Privacy Policy

2. What Data We Collect

We collect only the data necessary to provide the Service. We do not require you to create an account.

Data you provide

• Email address — used to deliver your edited documents and to communicate about your order
• Manuscript file — your .docx document submitted for editing
• Payment information — credit card or Alipay details, processed entirely by Stripe (we never see or store your full card number)

Data collected automatically

• Basic server logs — IP address, browser type, and timestamp when you visit our website (collected by Vercel, our hosting provider)
• Page count and word count — calculated from your manuscript to determine pricing

3. How We Use Your Data

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction where a legal basis is required, we process your personal data on the following grounds:

We do not process your data for marketing or profiling purposes. We do not rely on consent as a legal basis — our processing is limited to what is necessary to provide the Service you have requested and to meet our legal obligations.

5. Third-Party Data Processors

We share your data with the following third-party service providers, each of whom processes data only for the specific purpose described:

All third-party processors are bound by their respective data processing agreements. We do not sell, rent, or share your data with any party beyond what is listed above.

6. AI Model Training

Your manuscript is never used to train AI models. This is not just a policy — it is a contractual guarantee:

• We use Anthropic's commercial API, which contractually prohibits the use of customer data for model training
• EditRefine does not train, fine-tune, or develop any AI models using your submitted content
• No human at EditRefine or any third party reads your manuscript — the process is fully automated

7. Data Retention

We follow a principle of data minimisation — we retain only what is necessary and delete everything else as soon as possible.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data:

• All data is transmitted over encrypted connections (TLS/HTTPS)
• Manuscripts are stored in access-controlled cloud storage with unique, unguessable access keys
• Payment information is handled exclusively by Stripe, a PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment processor
• No human reads your manuscript at any stage of the process
• Documents are automatically and permanently deleted after 7 days

9. International Data Transfers

EditRefine is based in Australia. Your data may be processed in the United States by our third-party providers (Anthropic, Stripe, Resend, Vercel).

If you are located in the EEA or UK, these transfers are governed by the data processing agreements of each provider, which incorporate standard contractual clauses or rely on adequacy decisions where applicable.

By using the Service, you acknowledge that your data will be transferred to and processed in countries outside your own, which may have different data protection standards.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have some or all of the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectification — request correction of inaccurate data
• Erasure — request deletion of your personal data (note: manuscripts are automatically deleted after 7 days; payment records must be retained for legal reasons)
• Restriction — request that we limit how we process your data
• Portability — request your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Complaint — lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@editrefine.com. We will respond within 30 days.

For users in the EEA, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority. For users in Australia, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

11. Cookies

EditRefine uses only essential cookies required for the website to function (such as session management during the upload and payment process). We do not use analytics cookies, advertising cookies, or third-party tracking cookies.

Because we use only strictly necessary cookies, no cookie consent banner is required under GDPR or the ePrivacy Directive.

12. Children’s Privacy

The Service is designed for researchers and academics and is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.