Introduction
Aevum Encyclopedia operates as a global knowledge infrastructure. To deliver accurate, personalized, and secure educational content, we process specific types of user data. We are committed to transparency, minimal data collection, and strict compliance with international privacy standards including GDPR, CCPA, and COPPA.
This document explains our data practices in plain language. We believe privacy is a human right, not a trade-off for access to knowledge.
What Information We Collect
We only collect data necessary to operate, improve, and secure the platform. All collection falls into three categories:
- Account & Profile Data: Email address, display name, selected languages, reading preferences, and contribution history (if you register).
- Usage & Interaction Data: Pages viewed, search queries, time spent on articles, bookmarked topics, and navigation patterns. This is anonymized by default.
- Device & Technical Data: IP address (hashed), browser type, OS, screen resolution, and session cookies required for authentication and security.
📝 Note on AI Training Data
We do not use personal account information or identifiable search history to train our AI models. All machine learning processes rely on openly licensed, de-identified, and aggregated datasets.
How We Use Your Information
Data collected through Aevum Encyclopedia is strictly used to enhance your learning experience, maintain platform integrity, and advance our mission of open knowledge.
📖 Personalization
Curating reading lists, recommending related articles, and adapting interface language based on your preferences and past interactions.
🔍 Search & Discovery
Improving semantic search accuracy, resolving ambiguous queries, and surfacing verified sources tailored to your academic level.
🛡️ Security & Compliance
Detecting fraudulent activity, preventing spam/wiki-vandalism, enforcing age restrictions, and maintaining system uptime.
📊 Platform Analytics
Measuring article engagement, identifying knowledge gaps, and optimizing server load distribution across global regions.
✍️ Contribution Management
Verifying editor credentials, tracking revision history, facilitating peer review workflows, and recognizing community milestones.
📬 Communication
Sending account verification emails, critical security alerts, and opt-in newsletters regarding platform updates or research grants.
We never sell, lease, or trade personal data to advertisers, brokers, or third-party data aggregators.
Data Sharing & Third Parties
We partner with select, vetted providers to maintain platform functionality. All third parties are bound by strict data processing agreements and undergo regular security audits.
- Cloud Infrastructure: AWS & Cloudflare for secure hosting, CDN delivery, and DDoS protection.
- Analytics & Monitoring: Privacy-focused tools that aggregate behavior patterns without tracking individuals.
- Academic Institutions: Anonymous usage statistics may be shared with universities under formal research partnerships (with explicit consent).
- Legal Compliance: We disclose data only when required by law, subpoena, or to prevent imminent harm.
Security & Data Retention
Your information is protected through industry-standard encryption (TLS 1.3 in transit, AES-256 at rest), regular penetration testing, and zero-trust access controls for internal systems.
We retain data only as long as necessary:
- Active accounts: Data persists until you delete your account or request export.
- Anonymous sessions: Cached for 30 days, then permanently purged.
- Contribution logs: Maintained indefinitely for version control and historical accuracy (stripped of personal metadata after 2 years).
Your Rights & Controls
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may exercise the following rights at any time via your Account Settings or by contacting our Privacy Team:
- Access, correct, or update your personal information
- Request full data export in standard formats (JSON/CSV)
- Delete your account and associated processing data
- Opt out of non-essential cookies and behavioral tracking
- Object to specific processing activities or withdraw consent
🌍 Global Compliance
We honor privacy requests from GDPR (EU/EEA), CCPA/CPRA (California), LGPD (Brazil), PIPEDA (Canada), and other regional frameworks. Local Data Protection Officers are available for institutional queries.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this policy, our data practices, or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please reach out:
- Email: privacy@aevumencyclopedia.org
- Privacy Portal: aevumencyclopedia.org/privacy-portal
- Mailing Address: Aevum Encyclopedia Foundation, c/o Privacy Office, 1401 K Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005, USA
We respond to all verified requests within 30 business days.