Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

GKS Write is a Firefox browser extension designed to help academic researchers, medical writers, and students write, manage references, and improve manuscripts using AI assistance. It is developed and maintained by the GKS Write team.

2. Data We Do NOT Collect

We do not collect, store, or transmit any of the following:

• Your manuscripts, documents, or written content
• Your reference library or saved papers
• Your API keys (these are stored only on your device)
• Your browsing history or activity
• Usage statistics or analytics

3. Data Stored Locally on Your Device

GKS Write stores the following data exclusively on your own device using Firefox's local browser storage (browser.storage.local):

• Your saved reference library (titles, authors, journals, DOIs, abstracts)
• Your manuscript drafts and version history
• Your AI provider API key (encrypted in local storage)
• Your preferences and citation style settings

This data never leaves your device unless you explicitly export it. Uninstalling the extension will permanently delete all locally stored data.

4. Third-Party AI Providers

GKS Write connects directly from your browser to third-party AI providers (Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, or Groq) using your own personal API key. When you use AI features:

• Your selected text or manuscript content is sent directly to your chosen AI provider
• This connection is made from your device — GKS Write servers are not involved
• Each provider's own Privacy Policy applies to data sent to them

Please review the privacy policies of your chosen AI provider: Anthropic, Google, Groq.

5. Third-Party Reference Services

When you look up a reference by DOI, GKS Write queries the Crossref public API to retrieve bibliographic information. This request includes only the DOI string — no personal data is transmitted.

When you save a paper directly from PubMed, Europe PMC, or a journal website, the extension reads metadata from that page locally in your browser — no data is sent to GKS Write servers.

6. No Advertising

GKS Write does not display advertisements and does not share any data with advertising networks. We do not use tracking cookies or fingerprinting of any kind.

7. Children's Privacy

GKS Write is designed for academic and professional use. It is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected by updating the effective date and publishing the revised policy. Continued use of GKS Write after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Your Rights

Since all your data is stored locally on your device, you have full control at all times. You can:

• Export your reference library at any time from the Library tab
• Delete individual references or clear your entire library
• Remove your API key from settings at any time
• Uninstall the extension to delete all associated data