See what moves, what stays and what you control

This policy applies to the Synlecto web app and the Study Companion browser extension.

Direct-to-student use: Synlecto acts as controller for account, product, and billing data.

Standard institutional deployment: the preferred model is that the university acts as controller and Synlecto acts as processor for student, lecture, and guide data processed within the contracted educational service.

Synlecto may remain an independent controller for limited operational data such as account administration, billing, service security, fraud or abuse prevention, and clearly described product-improvement telemetry.

This is the public privacy policy for Study Companion by Synlecto and describes user data collection, usage, handling, storage, sharing, retention, security, and user controls.

This section applies to the Study Companion by Synlecto Chrome extension, Chrome Web Store item kagkamaphhnoackhflafenjiekijhlbg.

Collection: the extension may collect the signed-in account email or account identifier, OAuth/session state, local extension preferences, the current supported lecture page title and URL, selected Canvas course names and URLs, permitted recording metadata, transcript or caption text from that page, generated guide content, study progress, source anchors, timestamps, browser/device signals, IP address, diagnostic events, and text the user intentionally enters into Studio notes, reflections, or study drafts. Transcript or caption text is not sent to Synlecto until the user chooses Create guide.

Usage and handling: this data is used to provide the extension's single purpose: opening a study companion beside a supported lecture video, creating a source-linked guide and active-recall activities, syncing requested guides to the user's account, keeping sessions secure, preventing abuse, supporting users, and maintaining service reliability.

Storage and retention: local preferences and local study state may be stored in the browser until the user clears local data or uninstalls the extension. Synlecto may store account data, generated guides, study progress, source anchors, metadata, and short source excerpts needed for source-linked review, quality checks, replay, support, and account sync. Full raw transcripts are not used as normal synced study state.

Sharing and disclosure: Synlecto shares user data only with service providers needed to operate Study Companion, such as hosting and storage providers, authentication providers, AI-processing providers used to generate guides, and error-monitoring providers. Synlecto does not sell user data, transfer user data to advertising networks or data brokers, use extension data for advertising or marketing profiling, use user content to train models, or use user data for creditworthiness or lending.

Secure transmission: extension data sent to Synlecto is transmitted over HTTPS. Authentication information is handled securely and is not publicly disclosed.

Limited Use: The use of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Information received from Chrome APIs is used only to provide or improve the user-facing Study Companion features.

Data not collected from other services: Study Companion does not read health information, credit card numbers, financial statements, emails, text messages, direct messages, or chats from other websites. If a user manages a paid Synlecto subscription in the web app, payment card details are handled by Stripe outside the extension.

Collection: the extension can read the current supported lecture page so it can detect whether captions, transcripts, or compatible video context are available. It does not send lecture transcript or caption text to Synlecto until you choose Create guide.

Canvas course discovery: when you choose or sync a Canvas course, the extension may briefly open that course's Canvas-hosted Panopto launch in an inactive browser tab, read the permitted recording metadata, and close the temporary tab when the check is complete. It does not publish the university domain or share it with other learners.

Handling: when you choose Create guide, transcript or caption text, video title, source URL, and related metadata are sent to Synlecto servers to generate a source-linked guide, active-recall activities, source support, and saved guide state for your account.

Storage: Synlecto may store the generated guide, study progress, account sync state, metadata, and short source excerpts or anchors needed for source-linked review, continuity, quality checks, replay, and support. Full raw transcripts are not used as normal synced study state.

Sharing: Synlecto shares extension data only with service providers needed to operate the product, such as hosting and storage, authentication, AI-processing providers used to generate guides, and error monitoring. Synlecto does not sell user data, share it with data brokers, use it for advertising, or use user content to train models.

Store limited use: extension data is used only to provide or improve the Study Companion features the user requests. For Chrome Web Store users, Synlecto's use of information received from Chrome APIs complies with the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. For Microsoft Edge Add-ons users, Synlecto follows the same limited-use approach for information accessed through Microsoft Edge.

Controls: you can manage or delete guides and account data in Synlecto settings. You can also remove local browser data by using the in-product privacy controls, clearing browser storage, or uninstalling the extension.

Read aloud: the extension's native read-aloud feature uses browser text-to-speech on your device. Voice choice, speech rate, pitch, and language preferences can be stored locally. Synlecto does not send spoken audio to its servers for this feature.

Account data: email address, auth provider identifiers, and optional profile fields you choose to add.

Study data: guide metadata, study activity, preferences, and sync status.

Extension usage data: video titles, URLs, and transcript or caption text from supported pages when you create a guide. The standard lecture workflow retains the generated guide and a cleaned source snapshot where needed for source moments, evidence handling, quality checks, and guide continuity. It does not describe itself as retaining the raw original transcript.

Browser-local study data: if you use Study studio or save reflection notes in a guide, transcript snapshots, pins, checklists, study goals, confidence ratings, notes, short-answer drafts, study-pack export counts, pilot pulse feedback, and lightweight study-coach signals may be stored on your device until you clear them.

Study tracks: if you create a study track, its title, goal, due date, focus note, and linked guide references may be stored on your device first and can also sync to your account when you sign in.

Synced study state: if you are signed in, your selected goal, confidence ratings, unclear concept marks, reflection notes, and practice drafts for a guide can also sync to your account so you can continue on another device. This is separate from transcript storage.

Track concept memory: if you are signed in and use study tracks, Synlecto may store account-level concept rollups for those tracks, such as recurring concept keys, unclear counts, due review timings, review state, and links back to the source guides or evidence already in your account. This does not store raw learner notes, raw short answers, track titles, or focus notes in reporting storage.

Evidence units: when a guide has strong enough source support, Synlecto may store a small set of short study excerpts or source moments with honest anchors such as a timestamp or document chunk label. This is not full raw transcript retention.

First-party learning reporting: if you are signed in, we may store privacy-bounded learning activity signals such as guide opens, selected study goals, confidence changes, practice interaction counts, track actions, and evidence or trust metadata for reporting and quality review. We do not store raw notes, raw questions, raw short answers, track titles, or focus notes in that reporting layer.

Billing data: subscription status and Stripe customer IDs. Payment card details are handled by Stripe.

Technical data: device identifiers, IP address, browser signals, and diagnostic logs for security and support.

Provide the service, sync data, and deliver support (contract).

Secure and improve reliability (legitimate interests).

Process payments and meet tax or accounting obligations (legal obligation).

Send product updates or optional analytics only when you opt in (consent). You can opt out at any time.

We do not use automated decision making that produces legal effects.

For UK users, this policy is intended to describe processing under the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and PECR as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. That Act amends rather than replaces the existing UK data-protection framework.

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in, protect sessions, and remember preferences.

Optional product analytics and marketing cookies are used only when you opt in. First-party learning reporting for signed-in study activity is separate from those optional third-party analytics tools.

You can clear cookies in your browser settings, but some features may not work without them.

Synlecto retains the generated guide and a cleaned source snapshot used to support source moments, evidence, quality checks, and guide continuity.

AI processing: source text is sent only to generate guides. Outputs are stored as guides, study materials, and cleaned source snapshots where needed for source checking and guide continuity.

Synlecto does not describe itself as retaining the raw original transcript in the standard lecture workflow.

Synlecto does not describe itself as retaining the raw media file in the standard lecture workflow.

Browser-local transcript snapshots, reflection notes, study-pack signals, and practice drafts: if you open Study studio, save guide reflection notes, export a study pack, answer a pilot pulse card, or start short-answer practice, that local data may remain on your device until you delete local data or remove that guide locally.

Study tracks store short guide references, titles, goals, dates, and notes. They do not store full raw transcripts.

Prep boards store your own scaffold writing, selected concepts, selected evidence, and linked guide or track context so you can continue assignment planning across devices. They do not store full raw transcripts and do not place raw board text into reporting storage.

Track concept memory stores concept keys, due timings, review state, and guide or evidence links derived from your existing guides, review state, and track membership. It does not copy full raw transcripts, raw notes, raw short answers, track titles, or focus notes into reporting tables.

Evidence units store only short excerpts or source moments needed for study support and source checking. They do not keep the full transcript or full uploaded document text on Synlecto servers.

Synced study state on your account does not include full raw transcripts. Signing in does not wipe the local study data already saved on your device.

Logs and error tooling (Sentry): redacted to avoid transcript or student content. We record operational metadata only.

Model training: we do not train models on user content, transcripts, or derived study outputs.

Advertising and sale: we do not sell user data, rent user data, transfer user data to data brokers, or use extension data for advertising or marketing profiling.

Hosting and storage providers (e.g., Vercel and Supabase).

Payments and subscription management (Stripe).

AI processing providers used to generate guides (e.g., OpenAI).

Public organisation directory search (Research Organization Registry): when a signed-in user searches for a university, Synlecto sends only the institution search text and optional country filter needed to return matching organisations. Lecture content, study activity, account profile fields, and the user's identity are not sent with that directory search.

Error monitoring for reliability (Sentry).

We share the minimum data needed to deliver the service and use data processing agreements where required.

We do not sell user data. We do not share user data with advertising networks or data brokers. We do not use user content to train models.

Core application data is hosted in European infrastructure. Institutional sub-processor and transfer details are provided in readiness and contract materials.

Core application data is hosted in European infrastructure.

If any third-party processing falls outside that core hosting footprint, it is disclosed in sub-processor and contract materials.

You can request more details through support.

Generated guides and cleaned source snapshots remain available while the related guide remains in the service, subject to account or institutional lifecycle and any contract-specific retention position.

Local data remains on your device until you delete it. This can include Study studio transcript snapshots, pins, task checklists, saved study goals, confidence ratings, reflection notes, short-answer drafts, study-pack export counts, and stuck-card or pilot pulse signals.

Prep board state remains on your account while the board exists and is deleted when you delete your account. Local board copies on a device are removed when you clear local data on that device.

Synced study state remains on your account until you delete the guide everywhere or delete your account. Local data deletion clears only the browser cache on that device.

Track concept memory remains on your account while the related track exists and is deleted when you delete the track everywhere or delete your account.

First-party learning reporting data remains on your account while it is active and is deleted when you delete your account, but it does not contain raw notes, raw questions, raw short answers, track titles, or focus notes.

Account data is retained while your account is active.

Billing records are retained for statutory accounting periods.

Security logs are retained for limited periods to protect the service.

GDPR rights include access, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, and objection.

If local privacy law gives you additional rights, you can contact us and we will route the request through the same identity-verification and response process.

You can withdraw consent at any time for optional marketing or analytics.

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO (UK) or your local supervisory authority (EU).

To exercise rights, contact support through Help & feedback. We may ask you to verify your identity.

You can also make a data-protection complaint by emailing hello@synlecto.com. We will record and investigate the complaint, explain the outcome, and tell you how to raise it with the ICO or another appropriate supervisory authority if you remain dissatisfied.

Synlecto uses authenticated access controls, server-side verification, rate limiting, security headers, and privacy-aware observability.

Sensitive content is not sent into analytics by default.

No method of transmission or storage is 100 percent secure.

Synlecto is not directed to children under 13.

If you are under 16, you should have parent or guardian permission where required by local law.

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be shared in-app or by email.

For privacy questions, rights requests, deletion requests, or data-protection complaints, contact the Synlecto team at hello@synlecto.com.