ZetaMarker is designed with privacy in mind. We believe a highlighting tool should help you read and organize information without monitoring everything you do online.
This Privacy Policy explains what information ZetaMarker collects, what we do not collect, when information is stored locally or in the cloud, and how limited product analytics are used.
1. Privacy at a glance
Here are the most important things to know:
- ZetaMarker does not track your browsing activity. We do not monitor the websites or pages you visit when ZetaMarker is not activated.
- ZetaMarker does not run in the background to monitor your browsing. The extension is designed to run only on pages where you activate it.
- Local highlighting does not require an account. Your locally stored highlights remain on your device.
- Cloud synchronization is optional. If you choose to sign in and use cloud synchronization, your highlights and related information are stored on our servers so you can access them across devices and through the ZetaMarker dashboard.
- We do not use your highlights, notes, or page content for product analytics. Our analytics are used to understand how features of the ZetaMarker dashboard are used, not what you read or highlight.
- We do not sell or rent your personal information.
- You control whether you use local-only or cloud features.
2. About ZetaMarker
ZetaMarker is a browser extension and web dashboard for highlighting, annotating, organizing, and reviewing information from web pages and PDFs.
ZetaMarker is operated by ZetaMarker Ltd., a company based in Canada.
For questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, contact us at:
Email: support@zetamarker.com
3. Information we collect
The information we collect depends on how you use ZetaMarker.
3.1 Local-only use
You can use ZetaMarker for local highlighting without creating an account.
When you use ZetaMarker locally, your highlights and related information are stored in your browser or device's local storage.
We do not receive your locally stored highlights on our servers simply because you use the extension.
Local use does not require you to provide us with your name, email address, or other account information.
3.2 Account information
If you create a ZetaMarker account, we may collect information such as:
- your email address;
- your name, if you provide one;
- authentication information associated with your account; and
- information needed to manage your subscription or account.
We use this information to provide account functionality, authenticate you, communicate with you about your account, and provide the services you request.
If you sign in using a third-party authentication provider, such as Google, that provider may provide us with information necessary to create or authenticate your ZetaMarker account.
3.3 Cloud-synchronized information
If you choose to use cloud synchronization, ZetaMarker stores information associated with your library on our servers.
Depending on how you use ZetaMarker, this may include:
- highlights;
- highlight text and positioning information;
- notes and comments;
- page titles and URLs associated with your highlights;
- labels, stars, and other organization information;
- information needed to synchronize your library across devices; and
- PDFs that you explicitly upload to ZetaMarker's cloud storage.
This information is stored because you have chosen to use cloud synchronization, the web dashboard, or other cloud features.
3.4 Product analytics on the ZetaMarker dashboard
When you use the ZetaMarker web dashboard, we use product analytics services to understand how the dashboard is used and to improve ZetaMarker.
For example, we may measure:
- daily or monthly active users;
- which dashboard features are used;
- how frequently particular features are used;
- whether users interact with newly introduced features; and
- general navigation or interaction with the dashboard.
This information helps us understand which features are useful, identify problems, and improve ZetaMarker.
Our product analytics are designed not to collect the content of your highlights, notes, or the pages you read.
We do not use product analytics to build a profile of your interests, reading habits, browsing history, or the subjects you research.
We do not use it to monitor your browsing outside the ZetaMarker dashboard.
4. What ZetaMarker does not collect or track
Privacy is a core part of how ZetaMarker is designed.
When ZetaMarker is not activated on a page, the extension does not monitor that page for highlighting purposes.
We do not use ZetaMarker to:
- record your browsing history;
- monitor every website or tab you open;
- track the pages you visit outside of ZetaMarker's dashboard;
- build a profile of the websites you visit;
- collect the content of pages you browse simply because the extension is installed;
- collect the text you read simply because it is displayed in your browser;
- analyze the content of your highlights or notes for advertising or user profiling;
- sell your browsing activity or highlighting information; or
- sell or rent your personal information.
ZetaMarker's product analytics are separate from your highlighting data and are used to understand use of the ZetaMarker dashboard.
5. When ZetaMarker accesses web pages
ZetaMarker needs access to a web page when you activate the extension on that page. This access is necessary to provide highlighting and annotation functionality.
For example, when you activate ZetaMarker and highlight text, the extension needs to read the relevant page content in order to identify the selected text and create and display your highlight.
This functional access should not be confused with browsing tracking.
ZetaMarker is designed so that you choose where it runs. Pages and sites where you have not activated ZetaMarker are not monitored by the extension for highlighting purposes.
For example, if you browse your email, banking, healthcare, or work applications without activating ZetaMarker there, ZetaMarker does not use those pages for its highlighting functionality.
6. PDFs
ZetaMarker can be used to highlight and annotate PDFs.
When you activate ZetaMarker on a PDF, the extension needs access to the PDF content required to provide its highlighting functionality.
For locally used PDFs, your highlights and annotations are stored locally unless you choose to use ZetaMarker's cloud features.
If you upload a PDF to the ZetaMarker dashboard or otherwise choose a cloud feature that requires the PDF to be stored online, the PDF is transmitted to and stored in our cloud infrastructure so that you can access and work with it through the service.
We do not use the content of your PDFs for product analytics or advertising.
7. Local storage and cloud storage
ZetaMarker provides a distinction between local use and cloud use.
Local use
With local use:
- no ZetaMarker account is required;
- your highlights are stored locally on your device;
- your local highlights are not automatically uploaded to ZetaMarker's servers; and
- you can use ZetaMarker without enabling cloud synchronization.
Cloud use
When you choose to sign in and use cloud synchronization:
- your ZetaMarker library can be synchronized with our servers;
- your highlights and related information can become available on other devices;
- your library can be accessed through the ZetaMarker dashboard; and
- PDFs that you explicitly upload to cloud storage are stored so that you can access them through supported ZetaMarker features.
Cloud synchronization necessarily requires ZetaMarker to store the information needed to provide the synchronization service.
8. How we use personal information
We use information we collect only for purposes related to providing and improving ZetaMarker.
These purposes include:
- providing and maintaining ZetaMarker;
- creating and managing user accounts;
- authenticating users;
- synchronizing information between supported devices;
- providing the ZetaMarker web dashboard;
- storing cloud-synchronized highlights and annotations;
- storing PDFs that you explicitly upload;
- processing subscriptions and payments;
- responding to support requests;
- communicating important account, service, or security information;
- understanding how dashboard features are used;
- improving the performance, reliability, and usability of ZetaMarker;
- detecting, preventing, and addressing security issues, fraud, abuse, or technical problems; and
- complying with applicable legal requirements.
We do not use your highlights, notes, browsing activity, or page content to serve you advertising.
9. Product analytics and your content
We want to make a clear distinction between product usage information and the content you create or read with ZetaMarker.
For example, product analytics may tell us:
"A user opened the dashboard and used the search feature."
They are not intended to tell us:
"The user searched for a particular research topic."
Similarly, we may measure how often a feature is used, but we do not use product analytics to analyze the text of your highlights or notes.
We do not use your highlighting activity to infer your interests, political views, health information, reading topics, or other characteristics about you.
10. Third-party service providers
We use selected third-party service providers to operate ZetaMarker.
Depending on the feature you use, these providers may include services for:
- cloud hosting and storage;
- authentication;
- payment processing;
- email delivery;
- product analytics; and
- infrastructure and security.
We provide these service providers only with the information reasonably necessary for them to provide their services to ZetaMarker.
Our service providers may process information on our behalf and are expected to protect the information they receive.
We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties.
11. Payment information
If you purchase a ZetaMarker subscription, payment information is processed by our payment provider.
ZetaMarker does not need to store your full payment card number to provide your subscription.
Payment providers may collect and process payment information according to their own privacy policies and terms.
12. Data security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect information under our control against unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure.
These measures may include access controls, authentication, encryption in transit, secure hosting, and other security practices appropriate to the information and services involved.
However, no internet-based service can guarantee absolute security.
You are also responsible for protecting your account credentials and the devices you use to access ZetaMarker.
If you believe your account has been accessed without authorization, please contact us at support@zetamarker.com.
13. Data retention
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the service, maintain your account, meet our legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, and protect our legitimate interests.
Cloud-synchronized highlights, annotations, and uploaded files are retained while they are part of your ZetaMarker cloud library, subject to the deletion features available in the service.
When you delete information from your cloud library or permanently delete your account, we will delete the relevant information within a reasonable period, subject to information that we are required or permitted to retain for legal, security, fraud-prevention, or other legitimate purposes.
Product analytics information may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary for product improvement, security, reporting, and other legitimate business purposes, subject to the retention practices of our analytics provider and our configuration of that service.
14. Your choices and control
You control whether you use ZetaMarker locally or with cloud features.
You can:
- use ZetaMarker locally without creating an account;
- choose whether to sign in and use cloud synchronization;
- choose which pages or sites to activate ZetaMarker on;
- delete highlights and other information from your library;
- export your highlights and annotations using supported export features;
- update certain account information through your account settings; and
- request assistance with your personal information by contacting us.
You can also stop using ZetaMarker at any time.
Please note that uninstalling the browser extension does not necessarily delete information that you previously chose to synchronize to your ZetaMarker account. If you want your cloud data deleted, use the available account or deletion controls or contact us.
15. Access, correction, and deletion requests
You may request access to personal information we hold about you and request that inaccurate information be corrected.
You may also request deletion of your account and associated personal information, subject to information we are required or permitted to retain under applicable law.
To make a request, contact:
We may need to verify your identity before completing a request involving personal information.
16. International processing
Some of our service providers may process or store information in countries other than Canada.
When information is processed outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of the country where it is processed.
We use service providers and security measures intended to protect information while it is processed on our behalf.
17. Children's privacy
ZetaMarker is not specifically directed at children.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children in violation of applicable law.
If you believe that a child has provided us with personal information in circumstances where it should not have been collected, please contact us at support@zetamarker.com.
18. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to ZetaMarker, our practices, technology, or applicable legal requirements.
When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy.
If a change materially affects how we collect, use, or disclose personal information, we will take reasonable steps to provide appropriate notice.
19. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, how ZetaMarker handles your information, or your privacy choices, please contact us:
ZetaMarker Ltd. Email: support@zetamarker.com
We welcome privacy questions and feedback. If something about how ZetaMarker handles your information is unclear, please contact us and we will be happy to explain.