1. Introduction

Welcome to Akọ̀wé ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our academic writing platform and related services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

Account Information: Name, email address, and password when you create an account.
Profile Information: Any additional information you choose to add to your profile.
Content: Research papers, documents, notes, and other content you create or upload to our platform.
Payment Information: Billing details processed securely through our payment provider (Stripe). We do not store your full credit card details.
Communications: Messages and feedback you send to us.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our services, including features used, time spent, and actions taken.
Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device identifiers, and IP address.
Cookies: We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and analyze usage patterns.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide, maintain, and improve our services
Process transactions and send related information
Send you technical notices, updates, and support messages
Respond to your comments, questions, and requests
Monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities
Detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions and other illegal activities
Personalize and improve your experience
Facilitate AI-powered features to assist with your writing

4. AI and Your Content

Our platform uses artificial intelligence to provide writing assistance, suggestions, and analysis. When you use these features:

Your content may be processed by our AI systems to generate responses and suggestions.
We do not use your personal content to train our AI models without your explicit consent.
AI-generated responses are provided for assistance purposes only and should be reviewed for accuracy.

5. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers: With third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf (e.g., payment processing, hosting, analytics).
Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property.
Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
With Your Consent: When you explicitly authorize us to share your information.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. We will retain and use your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time through your account settings.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information.
Export: Request a copy of your data in a portable format.
Opt-out: Opt out of marketing communications at any time.

9. Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and track information and to improve and analyze our service. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our service.

10. Third-Party Services

Our service may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party services you access.

11. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws that are different from the laws of your country. We take appropriate safeguards to ensure that your personal information remains protected.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@akowe.io