Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 28, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how z95labs collects, uses, and discloses Your information when You use the Service. It covers both the sign-up phase (applying to join the beta) and the beta participation phase (submitting manuscripts for evaluation).

We use Your Personal Data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words whose initial letters are capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

For the purposes of the GDPR, the Company is the Data Controller.

For the purposes of GDPR, Personal Data means any information relating to You such as a name, an identification number, location data, online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity.

For the purposes of the CCPA/CPRA, Personal Data means any information that identifies, relates to, describes or is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with You.

We use "Personal Data" and "Personal Information" interchangeably unless a law uses a specific term.

For the purposes of the GDPR, Service Providers are considered Data Processors.

Under GDPR, You can be referred to as the Data Subject or as the User as you are the individual using the Service.

Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

Types of Data Collected

Personal Data

We collect different categories of Personal Data depending on which phase of the Service You are using.

Sign-up phase (applying to join the beta):

Beta participation phase (after acceptance into the beta cohort):

Usage Data

Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service.

Usage Data may include information such as Your Device's Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device's unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit Our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device.

Tracking Technologies and Cookies

We use Cookies to track activity on Our Service and store certain information.

Where required by law, We use non-essential cookies (such as analytics cookies) only with Your consent. You can withdraw or change Your consent at any time using Your browser/device settings. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

The specific cookies We use are:

We do not use advertising cookies, remarketing cookies, or cross-site tracking technologies.

Use of Your Personal Data

The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes:

We may share Your Personal Data in the following situations:

Manuscript Handling

Manuscripts submitted to the Service receive heightened protection. The commitments in this section are binding and mirror the promises made in Our public FAQ.

Service Providers

We use the following Service Providers to operate the Service. Each is engaged under contractual terms consistent with this Privacy Policy.

Used in both the sign-up and beta phases:

Used only in the beta participation phase:

We may add or replace AI processing providers over time. Any provider We use will meet the same standards: no training on submitted content, and zero or short retention of submitted content. We will update this section when changes occur.

Retention of Your Personal Data

The Company retains Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

We apply different retention periods to different categories of Personal Data:

We may retain Personal Data beyond these periods where required for:

You may request information about how long We will retain Your Personal Data by contacting Us.

Transfer of Your Personal Data

Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at the Company's operating offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ from those from Your jurisdiction.

Where required by applicable law, We will ensure that international transfers of Your Personal Data are subject to appropriate safeguards and supplementary measures where appropriate. The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of Your data and other personal information.

Delete Your Personal Data

You have the right to delete or request that We assist in deleting the Personal Data that We have collected about You.

Beta participants may delete Manuscript content directly from their dashboard at any time using the delete button.

For other Personal Data, You may contact Us at shyam@z95labs.com to request access, correction, or deletion of Your Personal Data. We will respond within 30 days for general data subject requests. Statutory CCPA/CPRA timelines apply where relevant (see the CCPA/CPRA section below).

Please note that We may need to retain certain information when We have a legal obligation or lawful basis to do so.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Business Transactions

If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

Law enforcement

Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Other legal requirements

The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

Security of Your Personal Data

The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially reasonable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Transactional Email

We use email to communicate with You about the Service. These communications are transactional and include:

We do not send marketing newsletters or promotional emails. Email is delivered through Resend, our transactional email Service Provider.

GDPR Privacy

Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data under GDPR

We may process Personal Data under the following conditions:

In any case, the Company will gladly help to clarify the specific legal basis that applies to the processing, and in particular whether the provision of Personal Data is a statutory or contractual requirement, or a requirement necessary to enter into a contract.

International Transfer of Personal Data

We may transfer, store, and process Personal Data in countries other than the country in which You are located, including countries outside the European Economic Area ("EEA") and the United Kingdom ("UK"), where data protection laws may differ.

Where We transfer Personal Data outside the EEA/UK to a country that has not been recognized as providing an adequate level of protection, We rely on appropriate safeguards, such as:

We transfer Personal Data internationally only as needed to provide the Service and to work with our Service Providers (for example, hosting, analytics, email delivery, AI processing). You may contact Us using the details in the "Contact Us" section of Our Privacy Policy to request further information about the safeguards We use for international transfers, including copies of relevant contractual protections (redacted where necessary).

Your Rights under the GDPR

The Company undertakes to respect the confidentiality of Your Personal Data and to guarantee You can exercise Your rights.

You have the right under this Privacy Policy, and by law if You are within the EU, to:

Exercising of Your GDPR Data Protection Rights

You may exercise Your rights of access, rectification, cancellation and opposition by contacting Us at shyam@z95labs.com. Please note that We may ask You to verify Your identity before responding to such requests. We commit to responding to general data subject requests within 30 days.

You have the right to complain to a Data Protection Authority about Our collection and use of Your Personal Data. For more information, if You are in the European Economic Area (EEA), please contact Your local data protection authority in the EEA.

CCPA/CPRA Privacy Notice (California Privacy Rights)

This privacy notice section for California residents supplements the information contained in Our Privacy Policy and it applies solely to all visitors, users, and others who reside in the State of California.

Categories of Personal Information Collected

We collect information that identifies, relates to, describes, references, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular Consumer or Device. The following is a list of categories of personal information which We may collect or may have been collected from California residents within the last twelve (12) months.

Examples: A real name, alias, postal address, unique personal identifier, online identifier, Internet Protocol address, email address, account name, driver's license number, passport number, or other similar identifiers.

Collected: Yes (email address, first and last name, IP address, account identifier).

Examples: A name, signature, physical characteristics or description, address, telephone number, passport number, driver's license or state identification card number, insurance policy number, education, employment, employment history, bank account number, credit card number, debit card number, or any other financial information, medical information, or health insurance information.

Collected: Limited overlap with Category A only (first and last name). We do not collect signature, physical characteristics, telephone number, financial information, medical information, or health insurance information.

Examples: Age (40 years or older), race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, religion or creed, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy or childbirth and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, veteran or military status, genetic information (including familial genetic information).

Collected: No.

Examples: Records of personal property, products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies.

Collected: No.

Examples: Genetic, physiological, behavioral, and biological characteristics, or activity patterns used to extract a template or other identifier or identifying information, such as, fingerprints, faceprints, and voiceprints, iris or retina scans, keystroke, gait, or other physical patterns, and sleep, health, or exercise data.

Collected: No.

Examples: Browsing history, search history, information on a consumer's interaction with a website, application, or advertisement.

Collected: Yes (interaction with the Service, dashboard activity, page views).

Examples: Approximate physical location, physical location or movements.

Collected: No precise geolocation. Approximate location may be inferred from IP address by Our analytics provider.

Examples: Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory, or similar information.

Collected: No.

Examples: Current or past job history or performance evaluations.

Collected: No.

Examples: education records directly related to a student maintained by an educational institution or party acting on its behalf, such as grades, transcripts, class lists, student schedules, student identification codes, student financial information, or student disciplinary records.

Collected: No.

Examples: Profile reflecting a person's preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes.

Collected: No.

Examples: Government-issued identifying numbers, financial account details, genetic data, precise geolocation, race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, union membership, mail, email, text messages, biometric data, health data, and sexual orientation or sex life.

Collected: No.

Under CCPA/CPRA, Personal Information does not include:

Sources of Personal Information

We obtain the categories of personal information listed above from the following categories of sources:

Use of Personal Information

We may use or disclose personal information We collect for "business purposes" or "commercial purposes" (as defined under the CCPA/CPRA), which may include the following examples:

If We decide to collect additional categories of personal information or use the personal information We collected for materially different, unrelated, or incompatible purposes, We will update this Privacy Policy.

Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose the following categories of personal information for business or commercial purposes to Our Service Providers (listed in the "Service Providers" section):

When We disclose Personal Information for a business purpose, We enter a contract that describes the purpose and requires the recipient to keep that personal information confidential and not use it for any purpose except performing the contract.

Sale of Personal Information

We do not sell Your Personal Information.

As defined in the CCPA/CPRA, "sell" and "sale" mean selling, renting, releasing, disclosing, disseminating, making available, transferring, or otherwise communicating orally, in writing, or by electronic or other means, a Consumer's personal information by the Business to a third party for valuable consideration.

We have not sold any Personal Information about California residents in the last twelve (12) months, and We do not currently sell Personal Information. If this ever changes, We will update this Privacy Policy and provide opt-out rights as required by law.

Sharing of Personal Information for Cross-Context Behavioral Advertising

We do not share Your Personal Information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

We do not engage in cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not share Personal Information with third parties for the purpose of targeting advertising to You based on Your activity across different sites or services.

Retention of Personal Information

We retain California residents' Personal Information for as long as reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. Specific retention periods for major data categories are described in the "Retention of Your Personal Data" section of Our Privacy Policy.

Minors Under 16 Years of Age

We do not sell Personal Information. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from anyone under the age of 16. If You have reason to believe that a child under the age of 16 has provided Us with personal information, please contact Us with sufficient detail to enable Us to delete that information.

Your Rights under the CCPA/CPRA

The CCPA/CPRA provides California residents with specific rights regarding their personal information. If You are a resident of California, You have the following rights:

Exercising Your CCPA/CPRA Data Protection Rights

In order to exercise any of Your rights under the CCPA/CPRA, and if You are a California resident, You can contact Us:

Only You, or a person registered with the California Secretary of State that You authorize to act on Your behalf, may make a verifiable request related to Your personal information.

Your request to Us must:

We cannot respond to Your request or provide You with the required information if We cannot:

We will disclose and deliver the required information free of charge within 45 days of receiving Your verifiable request. The time period to provide the required information may be extended once by an additional 45 days when reasonably necessary and with prior notice.

For general (non-CCPA) data subject requests, We commit to responding within 30 days.

Any disclosures We provide will only cover the 12-month period preceding the verifiable request's receipt.

For data portability requests, We will select a format to provide Your personal information that is readily usable and should allow You to transmit the information from one entity to another entity without hindrance.

Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

We do not sell or share Your Personal Information for cross-context behavioral advertising, ever. No opt-out is required because no sale or sharing occurs.

Limit the Use or Disclosure of My Sensitive Personal Information

We do not collect sensitive Personal Information as defined under CCPA/CPRA. No limitation request is required.

"Do Not Track" Policy as Required by California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)

Our Service does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

However, some third-party websites do keep track of Your browsing activities. If You are visiting such websites, You can set Your preferences in Your web browser to inform websites that You do not want to be tracked. You can enable or disable DNT by visiting the preferences or settings page of Your web browser.

Your California Privacy Rights (California's Shine the Light law)

Under California Civil Code Section 1798 (California's Shine the Light law), California residents with an established business relationship with Us can request information once a year about sharing their Personal Data with third parties for the third parties' direct marketing purposes.

We do not share Personal Data with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. If You would like to confirm this in writing, You can contact Us using the contact information provided below.

California Privacy Rights for Minor Users (California Business and Professions Code Section 22581)

California Business and Professions Code Section 22581 allows California residents under the age of 18 who are registered users of online sites, services or applications to request and obtain removal of content or information they have publicly posted.

To request removal of such data, and if You are a California resident, You can contact Us using the contact information provided below, and include the email address You used to register or apply.

Be aware that Your request does not guarantee complete or comprehensive removal of content or information posted online and that the law may not permit or require removal in certain circumstances.

Children's Privacy

Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 16. If You are a parent or guardian and You are aware that Your child has provided Us with Personal Data, please contact Us. If We become aware that We have collected Personal Data from anyone under the age of 16 without verification of parental consent, We take steps to remove that information from Our servers.

If We need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing Your information and Your country requires consent from a parent, We may require Your parent's consent before We collect and use that information.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us: