Privacy Policy | Wood Species Library

1. Introduction

The Wood Species Library ("we," "our," "us," or the "Service") is committed to transparency about how we collect, use, store, and handle information. This Privacy Policy explains our data practices when you access or use our website, tools, database, and all related services. By using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and consent to the practices described herein. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Use.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Account information: If you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and any other information you choose to provide during registration or account setup.
Uploaded content: When you use the Photo Identification tool or other file-upload features, images and files you upload are transmitted to and processed by our servers and third-party AI services. We may retain uploaded content indefinitely for service operation, quality improvement, model training, abuse prevention, and legal compliance purposes.
AI interactions: Text prompts, queries, conversation histories, and inputs you provide to any AI-powered feature (Wood Recommender, Species Comparer, Finish Advisor, Ask Librarian, etc.) are collected, stored, and may be used to improve the Service.
User preferences: Favorites, comparison selections, and recently viewed species are stored locally in your browser (localStorage) and may also be stored on our servers if you are logged in.
Communications: If you contact us via any channel, we retain the content of your communications and any information you provide therein.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Usage data: We collect information about how you interact with the Service, including pages visited, features used, search queries, actions taken, click patterns, session duration, and navigation paths.
Device and technical information: Browser type and version, operating system, screen resolution, device type, language preferences, time zone, and similar technical data.
Log data: IP address, access times, referring and exit URLs, error logs, and other standard server log information.
Cookies and similar technologies: We use cookies, local storage, session storage, and similar tracking technologies for session management, authentication, preferences, analytics, and performance monitoring.
Analytics and tracking: We use analytics tools and custom event tracking to monitor Service usage, measure performance, and understand user behavior.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party authentication providers, analytics services, and other sources, which we may combine with information we collect directly.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

Provide, operate, maintain, and improve the Service and its features
Process AI tool requests (including photo identification, species recommendations, conversational queries, and all other AI features)
Personalize your experience (favorites, recently viewed, preferences, search results)
Analyze usage patterns, trends, and aggregate statistics to improve our database, tools, and content
Develop new features, products, and services
Communicate with you about the Service, including administrative messages, updates, and responses to inquiries
Detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, security incidents, and unauthorized access
Enforce our Terms of Use and other policies
Comply with legal obligations, legal process, and governmental requests
Train and improve AI models and algorithms (using anonymized or aggregated data where feasible)
Create anonymized or aggregated datasets for research, analytics, and reporting purposes

4. AI Processing and Uploaded Content

When you use AI-powered features (Photo Identification, Wood Recommender, Species Comparer, Finish Advisor, Ask Librarian, and all other AI tools), your inputs — including uploaded images, text prompts, and conversation context — are processed by our servers and transmitted to third-party AI service providers. By using these features, you expressly acknowledge and consent to the following:

Your uploaded images, text prompts, conversation histories, and related data are transmitted to and processed by third-party AI service providers whose servers may be located anywhere in the world.
We do not guarantee the confidentiality, security, or privacy of any content submitted to AI tools. Once data is transmitted to third-party AI providers, it is subject to their own data handling practices.
You must not upload images or provide text containing sensitive personal information, confidential business data, trade secrets, legally privileged information, or any content the disclosure of which could cause you harm.
Third-party AI providers may process, store, log, and use your data according to their own privacy policies, terms of service, and data retention practices, which are outside our control.
We may retain your AI interactions (inputs and outputs) indefinitely for the purposes of service improvement, quality assurance, debugging, abuse prevention, and compliance.
AI-generated outputs are not private communications — they may be reviewed by our team for quality assurance, safety monitoring, and service improvement.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. We may share, disclose, or transfer information in the following circumstances:

Service providers and processors: Third-party companies and individuals that perform services on our behalf, including but not limited to hosting, AI processing, cloud infrastructure, analytics, email delivery, and customer support. These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only for the purposes of providing services to us.
AI service providers: As described in Section 4, content you submit to AI features is transmitted to third-party AI providers for processing.
Legal compliance: When required by applicable law, regulation, legal process, subpoena, court order, or governmental or regulatory request.
Protection of rights: When we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, safety, or security of the Service, our users, or the public, including to prevent fraud and enforce our Terms.
Business transfers: In connection with any merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or similar corporate transaction, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.
Aggregated and de-identified data: We may share aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified data that cannot reasonably be used to identify you, for any purpose including research, industry analysis, and marketing.
With your consent: We may share information with third parties when you explicitly direct us to do so or provide consent.

6. Data Retention

We retain different categories of data for different periods based on the purpose for which it was collected:

Account information: Retained for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter for legal, tax, audit, and compliance purposes.
Usage data and logs: Retained for up to 24 months for analytics, security, and troubleshooting purposes.
Uploaded images and AI interactions: May be retained indefinitely for service operation, improvement, quality assurance, model training, and compliance purposes.
Communications: Retained for as long as reasonably necessary for customer support and legal purposes.

You may request deletion of your account and associated personal data by contacting us. Please note that certain data may be retained as required by law, for legitimate business purposes, or where deletion is technically infeasible. Anonymized or aggregated data derived from your information may be retained indefinitely.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical, administrative, and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot and do not guarantee the absolute security, confidentiality, or integrity of your data. You acknowledge that you transmit information to the Service at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures implemented on the Service.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction and applicable law, you may have some or all of the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions.
Restriction: Request restriction of processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Objection: Object to the processing of your personal information on grounds relating to your particular situation.
Data portability: Request a machine-readable copy of personal information you have provided to us.
Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, withdraw your consent at any time (without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing).
Opt-out of sale/sharing: For residents of jurisdictions with applicable laws (e.g., California, EU), opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information as defined by those laws.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through the Service. We may require identity verification before processing your request. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law. Please note that exercising certain rights may limit your ability to use some features of the Service.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, local storage, session storage, and similar technologies for the following purposes:

Essential/Functional: Required for the Service to function properly (authentication, session management, security, user preferences).
Analytics and Performance: To understand how the Service is used, measure performance, and identify areas for improvement. This may include third-party analytics tools.
Personalization: To remember your preferences, favorites, and settings.

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may degrade or disable parts of the Service. By continuing to use the Service with default browser settings, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy.

10. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed at and not intended for use by children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the European Economic Area). We do not knowingly collect, solicit, or store personal information from children under these age thresholds. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under the applicable age, we will take reasonable steps to delete such information promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

11. International Data Transfers

The Service is operated from the United States. Your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States and other countries where our service providers operate, which may have data protection laws that differ from — and may be less protective than — those in your country of residence. By using the Service, you explicitly consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other jurisdictions as described in this policy. Where required by applicable law, we will implement appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses) for cross-border data transfers.

12. Third-Party Links and Services

The Service may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources that are not operated or controlled by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or data collection of those third-party sites or services. We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit or services you use. Inclusion of a link does not imply our endorsement of the linked site.

13. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers transmit "Do Not Track" (DNT) signals. We currently do not respond to DNT signals because there is no industry-standard interpretation of DNT. We will update this policy if a standard is established.

14. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights. To exercise these rights, please contact us through the Service. We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA.

15. European Economic Area, UK, and Swiss Residents

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or equivalent legislation. Our legal bases for processing include your consent, our legitimate interests (such as providing and improving the Service, fraud prevention, and security), and compliance with legal obligations. You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time at our sole discretion. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We are not obligated to provide individual notification of changes. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your binding acceptance of the revised policy. It is your responsibility to review this Privacy Policy periodically for updates.

17. Data Protection Officer / Contact

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us through the Service. We will make reasonable efforts to respond to your inquiry in a timely manner.