Data Privacy & User Rights

1. Introduction & Scope

At Aevum Encyclopedia, we believe that access to knowledge should never come at the cost of personal privacy. This policy outlines how we collect, process, store, and protect your information, as well as the rights you retain as a user under applicable global privacy regulations.

This document applies to all visitors, registered users, contributors, educators, and API consumers interacting with aevumencyclopedia.com and its associated mobile applications.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect data that is necessary to provide, improve, and secure our services. Categories include:

• Account Information: Name, email address, and optional academic/institutional affiliation when you create an account.
• Usage Data: Pages viewed, search queries, reading time, and navigation paths to improve content discovery and AI recommendations.
• Contribution Data: Edits, citations, media uploads, and review comments submitted by verified contributors.
• Technical Data: IP address (anonymized after 24 hours), browser type, device information, and error logs for security and performance monitoring.
• Communications: Records of support tickets, newsletter subscriptions, and community forum interactions.

3. How We Use Your Data

Your information is processed strictly for the following purposes:

• Authenticating users and maintaining secure accounts
• Personalizing search results and article recommendations
• Verifying contributor credentials and tracking editorial contributions
• Improving site performance, accessibility, and content accuracy
• Complying with legal obligations and enforcing our Terms of Service
• Sending service announcements, privacy updates, and optional educational newsletters

We never use your data to train third-party AI models without explicit opt-in consent.

4. Your Legal Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may be entitled to the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request deletion of your account and associated data, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Right to Data Portability: Export your contribution history, preferences, and saved collections in a machine-readable format (JSON/CSV).
• Right to Restrict or Object: Limit how we process your data or opt out of non-essential analytics.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Revoke permission for newsletters, cookies, or optional features at any time via your dashboard.

5. Security & Data Retention

We implement industry-standard safeguards to protect your information:

• End-to-end encryption for all data in transit (TLS 1.3)
• AES-256 encryption for data at rest
• Regular penetration testing and third-party security audits
• Role-based access control for internal staff
• Automated deletion of anonymized logs after 90 days

We retain account data only as long as necessary to provide services, comply with legal obligations, or resolve disputes. Inactive accounts are archived after 24 months of no activity, with all personally identifiable information masked or deleted.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use essential cookies to maintain login sessions, remember preferences, and ensure site security. We also use non-essential analytics cookies to understand traffic patterns and content engagement.

You can manage your preferences through the Cookie Settings banner or your account dashboard. Disabling non-essential cookies will not affect core functionality, but may limit personalized features.

We do not use third-party advertising trackers, cross-site behavioral profiling, or social media pixels.

7. Third-Party Sharing & Data Transfers

We share personal data only with trusted service providers who assist in hosting, analytics, customer support, and payment processing. All partners are bound by strict data processing agreements and compliance certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2).

When data transfers occur across borders, we employ Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and ensure equivalent protection standards. You can request a full list of current data processors upon request.

8. Minors & Student Data

Aevum Encyclopedia is designed for general and academic audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16 without verifiable parental consent. If you are a minor, please use our platform under guardian supervision or through your educational institution's managed portal.

Parents, guardians, and school administrators may request data review or deletion for minor accounts by contacting our privacy team directly.

9. Privacy Contact & Support

If you have questions about this policy, wish to exercise your rights, or suspect a data breach, please reach out to our dedicated Data Protection Officer: