Legal
Privacy Policy
MindsNet is a thinkspace for the internet. This policy describes what we collect and how we use it. We design for understanding, not addiction.
Last updated: June 23, 2026
The short version
MindsNet is built to help you think, not to harvest your attention. We collect the data we need to run the product and improve your research experience, and we do not sell your personal information.
This page explains what we collect, why, and the choices you have. If anything here is unclear, email us at privacy@mindsnet.org.
Information we collect
We collect three kinds of information:
- Account information you give us: email, username, password (stored hashed), and anything you add to your profile.
- Content you create: searches, notes, fields, curios, articles, challenges, tools, and other contributions you choose to make.
- Usage and device data: pages viewed, features used, approximate region, browser and device type, and diagnostic logs. This is used to keep the product working and to improve relevance.
How we use your information
We use your information to:
- Provide core features: search, fields, feeds, notes, creation, and your profile.
- Personalize what surfaces for you based on what you save, skip, and explore.
- Keep MindsNet secure, prevent abuse, and debug problems.
- Communicate with you about your account and meaningful product changes.
Telemetry and personalization
We record lightweight signals about how you use MindsNet so the feed and search can adapt to you. You can opt out of personalization telemetry at any time from your settings, and we surface this choice the first time it becomes relevant.
Opting out does not reduce access to features; it only limits how much your activity shapes ranking.
The mindsnet browser extension
The mindsnet browser extension (“UnAlgorithm by mindsnet”) turns a goal you set into focused, site-specific searches across the supported sites listed in the extension's store listing (Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons, depending on your browser). It runs only on those sites and does not read, collect, or transmit the contents of the pages you visit.
What the extension sends to us: only the goal text you type (for example, “learn calculus”) is sent to our API at api3.mindsnet.org so it can be turned into a set of suggested searches. We do not send your browsing history, page content, cookies, account credentials, or identifiers. You can use the extension without signing in.
What we store on our server: when you create a goal, we store the goal text you typed and the searches our system generated from it. We use this only to understand how the feature is used and to improve the quality of the suggestions over time. Because the extension can be used without signing in, this data is generally not linked to an account or personal identity.
- Stored on your device only: your active goal, the generated prompts, links you opened through the panel, and your panel preferences are kept in your browser's local extension storage. Your local data is separate from the goal text described above that is sent to and stored on our server.
- Site icons: the extension loads website favicons from Google's public favicon service (google.com/s2/favicons), which means Google may receive the domain of an icon being displayed. No goal text or personal data is included in those icon requests.
- Permissions: the extension requests access to the supported sites so it can show the panel there, local storage to remember your goal, clipboard-write so it can copy generated prompts when you ask it to, and side panel access (Chrome) so its main interface can open as a side panel instead of a popup. It does not request access to all websites.
- Removing your data: uninstalling the extension or clearing your browser data deletes everything the extension stored locally. Goal text and generated searches already sent to our API are stored on our server and handled as described in “Data retention” below.
Data retention
We keep your information for as long as your account is active. When you delete content or your account, we remove or anonymize the associated personal data within a reasonable period, except where we are required to retain it for legal or security reasons.
Goal text and generated searches submitted through the browser extension are retained to analyze and improve the suggestions. Where this data is not linked to an account, we may keep it in aggregated or de-identified form for product improvement. If you would like data you submitted removed, contact us and we will make reasonable efforts to locate and delete it.
Your choices and rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate information from your profile and settings.
- Export or delete your data, including deleting your account.
- Opt out of personalization telemetry and non-essential communications.
Security
We use encryption in transit, hashed credentials, and access controls to protect your data. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to limit risk and respond quickly to issues.
Children
MindsNet is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age in your country). We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will remove it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the product evolves. When we make material changes, we will update the date below and, where appropriate, notify you in the product.
Contact us
Questions about privacy or your data? Email privacy@mindsnet.org and we will get back to you.