ARGUS Privacy Policy

Effective September 19, 2026

ARGUS is a private, deterministic manuscript-analysis service operated by Cristiano da Silva, doing business as ARGUS, for The First Generation Series. This policy explains what information ARGUS collects, why it is used, how it is handled, and the choices available to you.

Information we collect

Google account information

When you choose “Sign in with Google,” ARGUS requests the basic openid, email, and profile permissions. Google may provide your unique Google account identifier, verified email address, display name, and basic profile information. ARGUS does not request access to Gmail, Google Drive, contacts, calendars, passwords, or other Google content.

When you create an account, ARGUS also collects your first and last name and records your required registration acknowledgements, the policy versions accepted, acceptance time, IP address, and browser user-agent information.

Manuscripts and analysis records

When you submit an EPUB, ARGUS temporarily receives the uploaded file and extracts its contents in a private workspace to perform deterministic analysis. The service creates measurements, findings, validated source locations, short supporting excerpts, report metadata, and a PDF report.

Technical and activity information

ARGUS uses an essential session cookie to keep you signed in and to protect account access. Server and security logs may contain request times, requested paths, IP addresses, browser information, errors, and security events. ARGUS also records limited account and report activity, such as sign-in, upload, completion, failure, administrative action, and deletion events.

Website analytics

ARGUS uses Google Analytics to understand website traffic and usage. Google Analytics uses cookies and collects usage and browser/device information. Our page-view configuration uses generic page titles and excludes query strings, URL fragments, and individual report identifiers. Analytics is not loaded on private guest-access or administration pages, and advertising personalization signals are disabled.

Optional Reddit advertising measurement

When enabled by ARGUS and you choose “Allow Reddit cookies,” the Reddit Pixel measures page visits, successful manuscript quotes, checkout starts, and verified purchases. Reddit receives browser/device and network information, page URLs, cookie identifiers, and event information. Purchase events include the verified total, currency, and an opaque conversion identifier. We do not include manuscript text, report findings, email addresses, or payment credentials in the events we send. Reddit may use the information for ad measurement and personalized advertising under its Privacy Policy.

Reddit tracking is off until you opt in. You can decline or withdraw using “Reddit advertising preferences” in the footer; withdrawing reloads the page to stop the loaded pixel. This choice does not affect purchasing or report delivery, and is separate from Google Analytics. We honor a browser Global Privacy Control signal by keeping Reddit tracking off. Your preference cookie lasts up to 180 days. Browser storage also records sent quote and checkout events to limit duplicates, and the server retains opaque purchase tracking markers to prevent repeat conversions. Clearing browser data removes the local preference and markers.

Payment information

Payments are completed through the configured payment provider’s hosted checkout. ARGUS stores checkout attempts and a financial order ledger containing the provider’s order and transaction identifiers, subtotal, discount, tax amount, total, currency, tax-calculation status, returned tax-rate and jurisdiction breakdown, billing country/state/postal code, and related timestamps. ARGUS does not receive or store your full card number or card security code.

Before checkout, ARGUS records your final-sale acknowledgement, policy version, acceptance time, IP address, and browser user-agent information with that payment attempt.

How we use information

Information is used to authenticate users, enforce testing limits, process EPUBs, generate and deliver reports, protect report access, diagnose failures, prevent abuse, maintain audit records, support users, and improve the accuracy and usefulness of ARGUS’s deterministic rules and report presentation.

ARGUS does not use an LLM, generative AI service, embedding API, or external AI provider to analyze manuscripts. Manuscript findings are generated by reproducible code.

Storage and retention

Uploaded EPUB and extracted files: unpaid uploads normally expire after 24 hours. Successful processing deletes source and extracted files. A failed paid analysis may retain its source for the configured retry window, normally seven days.
PDF reports: retained in your account unless a report-retention policy is configured or deletion is required for operational, legal, or security reasons. You should keep your own downloaded copy.
Structured analysis: retained after the PDF expires. It contains measurements, rule results, locations, and short supporting excerpts, but not a complete copy of the extracted manuscript. It may be used to evaluate and improve ARGUS’s deterministic analysis and reporting.
Account, report, job, and audit records: retained as needed to operate, secure, troubleshoot, and document the service.
Backups: encrypted or access-controlled operational backups may persist for a limited backup-retention period after primary records are removed.

When information is shared

ARGUS does not use manuscript content for advertising. Information is disclosed as needed to operate the service, comply with law, protect users or the service, complete a transaction you requested, or provide the optional Reddit advertising measurement described above with your consent.

Google: provides authentication through Google OAuth. Google’s handling of information is governed by Google’s own policies.
Reddit: receives optional advertising measurement events when you allow Reddit cookies. Declining keeps this pixel disabled.
PayPal: processes payment approval and capture and returns order identifiers, transaction amounts, and payment status so ARGUS can verify and fulfill your purchase. Manuscripts are not sent to PayPal.
Stripe: processes checkout and payment information and returns transaction status and identifiers so ARGUS can fulfill and support your purchase. Stripe handles payment information under its own policies.
Lemon Squeezy: may process checkout and payment information as merchant of record and return order status and identifiers so ARGUS can fulfill and support your purchase. Lemon Squeezy handles payment information under its own policies.
Email provider: when report email is enabled, the recipient email address, report title, and protected report link are sent to the configured transactional email provider.
Hosting and infrastructure providers: may process encrypted traffic, stored records, logs, or backups as necessary to host and protect ARGUS.
Legal and safety disclosures: information may be disclosed when reasonably necessary to comply with legal obligations or protect rights, safety, and service integrity.

Google user data

Google user data is used only to authenticate you, create and maintain your ARGUS account, associate reports with that account, communicate service information, and protect access. It is not sold, used for advertising, or used to train generalized artificial-intelligence models. ARGUS’s use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements.

Security

ARGUS uses reasonable administrative and technical safeguards, including HTTPS in production, private storage, access controls, authenticated report downloads, restricted database and queue services, and automatic source-file cleanup. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

Your choices and requests

You may stop using ARGUS at any time. You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your account and associated retained information by contacting cristiano@zyraeng.com. Some limited records may be retained where reasonably necessary for security, legal compliance, dispute resolution, or backup integrity.

Children’s privacy

ARGUS is intended for manuscript authors and other users able to authorize these Terms. It is not directed to children under 13, and the operator does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

International processing

Information may be processed in the country where ARGUS and its service providers operate. Those locations may have data-protection rules different from those in your jurisdiction.

Policy changes

This policy may be updated as ARGUS changes. Material changes will be reflected by an updated effective date and, when appropriate, an additional notice in the service.

Contact

ARGUS is operated by Cristiano da Silva, doing business as ARGUS. Questions or privacy requests may be sent to cristiano@zyraeng.com.