Privacy Policy

Last Updated & Effective Date: November 2, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Quantum Forge ("we", "our", or "the Platform"), authored and operated by Ali Asghar (aliasgharinnocent@yahoo.com), collects, uses, and safeguards information when you visit or interact with our web applications and computational services at quantumforgeapp.com and quantom-forge.web.app.

1. Core Principle: Privacy by Design & Data Minimization

Quantum Forge is engineered for computational science and educational exploration. We do not sell your personal data, monetize patient health records, or engage in invasive tracking. All chemical calculations, 3D molecular renders, and simulation workflows execute directly on your local device or on our secure computational backend.

2. Categories of Information We Collect

• Account & Authentication Information: If you register or authenticate via Firebase Authentication (email/password or WebAuthn/Passkey via Apple Keychain, Windows Hello, or Google Password Manager), we store your account identifier (UID), email address, and timestamp metadata. Passwords are never stored in plain text.
• User-Generated Research Data: If you choose to save reactions or calculations to your private workspace, your molecular coordinate data (XYZ/CJSON/PDB), reaction configurations, and transition state results are stored in your authenticated, private Cloud Firestore document (protected by database security rules).
• Local Browser Storage: We use HTML5 localStorage purely to remember your preferences (such as dark/light theme, active potential model, animation frame rate, and bridge preferences) across page refreshes.
• Server & Network Logs: Standard web server logs may automatically record client IP addresses, browser user-agent strings, referral URLs, and request timestamps solely for security monitoring, fraud prevention, and performance diagnostics.

3. Advertising & Cookies (Google AdSense & Google Analytics)

We partner with Google AdSense (Publisher ID: ca-pub-9402443776639153) and Google tag services (Tag: AW-16732994716) to serve context-relevant advertisements and analyze traffic, which funds free public access to our educational chemical simulations.

• Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Quantum Forge.
• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to Quantum Forge and/or other sites on the Internet.
• EEA & UK Consent Compliance: For visitors from the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom, advertising cookies and measurement tags adhere to the EU ePrivacy Directive (Directive 2002/58/EC) and GDPR requirements. Users can manage or adjust their advertising cookie consent preferences at any time through our Google-certified consent dialog.
• Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google My Ad Center or by utilizing the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out tool at optout.networkadvertising.org.
• You can also configure your web browser to refuse all cookies or alert you when cookies are being placed. Note that disabling cookies will not impair core computational simulation capabilities.

4. Third-Party Infrastructure Providers

We host and secure our infrastructure with industry-standard cloud providers adhering to strict security standards:

• Google Firebase / Google Cloud Platform: Cloud hosting, encrypted database storage (Cloud Firestore), and identity services compliant with ISO 27001, SOC 1/2/3, and GDPR.
• NGL Viewer & Client-Side WebGL: All 3D molecular graphics run client-side on your device's GPU via WebGL; structural coordinates are rendered in memory without unauthorized third-party telemetry.
• Crossref & OpenAlex APIs: Scholarly citation lookups fetch purely public academic bibliographic metadata (DOIs, journal names, publication years, citation counts).

5. User Rights Under GDPR, CCPA, and Global Privacy Laws

Depending on your location, you hold statutory privacy rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to Access: You may request a copy of the personal information associated with your account.
• Right to Rectification: You may correct or update your profile information at any time.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You may request complete deletion of your account, saved reactions, and profile data from our databases.
• Right to Restrict or Object: You may opt out of non-essential cookie tracking or direct marketing communications.
• California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA): We do not "sell" or "share" personal information for monetary or other valuable consideration.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at aliasgharinnocent@yahoo.com with the subject line "Privacy Rights Request". Requests are processed within 30 days free of charge.

6. Children's Online Privacy Protection (COPPA)

Quantum Forge is an educational and professional chemistry workstation not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

7. Revisions to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Any revisions will be published on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of the platform after updates indicates your acceptance.

8. Contact & Data Controller Information

For questions, data access requests, or privacy compliance inquiries, contact:

Ali Asghar
Data Controller, Quantum Forge
Email: aliasgharinnocent@yahoo.com
Website: https://quantumforgeapp.com