Privacy Policy

Criterion is committed to protecting your privacy while providing authentic Islamic knowledge. This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information.

Last Updated: January 1, 2026

Our Commitment

Criterion exists to serve humanity by making Islamic knowledge accessible to all. We collect only the minimal data necessary to provide and improve our service. We do not sell your data, show advertisements, or track you across the web.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information (Optional)

If you choose to create an account, we collect:

• Email address
• Name (optional)
• Password (encrypted and never stored in plain text)

Note: An account is not required to search the Quran or Hadith. You can use our search features anonymously without creating an account.

1.2 Chat History (Authenticated Users Only)

If you create an account and use the chat interface, we store:

• Your questions and our responses
• Timestamps of conversations
• Chat visibility settings (public/private)

Purpose: To provide you with conversation history and enable features like shareable chats.

Control: You can delete individual chats or your entire chat history at any time from your account settings.

1.3 Search Queries (Anonymous)

When you search the Quran or Hadith without an account:

• Search queries are processed in real-time
• We do NOT store your search queries or link them to your identity
• We may collect anonymized aggregate statistics (e.g., "How many people searched for 'patience' this month?")

1.5 Technical Information

Like most websites, we automatically collect certain technical information:

• IP address (used for rate limiting and preventing abuse, not stored long-term)
• Browser type and version
• Device type (mobile, desktop, tablet)
• Operating system
• Referring website (if you came from another site)
• Pages visited and time spent on pages

Purpose: To diagnose technical issues, prevent abuse, and improve the user experience.

1.6 Cookies and Local Storage

We use minimal cookies and browser storage:

• Authentication cookie: To keep you logged in (if you have an account)
• Theme preference: To remember if you prefer light or dark mode
• Disclaimer acceptance: To remember that you've read our first-visit disclaimer

No third-party tracking cookies. We do not use advertising cookies or allow third parties to track you on our site.

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 To Provide the Service

• Process your search queries and return relevant results
• Generate AI responses grounded in authentic Islamic sources
• Save your chat history (if you have an account)

2.2 To Improve the Service

• Analyze anonymized usage patterns to improve search relevance
• Identify and fix technical issues
• Understand which features are most helpful to users

2.3 To Ensure Security and Prevent Abuse

• Rate limiting to prevent spam and abuse
• Detect and block malicious activity
• Protect against unauthorized access to accounts

2.4 To Communicate with You (Optional)

• Send important service updates (e.g., changes to this policy)
• Respond to your support requests or feedback (only if you contact us)

We will never send you marketing emails or spam. All communication is service-related only.

3. How We Share Your Information

3.1 We Do NOT Sell Your Data

Criterion will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Period.

3.2 Third-Party Service Providers

We use trusted third-party services to operate Criterion. These providers have access to your data only to perform specific tasks on our behalf:

Google (Embeddings)

• What they process: Search queries (to generate semantic embeddings)
• Purpose: Enable semantic search across Quran and Hadith
• Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Vercel (Hosting and Infrastructure)

• What they process: Technical information (IP addresses, request logs)
• Purpose: Host and deliver the Criterion website
• Privacy policy: https://vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy

PostgreSQL Database Hosting

• What they store: Your account information, chat history, and session data
• Purpose: Secure data storage
• Security: All data is encrypted in transit and at rest

3.3 Public Chat Sharing

If you explicitly choose to make a chat conversation public and share its URL:

• Anyone with the link can view that specific conversation
• The conversation may be indexed by search engines
• You can change a chat from public to private at any time (the link will stop working)

Default: All chats are private unless you explicitly change the setting.

3.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, such as:

• In response to a valid court order or subpoena
• To protect our legal rights or defend against legal claims
• To prevent imminent harm or illegal activity (e.g., threats of violence)

We will always seek to notify you before disclosing your information, unless prohibited by law.

4. Data Retention

4.1 Account Data

• Retention: Stored until you delete your account
• Deletion: You can delete your account at any time from your account settings
• Post-deletion: All your data is permanently deleted within 30 days

4.2 Chat History

• Retention: Stored until you delete it or delete your account
• Control: You can delete individual chats or your entire history at any time

4.3 Technical Logs

• Retention: IP addresses and request logs are deleted after 7 days
• Exception: Anonymized aggregate statistics may be retained indefinitely

5. Data Security

We take security seriously and implement industry-standard measures:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest
• Password security: Passwords are hashed using bcrypt (never stored in plain text)
• Access control: Database access is restricted to authorized personnel only
• Rate limiting: Protects against brute-force attacks and abuse
• Regular updates: We keep our systems and dependencies up-to-date with security patches

However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Rights and Choices

6.1 Access and Portability

• Access: You can view all your data in your account settings
• Export: You can export your chat history as JSON at any time

6.2 Correction and Deletion

• Correct: Update your email or name in account settings
• Delete: Delete individual chats, your entire chat history, or your account

6.3 Opt-Out

• Anonymous usage: You can use Criterion without an account (search only)
• Do Not Track: We respect the Do Not Track (DNT) browser setting

6.4 Data Portability

You have the right to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format (JSON) and to transfer it to another service.

7. Children's Privacy

Criterion is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it immediately.

8. International Users

Criterion is operated from the United States. If you are accessing Criterion from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.

By using Criterion, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and the processing of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top
• We will notify you via email if you have an account (for significant changes)
• We will display a notice on the website (for significant changes)

Your continued use of Criterion after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Open Source Transparency

Criterion is open source. You can review our code, data handling practices, and security measures on GitHub:

https://github.com/BalajSaleem/criterion

We believe in radical transparency. If you have questions about how we handle your data, you can read the source code yourself or ask the community.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

• Email: criterion.life.team@gmail.com
• GitHub Issues: https://github.com/BalajSaleem/criterion/issues
• GitHub Discussions: https://github.com/BalajSaleem/criterion/discussions

We will respond to all requests within 30 days.

Our Promise

Criterion exists to serve humanity by making authentic Islamic knowledge accessible to all. We build for the sake of Allah, not for profit. We will never compromise your privacy or trust to serve commercial interests.

This service is a Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity), and your privacy is part of that trust we hold sacred.

Last Updated: January 1, 2026