Privacy Policy

Effective date: September 08, 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how Bio.Dev (“Bio.Dev,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects information about you when you access or use our website, applications, and services that showcase blog posts and biotech/tech tools, allow you to create an account, post comments, and chat with a chatbot (collectively, the “Service”).

By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

If you are accepting on behalf of a company or other legal entity, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity. Capitalized terms not defined here have the meanings given in our Terms & Conditions.

1. Scope

This Policy applies to information we process about visitors and registered users of the Service. It does not apply to third‑party websites, tools, or services that are linked from the Service. Those are governed by their own policies.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following categories:

2.1 Account & Identity Information

·      Registration/authentication data: name, display name/handle, email address, password (hashed) or OAuth/OpenID profile data from a sign‑in provider (e.g., GitHub, Google, etc.).

·      Profile: avatar, bio, organization, role, links you choose to add.

2.2 Content You Provide

·      Comments & posts: text, ratings, tool suggestions, timestamps, and any attachments you upload.

·      Chatbot conversations: prompts, messages, and feedback you provide to the chatbot, as well as system metadata needed to operate the chat feature.

2.3 Usage & Device Information

·      Log data: IP address, browser type/version, device identifiers, operating system, the pages or features you access, timestamps, referral URLs, language preferences, and crash/diagnostic logs.

·      Cookies & similar technologies: cookies, local storage, and SDKs used for authentication, session management, analytics, and feature performance. See Section 10 (Cookies).

2.4 Inferences

·      Feature personalization: limited inferences we derive from your activity (e.g., preferred categories of tools or posts). We do not infer sensitive attributes.

2.5 Third‑Party Sources

·      Sign‑in providers: if you connect a third‑party account, we receive information as permitted by that provider’s terms and your settings.

·      Public sources: we may collect publicly available information about tools or authors to enrich listings.

3. How We Use Information

We use information to: 1. Provide and secure the Service (authentication, account management, content hosting, moderation, fraud/security, debugging, availability monitoring). 2. Enable community features (comments, likes, notifications, profiles). 3. Operate the chatbot (route messages to model providers, return responses, detect abuse, evaluate quality). 4. Improve the Service (analytics, research, testing, troubleshooting, and new features). 5. Communicate with you (transactional messages, policy updates, and—where permitted—optional product announcements or surveys). 6. Comply with law and enforce our Terms.

Legal bases for EEA/UK/Swiss users: performance of a contract (to provide the Service), our legitimate interests (security, analytics, improvement, preventing abuse), your consent (where required by law, e.g., certain cookies/marketing), and legal obligations.

4. Chatbot Privacy & AI Disclosures

The chatbot uses large language models (LLMs) and related services.

·      Processing: Your chat content (prompts and responses) may be processed by us and by third‑party AI infrastructure providers to generate replies, perform safety checks, and reduce abuse.

·      Data use for model improvement: [Choose one]

o   (A) No training: We do not use your chats to train or fine‑tune models, except to the extent needed to provide the Service and ensure safety/quality.

o   (B) Opt‑in training: We only use your chats to improve models if you opt in via settings; otherwise we do not.

o   (C) Opt‑out training: We may use de‑identified chat snippets to improve models; you can opt out at any time in settings or by contacting us.

·      Confidential or sensitive data: Please do not share confidential, personal, or proprietary information in chats. The chatbot is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal, investment, or regulatory advice.

·      Retention: See Section 9 for retention periods; we typically store chat logs to provide continuity, moderate abuse, and debug issues.

We maintain agreements and safeguards with AI providers to protect your data consistent with this Policy.

5. How We Share Information

We do not sell personal information. We share information in the following circumstances:

·      Service providers / processors: hosting (e.g., cloud infrastructure), authentication, analytics, error monitoring, email delivery, content moderation, and AI model providers. These providers are bound by contractual confidentiality and data‑processing terms.

·      Public content: comments, your display name, avatar, and timestamps may be publicly visible on the Service.

·      Legal, safety, and rights: to comply with law, respond to lawful requests, enforce our Terms, protect our rights, users, and the public, and to detect/prevent abuse or security incidents.

·      Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets; we will provide notice where required by law.

Third‑party tools & links: When you visit or interact with third‑party sites or tools listed on Bio.Dev, their data practices apply.

6. Analytics, Metrics & Advertising

We may use privacy‑respecting analytics to understand usage and improve the Service. If we introduce advertising or retargeting, we will update this Policy and provide choices/consent where required.

7. Your Choices & Rights

·      Account settings: update profile details, notification preferences, and (where offered) data‑use choices in your settings.

·      Email: you may unsubscribe from non‑transactional emails via the link in the message.

·      Cookies: manage cookies in your browser or through our cookie banner where available. Some cookies are essential and cannot be turned off.

·      Data rights (EEA/UK/Switzerland and similar jurisdictions): you may request access, correction, deletion, portability, or restriction/objection to certain processing. We will honor verified requests subject to legal exceptions.

·      California/US state rights (CPRA/“sales”/“sharing”): We do not sell personal information. If we engage in “sharing” for cross‑context behavioral advertising in the future, we will provide a mechanism to opt out.

To exercise rights, contact us via the Contact Us page or use in‑product controls (where available). We may request verification of your identity.

8. International Data Transfers

We may transfer, store, and process information in countries other than where you live. Where required, we implement appropriate safeguards (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses) and supplementary measures.

9. Retention

We retain information for as long as necessary to provide the Service, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Typical defaults: - Account records: for the life of the account and a reasonable period thereafter. - Comments and public posts: until you delete them or your account, subject to backups and legal holds. - Chat logs: [30–365 days, choose a period] to support conversation history, safety, and debugging, unless you delete them sooner (where available). - Logs and diagnostics: typically 30–180 days, unless needed longer for security or legal compliance.

10. Cookies & Similar Technologies

We use cookies and local storage to: - Keep you signed in and secure your session (strictly necessary) - Remember preferences (functional) - Measure performance (analytics)

Where required, we obtain consent before setting non‑essential cookies. You can change preferences at any time via the cookie banner or browser controls.

11. Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect information (e.g., encryption in transit, access controls, logging). However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.

12. Children’s Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under the age of digital consent where applicable). If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

13. Third‑Party Links & Tool Listings

Links and listings on Bio.Dev point to third‑party tools and sites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Review their policies before providing information.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. The “Effective date” above indicates the latest revision. If changes are material, we will provide reasonable notice (e.g., via the Service or email, where appropriate).

15. Contact Us

If you have questions or requests, contact us via the Contact Us page.

16. Jurisdiction‑Specific Notices

EEA/UK/Switzerland: Bio.Dev is the controller of your personal data unless stated otherwise. You have the rights described in Section 7. You may lodge a complaint with your local data‑protection authority.

California (CPRA): We do not sell personal information. If we engage in cross‑context behavioral advertising (“sharing”), we will provide a “Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information” link. Categories collected are: identifiers, internet/network activity, and user‑generated content; purposes: to provide, secure, and improve the Service; recipients: service providers.

Virginia/Colorado/Connecticut/Utah: You have rights similar to those described in Section 7; appeals process available upon request.

17. Additional Disclosures for Developers & Submitters

If you submit tool listings or integrate with our API, we may publish the information you provide (e.g., tool name, links, logos, descriptions) and contact you regarding submissions. API usage may be subject to separate terms and rate limits.

Summary (non‑binding): We collect account info, what you post, basic analytics, and your chatbot messages so the site works and stays safe. We don’t sell your data. We share data with providers who help us run the site (hosting, auth, analytics, AI). You have choices and rights over your data. Be careful not to share sensitive information with the chatbot. Contact us if you have questions or want to make a data request.