Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 25, 2026

At The Human Archives, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your data when you visit our website or use our services.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

We collect the following personal information when you create an account or make a purchase:

  • Name and email address (for account creation and authentication)
  • Shipping address (for order fulfillment)
  • Payment information (processed securely through Stripe)
  • Communication preferences

Usage Information

We automatically collect certain information about your use of our website:

  • IP address and device information
  • Browser type and version
  • Pages visited and time spent on our site
  • Referring website information
  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • To provide and maintain our services
  • To process orders and payments
  • To communicate with you about your account and orders
  • To improve our website and user experience
  • To send you marketing communications (with your consent)
  • To comply with legal obligations
  • To protect against fraud and unauthorized access

Information Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

  • Service Providers: With trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website and conducting our business (e.g., Stripe for payments, shipping companies)
  • AI Service Providers (Archivist): If you use the on-site AI assistant (“Archivist”), your inputs and relevant page context may be processed by our AI provider (OpenAI) to generate responses. Please do not submit secrets (passwords, API keys, private keys) in the chat.
  • Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights and safety
  • Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
  • Consent: When you have given us explicit consent to share your information

AI Assistant (Archivist) Data Processing

The Human Archives includes an optional AI assistant (“Archivist”) to help answer questions about the site and artifacts. When you use Archivist, we may send the following data to OpenAI to generate a response:

  • Your chat message(s) and parts of recent chat history needed for continuity
  • Basic page context (for example: the page path you are on, and an artifact slug if applicable)
  • Relevant internal knowledge snippets used to answer your question (e.g. archive/artifact context)

Important: Do not paste secrets into the chat (passwords, API keys, private keys, seed phrases). If you choose to submit such information, it may be processed by OpenAI as part of generating a response.

We do not send your local environment variables to OpenAI. The OpenAI API key used by The Human Archives is stored server-side and is used only to authenticate our request to OpenAI.

Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information:

  • SSL encryption for data transmission
  • Secure servers and databases
  • Regular security audits and updates
  • Limited access to personal information
  • Employee training on data protection

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Cookies and Tracking

We use limited tracking to understand site usage and performance. At the time of writing, we use Vercel Analytics and Vercel Speed Insights, which are generally designed to work without third-party advertising cookies.

  • Essential: Required for basic website functionality (e.g. security and core features)
  • Analytics (Vercel Analytics): Helps us understand usage patterns (e.g. page views, referrers, device and browser information) so we can improve the site
  • Performance (Vercel Speed Insights): Helps us understand page performance and user experience metrics (e.g. load times)

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

Overseas processing (Australia): Our analytics and infrastructure providers may process data outside Australia (for example, in the United States or other regions where they operate).

For more detail, see our Cookie Policy.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

  • Access: Request a copy of your personal data
  • Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
  • Portability: Receive your data in a structured format
  • Restriction: Limit how we process your data
  • Objection: Object to certain types of processing

To exercise these rights, please contact us at support@thehumanarchives.com

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

  • Provide our services to you
  • Comply with legal obligations
  • Resolve disputes and enforce agreements
  • Improve our services and user experience

When personal information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: support@thehumanarchives.com

Website: thehumanarchives.com

Response time: Within 24 hours