Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 9, 2026

Introduction

LineLens ("we", "our", or "us") is a Chrome extension that helps researchers analyze academic papers, find researcher contacts, and organize research using AI. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your data when you use the LineLens Chrome extension and related services. By using LineLens, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Data We Collect

LineLens collects the following types of data only with your explicit permission:

1. Web Page Content

When you activate the extension on a webpage (e.g., arXiv, PubMed, Google Scholar), we read the visible page content to provide AI-powered summaries, explanations, and researcher contact extraction. This data is only accessed when you explicitly trigger the extension.

2. Google Account Information

If you choose to sign in with Google, we collect your name and email address for authentication and to provide personalized features. We use Google OAuth 2.0 for secure authentication.

3. User Preferences and Settings

Your extension settings, conversation history, and preferences are stored locally in your browser using Chrome's storage API. This includes your chat history with the AI assistant and any saved research notes.

4. Screenshots (When Requested)

When you use the "Visual Capture" feature on PDFs, we capture a screenshot of the visible tab to extract and analyze highlighted text. Screenshots are processed immediately and not permanently stored.

Data We Do NOT Collect

- Browsing history outside of tabs where you activate the extension
- Data from websites unless you explicitly activate LineLens
- Passwords or financial information
- Data from non-research websites without your action
- Keystrokes or form inputs on other websites

How We Use Your Data

We use the collected data for the following purposes:

1.
Provide AI-Powered Research Assistance: To analyze research papers, generate summaries, explain complex concepts, and help you understand academic content.
2.
Researcher Contact Discovery: To identify and extract author contact information from research papers and academic profiles.
3.
User Authentication: To verify your identity and provide personalized features when you sign in with Google.
4.
Maintain Conversation Context: To provide coherent follow-up responses in your chat sessions with the AI assistant.
5.
Service Improvement: To understand usage patterns and improve our services (using anonymized, aggregated data only).

Data Storage

Your data is stored in the following locations:

🔒

Local Browser Storage:

Conversation history, user preferences, and authentication tokens are stored locally in your browser using Chrome's secure storage APIs (chrome.storage.local). This data never leaves your device unless you explicitly use cloud sync features.

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Our Secure Servers:

When you interact with our AI features, your queries and page content are sent to our backend servers (hosted on secure cloud infrastructure) for processing. We use HTTPS encryption for all data transmission.

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Third-Party AI Services:

To provide AI-powered features, we send your queries to OpenAI's API for processing. OpenAI processes this data according to their Privacy Policy.

Data Sharing

We share your data with the following third parties, and only as necessary to provide our services:

1. Google (Authentication)

When you sign in with Google, we use Google OAuth 2.0 for authentication. Google receives your authentication request and provides us with your basic profile information (name, email).

2. OpenAI (AI Processing)

To provide AI-powered features, we send your queries and relevant page content to OpenAI's API. OpenAI processes this data to generate responses. OpenAI does not use API data to train their models.

3. Cloud Hosting Providers

Our backend services are hosted on secure cloud infrastructure. These providers have strict confidentiality agreements and do not access or use your data.

We Do NOT Share Your Data For:

- Advertising or marketing purposes
- Sale to third parties or data brokers
- Personalized advertisements
- Credit scoring or lending purposes
- Any purpose unrelated to providing our service

Data Retention

We retain your data for the following periods:

•
Local Browser Data: Stored until you clear your browser data, uninstall the extension, or manually delete it through extension settings.
•
Server-Side Data: Chat queries and responses are retained for up to 30 days to maintain conversation context, then automatically deleted.
•
Authentication Tokens: OAuth tokens are stored until you sign out or revoke access.
•
Account Deletion: When you request account deletion, all associated data is removed within 30 days.

Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

🔒Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers uses HTTPS/TLS encryption.
🔒Encryption at Rest: Sensitive data stored on our servers is encrypted using AES-256 encryption.
🔒Secure Token Storage: OAuth tokens are stored in Chrome's secure storage and never exposed to web pages.
🔒Access Controls: Only authorized personnel have access to backend systems, and all access is logged.
🔒Regular Security Audits: We regularly review and update our security practices.

Chrome Web Store User Data Policy Compliance

Limited Use Disclosure: LineLens's use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

✓ We only use data for the single purpose of providing research assistance features.
✓ We do not transfer data to third parties except as necessary to provide our service.
✓ We do not use data for advertising or personalized ads.
✓ We do not allow humans to read user data except for security investigations or legal requirements.

Children's Privacy

LineLens is not intended for use by children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at ourlinelens@gmail.com and we will delete such information from our systems.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your data:

•
Access: You can request a copy of your data by contacting us.
•
Deletion: You can request deletion of your data at any time by emailing us.
•
Revoke Google Access: You can revoke LineLens's access to your Google account at any time at myaccount.google.com/permissions.
•
Clear Local Data: You can clear extension data via Chrome settings (chrome://extensions) or by uninstalling the extension.
•
Export: You can request an export of your data in a portable format.
•
Opt-Out: You can opt out of data collection by not activating the extension on specific pages.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your rights, or have concerns about our data practices, please contact us:

Email: ourlinelens@gmail.com

Website: https://linelens.in

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.

Changes to This 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 any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. For significant changes, we may also provide notice through the extension or via email. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.