Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Clarify ("we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and website at www.clarifynow.app (collectively, the "Service").

Clarify is operated as a sole trader business in Queensland, Australia. We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including the Australian Privacy Act 1988, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA).

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. About Our Service

Clarify helps you determine whether online content is worth your time. When you share an article or YouTube video to Clarify using Android Share Intent or Apple Share Extension, we retrieve and process publicly accessible content from the shared link, analyze it using artificial intelligence, and provide you with a summary and assessment of whether the content is worth reading or watching—all without requiring you to open the full app.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect the following personal information that you voluntarily provide to us:

• Email address: Used for account creation, authentication, and communication
• First name/Username: Used to personalize your experience

3.2 Content Data

When you share content to Clarify, we collect and process:

• URLs of articles and videos you share
• Publicly accessible content retrieved from those URLs for analysis purposes
• AI-generated summaries and assessments of the content

3.3 Automatically Collected Information

We automatically collect certain information through Google Analytics and Firebase, including:

• Device information (device type, operating system, unique device identifiers)
• Usage data (features used, time spent, interaction patterns)
• Technical data (IP address, browser type, app version)
• Analytics data (crash reports, performance metrics)

3.4 Payment Information

We do not directly collect or store payment information. All payments and subscriptions are processed through Apple App Store In-App Payments or Google Play In-App Payments. Please refer to Apple's and Google's privacy policies for information about how they handle payment data.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide, operate, and maintain the Service
• To process and analyze shared content using AI/LLM technology
• To create and manage your account
• To send you service-related emails and notifications via Resend
• To improve and optimize the Service through analytics
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues and security threats
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service
• To communicate with you about updates, features, and support

5. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), our legal basis for collecting and using your personal information depends on the data concerned and the context in which we collect it:

• Contract Performance: Processing is necessary to perform our contract with you (providing the Service)
• Consent: You have given us explicit consent to process your information for specific purposes
• Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (improving the Service, analytics) and does not override your rights
• Legal Obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with applicable laws

6. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with the following third parties:

6.1 Service Providers

We share your information with the following third-party service providers who help us operate the Service:

• Firebase (Google): For authentication, database, and hosting services
• Google Analytics: For usage analytics and app performance monitoring
• Resend: For sending transactional and service-related emails
• AI/LLM Providers (including Llama): For content analysis and summary generation. We share the URLs and publicly accessible content you submit with AI/LLM providers solely for content analysis and generating summaries. Content sent to AI/LLM providers is processed only for generating summaries and is not used to train or improve AI models. We do not send personal identifiers (such as your name or email) to AI providers unless the content itself contains them.
• Apple and Google: For in-app payment processing

6.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or government agency).

6.3 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your personal information may be transferred. We will provide notice before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Content Data: URLs you share and the content retrieved from them are stored in your account. We retain this data for as long as you maintain your account to provide you with access to your history and previously analyzed content.

Summaries: AI-generated summaries and your interaction history with shared content are stored in your account for as long as you maintain your account.

Analytics and Diagnostic Data: Analytics and diagnostic data (including crash logs) retained by third-party providers such as Firebase and Google Analytics are governed by their respective retention policies. We do not control the retention periods of these third-party services.

Account Deletion: When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal, accounting, or security purposes. To request deletion of data held by third-party providers, please contact us.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using industry-standard HTTPS/TLS protocols
• Encryption at Rest: Data stored in our databases (via Firebase) is encrypted at rest
• Access Controls: We limit access to your personal information to authorized personnel only
• Secure Infrastructure: We use secure servers and hosting providers with robust security measures

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Privacy Rights

9.1 General Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request access to your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection: Object to processing of your personal information
• Restriction: Request restriction of processing your personal information
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

9.2 GDPR Rights (EEA Residents)

If you are located in the EEA, you have additional rights under GDPR:

• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
• Right to data portability
• Right not to be subject to automated decision-making, including profiling

9.3 CCPA/CPRA Rights (California Residents)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under CCPA/CPRA:

• Right to Know: Request disclosure of categories and specific pieces of personal information collected
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information we have collected
• Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information (Note: We do not sell personal information)
• Right to Limit: Limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information
• Right to Non-Discrimination: Not receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your privacy rights

Categories of Personal Information Collected: Identifiers (email, name), Internet activity (usage data, analytics), Commercial information (subscription status).

Sources: Directly from you, automatically through your use of the Service.

Business Purpose: Providing the Service, analytics, communication, security.

Third Parties: Service providers (Firebase, Google Analytics, Resend, AI/LLM providers).

9.4 CalOPPA Rights (California Residents)

Under CalOPPA, California residents have the right to:

• Know what personal information is being collected
• Know whether their personal information is sold or disclosed and to whom
• Say no to the sale of personal information (We do not sell personal information)
• Access their personal information

While industry standards for "Do Not Track" (DNT) signals are not uniform, we respect such preferences where technically feasible. We do not use cookies or tracking technologies for advertising purposes.

9.5 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact us at privacy@clarifynow.app. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law (typically 30 days for GDPR requests and 45 days for CCPA requests).

9.6 Account Deletion

You can delete your account and all associated data at any time through our web portal. To delete your account:

1. Visit our account deletion page
2. Verify your identity using the email associated with your account
3. Confirm your deletion request

Once confirmed, your account and all personal data will be permanently deleted within 30 days. This includes your profile information, scan history, credits, and all other data associated with your account. This action cannot be undone.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including Australia and the United States, where our service providers are located. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country. We take appropriate safeguards to ensure your personal information remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. We do not provide features, content, or incentives specifically aimed at children.

While the Service may be technically accessible to users of various ages, it is designed for general audiences and does not target or market to children. Parents and guardians are responsible for monitoring their children's use of the Service.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@clarifynow.app, and we will promptly delete such information.

12. Third-Party Services and Links

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our Service.

13. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies through Google Analytics to collect usage information and improve the Service. You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the Service.

We do not use cookies for advertising purposes and do not display ads in our Service.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on our website and updating the "Effective Date" at the top. For significant changes, we may provide additional notice (such as via email). Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

15. Data Collection Summary for App Stores

For transparency and compliance with Apple App Store and Google Play Store requirements, we collect and share the following categories of data:

Data Collected:

• Contact Information: Email address, first name/username (required for account creation)
• Identifiers: Device identifiers, IP address (collected automatically via Firebase and Google Analytics)
• Usage Data: App interactions, features used, time spent (collected automatically)
• Diagnostics: Crash logs, performance data (collected automatically via Firebase)
• User Content: URLs and publicly accessible content you share (required to provide the Service)

Data Shared with Third Parties:

• Firebase/Google: Identifiers, usage data, diagnostics (for app functionality and analytics)
• AI/LLM Providers: URLs and content you share (for processing and generating summaries only)
• Resend: Email address (for sending service-related emails)
• Apple/Google: Payment information (processed directly by app stores, not by us)

Data Security:

• All data is encrypted in transit using industry-standard protocols (HTTPS/TLS)
• Data stored by Firebase is encrypted at rest
• You can request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us or deleting your account

Optional vs. Required Data:

• Required: Email, first name/username, URLs you share (necessary to provide the Service)
• Automatic: Device identifiers, usage data, diagnostics (collected to operate and improve the Service)

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

For GDPR-related inquiries, you may also contact your local data protection authority.