Privacy Policy

WebCite ("we," "our," or "us") operates a citation verification and generation platform that helps users validate claims and data by finding verified, structured citations from trusted sources. This Privacy Policy applies to all users of our website, web application, and API services (collectively, the "Services").

By accessing or using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services.

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when using our Services:

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access our Services, we automatically collect certain information:

• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, timestamps, interaction patterns
• Log Data: IP addresses, access times, referring URLs, error logs
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: Session tokens, authentication cookies, preference settings

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from third-party services:

• Google OAuth: Basic profile information (email, name) when you sign in with Google
• Payment Providers: Transaction confirmations and subscription status from Dodo Payments

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Account Management: Creating and maintaining your account, authenticating access, and managing your subscription
• Service Improvement: Analyzing usage patterns to enhance our citation verification algorithms and user experience
• Communication: Sending service updates, security alerts, and responding to your inquiries
• Payment Processing: Managing subscriptions, processing payments, and maintaining billing records
• Security: Detecting and preventing fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access
• Legal Compliance: Meeting our legal obligations and enforcing our terms of service

4.1 Data Storage

Your data is stored using enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure with the following characteristics:

• Encrypted databases with industry-standard encryption protocols
• Regular automated backups
• Geographically distributed storage for reliability
• Secure API key management with hashed storage

4.2 Security Measures

We implement comprehensive security measures including:

• JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication with automatic expiration
• Secure cookie handling with HTTPOnly and Secure flags
• HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Access controls and authentication for all API endpoints

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist in operating our Services:

• Payment Processing: Dodo Payments for subscription and billing management
• Authentication: Google for OAuth sign-in services
• Infrastructure: Cloud hosting providers for data storage and processing

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to:

• Valid legal processes (subpoenas, court orders)
• Government requests in accordance with applicable law
• Protection of our rights, privacy, safety, or property
• Emergency situations involving potential threats to safety

5.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you of any such change.

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

To exercise these rights, please contact us at support@webcite.com.

We retain your information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide our Services and maintain your account
• Comply with legal obligations
• Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements
• Maintain business records for legitimate purposes

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

We use cookies and similar technologies for:

• Essential Cookies: Authentication tokens, session management (required for service functionality)
• Preference Cookies: User settings and interface preferences
• Analytics: Understanding how users interact with our Services

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may prevent you from using certain features of our Services.

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers, including:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by relevant authorities
• Data processing agreements with service providers
• Compliance with applicable data protection frameworks

Our Services are not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 16, please contact us immediately.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on our website
• Updating the "Last Updated" date
• Sending email notification for significant changes

Your continued use of our Services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

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

• Right to know what personal information is collected and how it is used
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our legal bases for processing include:

• Contract: Processing necessary to provide our Services
• Legitimate Interests: Improving our Services, security, and fraud prevention
• Consent: Where you have given explicit consent
• Legal Obligation: Compliance with applicable laws