deletion:Request deletion of your account and all associated data. Available via Settings > Delete Account, or by emailing us.
• Portability:Export your citation library in BibTeX or RIS format at any time via Settings > Export.
• Restriction: Request that we limit processing of your data in certain circumstances.
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interest.
• Consent withdrawal: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent (e.g., marketing emails).

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. In Brazil, this is the ANPD (Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados). In the EU, contact your national supervisory authority.

7. Cookies

We use essential cookies required for the service to function, and optional analytics cookies that are only set with your explicit consent.

7.1 Essential Cookies (always active)

7.2 Analytics Cookies (consent required)

These cookies are only set if you accept analytics via our cookie banner. You can change your preference at any time.

GA4 uses Google Consent Mode v2 (default denied). PostHog respects opt-out via our consent mechanism. We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies.

8. International Data Transfers

CiteMe is operated from Brazil. Our infrastructure providers (Supabase, Vercel, Upstash) may process data in the United States and other countries. These transfers are protected by:

• Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) adopted by service providers
• Provider compliance with SOC 2, ISO 27001, or equivalent certifications
• Encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest for all personal data

Under LGPD Art. 33, international transfers are permitted when the receiving country provides an adequate level of protection or when appropriate safeguards are in place.

9. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• All data transmitted over HTTPS (TLS 1.2+)
• Database-level row-level security (RLS) policies
• IP addresses are hashed before storage (never stored in plain text)
• Authentication tokens are securely managed via Supabase Auth
• Payment data is handled exclusively by Paddle (PCI DSS compliant)
• Rate limiting and abuse detection at multiple layers

No system is 100% secure. If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it responsibly to privacy@citeme.app.

10. Children's Privacy

CiteMe is not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in the EU). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at privacy@citeme.app and we will promptly delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• Notify registered users via email for significant changes
• Display a notice on the website for at least 30 days

Continued use of CiteMe after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Google API Services User Data Policy

CiteMe's use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Specifically, CiteMe:

• Only uses Google user data to provide and improve user-facing features visible and prominent in the CiteMe application
• Does NOT transfer Google user data to third parties, except as necessary to provide the service, for security purposes, or to comply with applicable laws
• Does NOT use Google user data for advertising purposes
• Does NOT sell Google user data to any third party
• Does NOT use Google user data to train machine learning or AI models unrelated to providing the CiteMe service