BookZen Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Scope

Welcome to BookZen. This Privacy Policy governs both the BookZen Chrome Extension (Manifest V3) and the BookZen Web Application (bookzenn.vercel.app). Our core philosophy is built on absolute privacy and data minimalism. We believe your reading habits should remain entirely your own.

This Policy applies to all versions of BookZen, including future updates, unless a revised policy is published with a new effective date. If you do not agree with this Policy, please discontinue use of the Services.

2. Zero Server-Side Collection

BookZen is designed with a decentralized, serverless architecture. We do not own, operate, or maintain any external databases or backend servers.

• We do NOT collect, store, or transmit your personal data.
• We do NOT track your browsing history, URLs visited, or reading habits.
• We do NOT use any telemetry, background analytics, or third-party tracking scripts.
• We do NOT sell, rent, or share user data with advertisers, data brokers, or AI training services.

3. How We Process Data (Locally Only)

All data operations happen instantly and exclusively inside your local machine’s volatile memory (RAM):

• Text Selection & RSVP Engine: When you select text on a webpage and trigger BookZen, the text content is passed into an isolated browser sandbox (Shadow DOM). The engine processes and segments the text locally solely to render the visual RSVP overlay. Once you close the overlay, the text is cleared from memory and is not retained by BookZen.
• Web Application: When you paste text or upload documents (PDF, TXT, DOCX, EPUB) in the web reader, parsing and RSVP playback occur entirely within your browser. No document content is transmitted to BookZen-operated servers.
• Local Preferences: The Chrome Extension uses chrome.storage.local; the Web App uses localStorage to remember your Words Per Minute (WPM) reading speed and related in-app settings (such as theme or language). These values are not linked to your identity and never leave your device through BookZen’s architecture.

4. Regulatory Compliance

BookZen is engineered to align with leading privacy frameworks and platform policies:

• GDPR (EEA / UK): BookZen does not act as a data controller collecting personal data on central servers. Local WPM preferences stored on your device may constitute minimal personal data under applicable law; you may delete this at any time via browser or extension storage controls.
• CCPA / CPRA (California): We do not sell or share personal information. We do not collect personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. California residents may contact us with privacy inquiries using the details below.
• Google Chrome Web Store Policies: The BookZen extension discloses that reading content is processed locally, requests permissions limited to core functionality, and does not collect or transfer user data for undisclosed purposes.

5. Third-Party Links & Content

BookZen may be used while you browse third-party websites—such as Medium, Substack, news publishers, or blogs. Important clarifications:

• BookZen does not control the privacy practices, cookies, or data collection of those third-party sites.
• Selecting text on a third-party page does not grant BookZen access to your accounts, credentials, or subscriptions on those platforms.
• The Web App is hosted on Vercel infrastructure for static delivery only. Hosting the application does not involve BookZen receiving your reading content, which remains local to your browser.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any website you visit.

6. Children’s Privacy

BookZen is not directed at children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children through BookZen-operated systems.

7. Security

Our security model is rooted in data minimization: reading content lives in volatile memory during active sessions, and no BookZen database stores your documents or selected text. You are responsible for securing your device, browser profile, and operating system.

8. Changes to This Policy & Contact

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect product changes, legal requirements, or platform policy updates. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top of this page. Material changes may also be communicated through the Chrome Web Store listing or within the extension.

Your continued use of BookZen after an updated Policy takes effect constitutes acceptance of the revised terms, unless applicable law requires otherwise.