Privacy Policy

At Sharpen, your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your personal information. By using sharpenidea.com, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

a) Information You Provide Directly

• Account information: name, email address, and password when you register
• Payment information: processed and stored securely by Stripe (we do not store your full card details)
• Idea submissions: the business ideas and descriptions you input into the Service
• Communications: messages you send to our support team

b) Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data: pages visited, features used, click patterns, and time spent on the platform
• Device information: browser type, operating system, IP address, and device identifiers
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 5)

c) Information from Third Parties

• Payment data from Stripe (transaction status, not card numbers)
• Web search data used to power your idea analysis (via Serper API — not linked to your identity)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account
• Deliver and improve the Sharpen analysis Service
• Process payments and manage subscriptions
• Send transactional emails (confirmations, receipts, password resets)
• Send product updates and marketing communications (you can opt out at any time)
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or security incidents
• Comply with legal obligations
• Analyze usage patterns to improve the product

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your specific idea submissions to train AI models without your explicit consent.

3. Data Sharing

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: Stripe (payments), Anthropic (AI processing), Serper (web search), Netlify (hosting). These providers are contractually bound to protect your data.
• Legal requirements: when required by law, court order, or governmental authority
• Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our assets — you will be notified in advance
• With your consent: for any other purpose with your explicit permission

4. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or financial compliance purposes.

Idea submissions may be retained in anonymized, aggregated form for product improvement purposes after account deletion.

5. Cookies

Sharpen uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you logged in to your account
• Remember your preferences
• Analyze how the Service is used (via analytics tools)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the Service. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: request that we delete your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Portability: request your data in a machine-readable format
• Opt-out: unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time via the unsubscribe link
• Restriction: request that we restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances

To exercise any of these rights, email us at sharp3nrp@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including:

• HTTPS/TLS encryption for all data in transit
• Encrypted storage for sensitive data at rest
• Access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel only
• Regular security reviews of our infrastructure

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Children's Privacy

Sharpen is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from someone under 18, we will delete it promptly.

9. International Users

Sharpen is operated from the United States. If you are accessing the Service from outside the U.S., your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer.

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission as our legal basis for international data transfers.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by email or via a prominent notice on the Service at least 14 days before they take effect. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact — Privacy Questions

For privacy-related inquiries, please contact:
Email: sharp3nrp@gmail.com
Website: sharpenidea.com