Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Principles

This Privacy Policy explains how HalfBold Reader (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects information when you use our browser extension, website, and related services (“Services”).

Our principles are straightforward:

• Privacy policies must be human-readable, transparent, and easy to find.
• Data collection and processing must be minimal, local-first, and privacy-preserving.
• Practices must meet or exceed user expectations for security and confidentiality.

2. What Information HalfBold Processes

A. Local Reading Content & Document Text

HalfBold processes text on supported webpages and user-opened documents (including PDF files and Google Docs) solely to provide typographic fixation guidance, font styling, reflow, and distraction-free Focus mode.

All reading text analysis and rendering occurs locally within your browser session. Webpage contents, document text and reading positions are never uploaded to our servers or sent to analytics services.

Optional cloud voice (read aloud). Read-aloud uses the voices built into your browser and operating system by default. If you switch on “Natural cloud voice”, the text being read is sent to Microsoft’s speech service to generate the audio; nothing else is sent, and HalfBold does not store it. You can switch it off at any time in the read-aloud menu.

Optional web fonts. If you choose Inter, Lexend, Merriweather or Roboto in a reader, the font files are downloaded from Google Fonts, which receives standard request data (such as your IP address). Other fonts are bundled with the extension.

Feature switches. A few times a day the extension downloads a small settings file from halfbold.app (for example, whether an experimental Google Docs mode is enabled). The request contains no reading content or account data; the site receives only standard request data such as your IP address.

B. Local Extension Preferences

Your configuration (such as saccade boldness, fixation depth, tail opacity, preferred font, and site-specific allow/block rules) is stored locally using the standard browser storage API (chrome.storage.local). You can clear this data at any time by clearing extension storage or uninstalling HalfBold.

C. Information You Provide Directly

When you submit feedback or bug reports, we collect the details you voluntarily provide (such as your email address and message description). Please do not include sensitive personal documents or financial credentials in feedback forms.

D. Paid Subscriptions & Account Entitlements (HalfBold Pro)

Paid upgrades and checkout are powered by Monetize (@monetize.software/sdk). Payment processing is conducted directly by compliant merchant processors. HalfBold does not receive, process, or store credit card numbers or banking data.

To authenticate and restore Pro features across your browser profiles, your email address and an encrypted authorization token are exchanged with Monetize’s secure entitlement API. Monetize provides HalfBold with subscription status, plan validity, and renewal dates.

The Monetize SDK also keeps a random device identifier in extension storage and sends basic paywall events (for example, that the plans screen was opened) to Monetize, so that purchases and trials are attributed correctly. It contains no reading content.

3. Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

For scanned or image-based PDF documents, HalfBold Pro includes client-side optical character recognition powered by Tesseract.js. The document imagery and extracted text are processed exclusively in your local browser sandbox.

If you request recognition in a language whose model package is not pre-bundled, the extension requests the open-source language model file from a trusted repository (tessdata.projectnaptha.com). That host receives standard transmission metadata (IP address). Once downloaded, OCR executes completely offline on your device.

4. Chrome Web Store Limited Use Disclosure

HalfBold adheres strictly to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements:

• Browser permissions (such as activeTab or storage) are used exclusively to provide user-facing reading and accessibility tools.
• Data is never transferred to third parties for personalized advertising, lead generation, or credit assessment.
• Data is never used to determine creditworthiness or for financial lending purposes.
• Human review of user document text never occurs; our systems do not store or transmit document contents.

5. Website Analytics & Cookies

On our public marketing website (halfbold.app), we use privacy-friendly Vercel Web Analytics to measure aggregated traffic, page load performance, and browser compatibility. We also use Google Analytics 4 to understand which pages and referral sources (including tagged campaign links) bring visitors, and on the page that opens after installing the extension, which setup steps people mark as done (the step number only) and whether HalfBold has formatted that page (nothing about any other page); we also count clicks on install buttons (which button only); Google Analytics sets first-party cookies and processes your IP address and device information on Google's servers. We do not sell this information to ad brokers. You can opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out add-on or by blocking cookies in your browser.

When you uninstall the extension, your browser opens a short survey page on halfbold.app. Its address carries only coarse, anonymous usage milestones stored locally by the extension (whether the panel was opened, onboarding finished, reading was used on one or several days, a Pro screen was seen), the extension version and the install time. It contains no identifier, browsing history or document text. The page records these values and any reason or comment you choose to submit in our feedback spreadsheet. Feedback form submissions are stored in the same Google spreadsheet, with attachments in our Google Drive.

6. Legal Grounds for Processing (GDPR)

Where the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies, our legal bases include:

• Performance of Contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR): Delivering Pro reading features, license verification, and customer support.
• Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR): Maintaining service integrity, preventing fraudulent license sharing, and securing our systems.
• Legal Obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR): Accounting and statutory compliance where applicable.

7. Your Rights

Under applicable data protection laws (including the GDPR and California Consumer Privacy Act), you have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data, as well as the right to object to or restrict certain processing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at definitelynotswissalps@gmail.com.

8. Changes to this Policy

We may update this policy periodically to reflect feature additions or regulatory guidance. Material revisions will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.