Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 2026 · Draft — pending formal legal review before public launch.

AstroReader ("we", "us") is an independent, self-funded project currently in beta. This policy explains what data we collect through astroreader.app and the AstroReader app (app.astroreader.app), and how it's used.

1. Information we collect

We collect only what's needed to run the product:

• Account information — email address and password (stored as a bcrypt hash, never in plain text) when you sign up for an AstroReader account.
• Reading preferences — the astrophysics categories you select (e.g. exoplanets, cosmology) so your Weekly Digest can be curated.
• Waitlist email — if you join the waitlist from the landing page, your email is sent to our email provider (Kit/ConvertKit) to notify you about product updates. This is separate from your AstroReader account.
• Usage analytics — anonymous, aggregate page-view and interaction data via Plausible Analytics, a privacy-friendly service that does not use cookies and does not collect personally identifiable information.

2. How we use your information

• To create and maintain your account and authenticate you (via a signed session token).
• To generate and deliver your Weekly Digest based on your selected reading categories.
• To send waitlist/product update emails, if you opted in.
• To understand aggregate product usage (which pages/features are used) so we can improve AstroReader — never to identify individual visitors.

3. Third-party processing

AstroReader translates astrophysics papers using Anthropic's Claude API. Paper text (sourced from public repositories like arXiv) is sent to Anthropic for processing; your account email and reading preferences are not included in that request. See Anthropic's privacy policy for how they handle data sent to their API.

Other third-party services we rely on: Kit/ConvertKit (waitlist emails), Plausible Analytics (aggregate, cookie-free analytics), and our hosting/database providers (Vercel, Railway, and Supabase or a local database, depending on environment).

4. Data retention & deletion

We keep your account data for as long as your account exists. To request deletion of your account and associated data, contact us at the email below — we'll process the request promptly.

5. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete your personal data, or to object to certain processing. Contact us and we'll do our best to accommodate your request.

6. Changes to this policy

As AstroReader grows past beta (e.g. when billing/subscriptions launch), this policy will be updated accordingly, and we'll note material changes here.

7. Contact

Questions about this policy? Reach us at privacy@astroreader.app.