Short version: PaperVision AI processes your research paper entirely within your browser. The raw PDF file never leaves your device. We do not store, log, sell, or share your paper's content or any personal information.
1. Introduction
Welcome to PaperVision AI ("we," "us," or "our"). We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard information when you use our research paper visualization tool at papervisionai.com (the "Service").
By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you disagree with any part of this policy, please discontinue use of the Service.
2. How PaperVision AI Processes Your Research Papers
PaperVision AI is built with a privacy-first, client-side architecture. Here is precisely what happens when you upload a PDF:
- Step 1 — Local extraction: Your browser extracts the raw text from the PDF file entirely locally, using JavaScript running on your device. The original PDF binary is never transmitted anywhere.
- Step 2 — Text-only API call: Only the extracted plain text is sent over an encrypted HTTPS connection to our secure AI pipeline for analysis.
- Step 3 — Ephemeral processing: The text is processed ephemerally by our advanced AI models and discarded immediately after analysis. It is not stored on our servers or our partners' servers beyond the duration of the API call.
- Step 4 — Local rendering: The AI-generated response is returned to your browser and rendered entirely client-side. No output is cached or stored on our infrastructure.
We never store your research paper content, extracted text, or AI-generated analysis on any server we operate.
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Account & Subscription Information
When you register for an account and select a plan, we collect your email address, full name (optional), and subscription status to manage your access to the Service. Payment transactions are securely processed via our payment gateway.
If you contact us via our Contact page, we collect your name (optional), your email address, and the message you send. This information is used solely to respond to your inquiry and is not used for marketing.
3.2 Automatically Collected Information
Like most web services, we collect standard server logs including IP address (anonymized), browser type and version, pages visited and time of visit, and referring URL. This data is used in aggregate for analytics and security monitoring only.
3.3 Cookies and Local Storage
We use minimal, functional cookies and browser local storage to remember your UI preferences (e.g., panel layout) and maintain session state during a single analysis session. We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party behavioral profiling technologies.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use the limited information we collect to provide and improve the Service, respond to support inquiries, monitor for abuse and security threats, and produce anonymized, aggregate usage statistics. We do not sell, rent, trade, or share your personal information with third parties for commercial purposes.
5. Third-Party Services
PaperVision AI uses the following third-party services:
- AI Service Providers: Used to analyze extracted paper text. Their respective privacy policies govern the handling of API data. We ensure our partners do not use data submitted via our integration to train their models.
- Google Fonts: Used to load the Inter and JetBrains Mono typefaces. Subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
- Cloudflare / CDN: Used for performance and DDoS protection. Subject to Cloudflare's Privacy Policy.
6. Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures including HTTPS/TLS encryption for all data in transit. Because we do not store your paper content or analysis output, the attack surface for a data breach is minimal.
7. Children's Privacy
The Service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at our Contact page.