Skip to main content

Privacy Policy

Check our privacy policy about the Arete browser extension and see what we know about you. If you need any clarification about privacy, drop us a line: [email protected].

Last updated: September 26, 2025

The privacy of your data — and it is your data, not ours! — is a big deal to us. In this policy, we lay out: what data we collect and why; how your data is handled; and your rights to your data. We promise we never sell your data: never have, never will.

This policy applies to all products built and maintained by Arete including the browser extension, desktop app, and mobile app.

What we collect and why​

Our guiding principle is to collect only what we need. Here's what that means in practice:

Identity & access​

When you set up Arete, we may ask for basic information like your email address for updates or support. That's just so we can send you important information about the extension. We'll never sell your personal info to third parties, and we won't use your name in marketing without your permission.

Extension interactions​

When you use our extension, we do NOT track:

  • What text you select on websites
  • The content you send to AI services
  • Which specific websites you use Arete on
  • The responses you receive from AI services

When you use our extension, we DO track:

  • When you use the extension (date and time of activation)
  • Which action you choose (copy, search, translate, etc.)
  • Basic usage patterns (like "user clicked settings button")

It's for statistical purposes like improving performance, understanding which features are most useful, and testing new designs.

Example of your actions in Arete and stats we collect​

What you did:

  • On Sept 26, 2025, 2:00 PM you selected text "machine learning algorithms" on a Wikipedia page and chose "Translate to simple English" which sent the text to Perplexity
  • On Sept 26, 2025, 2:05 PM you selected a paragraph on a news site and chose "Summarize" which sent it to Perplexity
  • On Sept 26, 2025, 2:10 PM you selected your email draft and chose "Grammar check" which sent it to ChatGPT

What we could see:

  • User abc123 on 2025-09-26T14:00:00Z had event 'tooltip_opened'
  • User abc123 on 2025-09-26T14:00:05Z had event 'action_clicked' with value 'translate'
  • User abc123 on 2025-09-26T14:05:00Z had event 'tooltip_opened'
  • User abc123 on 2025-09-26T14:05:03Z had event 'action_clicked' with value 'summarize'
  • User abc123 on 2025-09-26T14:10:00Z had event 'tooltip_opened'
  • User abc123 on 2025-09-26T14:10:02Z had event 'action_clicked' with value 'grammar_check'

Third-party AI services​

When you use Arete's AI features, your selected text is sent directly to the AI service you choose (Perplexity, ChatGPT, etc.). Important: We act as a passthrough only. The text goes from your browser to the AI service - we don't store, process, or see this content. Each AI service has its own privacy policy that governs how they handle your data:

Website interactions​

When you visit our website (getarete.com), we may use analytics to understand how people use our site, which pages are most helpful, and to improve the experience. This is standard website analytics - no personal text content from the extension.

Cookies and Do Not Track​

We use minimal cookies for basic functionality and preferences. The browser extension itself doesn't use tracking cookies. You can manage cookie settings in your browser.

Our extension and website do not respond to Do Not Track signals at this time.

Information we do not collect​

  • Your selected text content - this goes directly to AI services, not through our servers
  • Your browsing history - we don't track which websites you visit
  • Personal characteristics like age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc.
  • Biometric data of any kind
  • Location data beyond basic country-level for legal compliance

When we access or share your information​

Our default practice is to not access your information. The only times we'll ever access or share your info:

To help you troubleshoot, with your permission. If we need to help you with a support issue, we'll ask first.

To investigate abuse of our service. We have an obligation to protect our users and prevent misuse.

When required by law. If we receive a valid legal request, we have to comply. We'll notify you unless legally prohibited.

Important: Since we don't store your text content, we literally cannot share what we don't have.

We have never received a law enforcement request for user data.

Your rights with respect to your information​

We apply strong data rights to all users, following EU GDPR standards regardless of location:

  • Right to Know - what data we collect (outlined above)
  • Right of Access - see what information we have about you
  • Right to Correction - fix any incorrect information
  • Right to Erasure - delete your account and associated data
  • Right to Restrict Processing - limit how we use your data
  • Right to Object - object to certain data processing
  • Right to Portability - get your data in a portable format
  • Right to Non-Discrimination - same service regardless of exercising rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected]

Use Restrictions​

You cannot use Arete for:

  • Violence or threats - planning or threatening violent activities
  • Child exploitation - any form of child abuse or exploitation
  • Hate speech - advocating for harm against groups of people
  • Harassment - targeting individuals or groups
  • Privacy violations - sharing others' private information
  • Malware distribution - spreading malicious software
  • Fraud or phishing - deceiving others for gain
  • Copyright infringement - violating others' intellectual property beyond fair use

We reserve the right to suspend accounts that violate these restrictions.

How to report abuse​

For suspected malware, phishing, or technical abuse: [email protected]

For all other violations of our use policy: [email protected]

When in doubt, report it anyway.

Changes to this policy​

We'll notify users of any material changes to this privacy policy. The "Last updated" date at the top shows when changes were made.

Contact us​

Questions about this privacy policy? Email us at [email protected]

This policy is adapted from open-source privacy policies and reflects our commitment to user privacy and transparency.