Privacy Policy

Folio ("we", "us", "our") operates the Folio academic writing platform available at usefolio.co ("the Service"). We take your privacy seriously and are committed to being transparent about how we collect and use your data.

For any privacy-related questions, contact us at hello@usefolio.co.

We collect the following categories of information:

— Account information: your name and email address when you register.

— Content you create: documents, source libraries, uploaded files, and notes you store in the Service.

— Usage data: how you interact with the Service, including features used, pages visited, and actions taken.

— Device and technical data: browser type, operating system, IP address, and general location (country/region).

— Payment information: billing details when you subscribe to Pro. Payment card data is processed and stored by our payment provider — we never see or store your card number.

— Document content and metadata when AI features are used.

— A profile photo, if you choose to upload one.

— Content you choose to paste or import for processing — for example, reference text or an AI-chat transcript you import to start a draft.

We do not collect sensitive personal data such as health information, political opinions, or biometric data.

We use your data to:

— Provide, operate, and improve the Service.

— Process payments and manage your subscription.

— Send you important service-related communications such as account confirmations, security alerts, and billing receipts.

— Send product updates and announcements (you can opt out at any time).

— Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents.

— Comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your documents or writing content for advertising purposes.

Folio uses AI features (including document analysis, citation suggestions, writing assistance, research discovery, and — in shared documents — an opt-in Scholar AI advisor) that process your content. When you use these features, the relevant material — which may include your document text and titles, your sources, or content you paste or import (such as an AI-chat transcript) — is sent to our AI model providers for processing.

We use Anthropic Claude and OpenAI models for these features. Your content is used solely to generate the requested output and is not used to train AI models.

Some features also query public scholarly databases (such as CrossRef and Unpaywall) to verify citations and fetch source metadata. These lookups send identifiers and titles — not your document.

You can use Folio's core features (writing, citations, export) without using AI features. AI features are opt-in by nature — they only process your content when you actively trigger them.

For more information about how Anthropic and OpenAI handle data, see their respective privacy policies.

Our AI providers are contractually required to handle your data in accordance with applicable privacy laws and not to use it for model training.

We share your data only in the following circumstances:

— Service providers: with trusted third-party vendors who help us operate the Service (such as cloud storage, payment processing, and AI services). These providers are bound by data processing agreements and may only use your data to provide services to us.

— Collaborators you invite: when you share a document, its contents and your name and profile photo are visible to the people you invite to it. You control who has access and can change or revoke it at any time.

— Legal requirements: if required by law, court order, or governmental authority.

— Business transfers: if we merge with or are acquired by another company, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

— With your consent: in any other circumstances, only with your explicit consent.

We never sell your personal data.

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active.

If you delete your account, we will delete your personal data and content within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or compliance purposes.

Anonymised or aggregated data that cannot identify you may be retained indefinitely for analytics and product improvement.

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

— Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

— Correction: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.

— Deletion: request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten").

— Portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

— Objection: object to certain types of processing, including direct marketing.

— Restriction: request that we restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@usefolio.co. We will respond within 30 days.

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Service. Specifically:

— Essential cookies: required for authentication and session management. You cannot opt out of these while using the Service.

— Analytics cookies: help us understand how the Service is used so we can improve it. These can be disabled without affecting core functionality.

We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. We do not share cookie data with advertisers.

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest, secure authentication, and regular security reviews.

No system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach that affects your rights or freedoms, we will notify you and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

The Service is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 13, please contact us at hello@usefolio.co.

The Service is operated globally. Your data may be processed in countries outside your own, including countries whose data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

Where we transfer data internationally, we implement appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses to ensure your data is protected.

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Our legal basis for processing your data is: (a) performance of a contract — to provide you with the Service; (b) legitimate interests — to operate and improve the Service; (c) compliance with legal obligations; and (d) consent — where we have asked for and received your consent.

You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or by a prominent notice within the Service at least 30 days before the change takes effect.

Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

For any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us at hello@usefolio.co.

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