Terms of Service

Last Updated: October 19, 2025

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using Cirth Notes ("the Service"), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provision of this agreement. If you do not agree to abide by the above, please do not use this service.

2. Use License

Permission is granted to temporarily use Cirth Notes for personal, non-commercial use only. This is the grant of a license, not a transfer of title, and under this license you may not:

  • Modify or copy the materials
  • Use the materials for any commercial purpose or for any public display
  • Attempt to reverse engineer any software contained in Cirth Notes
  • Remove any copyright or other proprietary notations from the materials
  • Transfer the materials to another person or "mirror" the materials on any other server

3. User Content and Data Ownership

You retain all rights to the content you create and store in Cirth Notes. By using the Service, you grant us permission to store, process, and display your content solely for the purpose of providing the Service to you.

You are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and encryption keys
  • All content posted and activity that occurs under your account
  • Ensuring your content does not violate any laws or third-party rights
  • Creating regular backups of your important data
  • Understanding the encryption method used for your account (password vs. OAuth)

4. Account Security and Encryption

4.1 Password-Based Accounts

If you create an account with a password, your data is protected using zero-knowledge encryption. This means:

  • Password Loss is Permanent: If you lose or forget your password, we CANNOT recover your data. There is no password reset option that preserves your encrypted content.
  • No Data Recovery: We do not have access to your encryption key and cannot decrypt your data without your password.
  • Your Responsibility: You must remember your password and store it securely. We strongly recommend using a password manager.
  • Session Duration: Your encryption key is cached for 24 hours. After session expiration, you must log in again with your password.

4.2 OAuth/Google Sign-In Accounts

If you sign in with Google OAuth:

  • Your data is encrypted but NOT zero-knowledge (the server can decrypt it)
  • You can access your data seamlessly across devices
  • Your Google account credentials control access to your Cirth Notes account
  • If you lose access to your Google account, you may lose access to your Cirth Notes data
  • You acknowledge that the server has technical capability to decrypt your data

4.3 Session Management

Your login session expires after 24 hours of inactivity. After expiration:

  • You must log in again to access your encrypted data
  • Your encryption key is deleted from our cache (Redis)
  • Logging out immediately invalidates your session

5. Sharing Features

When you create a share link for your content:

  • The shared content becomes publicly accessible to anyone with the link
  • Shared content is stored decrypted in our database (it is public)
  • Share links are anonymous - recipients cannot see your identity
  • You can set expiration times (1 hour, 24 hours, 1 month, 1 year, or never)
  • You can revoke share links at any time
  • You are responsible for not sharing sensitive or confidential information
  • We are not liable for unauthorized distribution of content you choose to share

6. AI-Generated Content

Cirth Notes uses AI technology to generate titles, tags, summaries, quizzes, and flashcards. While we strive for accuracy, AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies. You are responsible for reviewing and verifying all AI-generated content before relying on it.

7. Prohibited Uses

You may not use Cirth Notes to:

  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Infringe upon the rights of others
  • Upload malicious code or engage in any harmful activities
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Service
  • Use the Service to transmit spam or unsolicited messages
  • Attempt to reverse engineer or circumvent our encryption systems
  • Share another user's account credentials or encryption keys

8. Service Availability

We strive to provide reliable service, but we do not guarantee that the Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service at any time without notice.

9. Data Backup and Export

While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, you are responsible for maintaining your own backups of your content. We are not liable for any loss of data.

Important for Password Users: Before deleting your account or if you plan to change your password, you must export your data first. Once your account is deleted or your password is lost, your encrypted data cannot be recovered.

We provide data export functionality, but you are responsible for regularly backing up your important data.

10. Disclaimer

The materials on Cirth Notes are provided on an 'as is' basis. Cirth Notes makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and hereby disclaims and negates all other warranties including, without limitation, implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property or other violation of rights.

We do not warrant that:

  • The encryption systems are impenetrable or free from vulnerabilities
  • Your data will be accessible if you lose your password (password users)
  • Session management will be error-free
  • AI-generated content will be accurate or complete

11. Limitations of Liability

In no event shall Cirth Notes or its suppliers be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, damages for loss of data or profit, or due to business interruption) arising out of the use or inability to use Cirth Notes, even if Cirth Notes or a Cirth Notes authorized representative has been notified orally or in writing of the possibility of such damage.

This includes but is not limited to:

  • Loss of data due to forgotten passwords (password users)
  • Loss of data due to encryption key issues
  • Unauthorized access resulting from shared links you created
  • Session expiration or logout
  • Service interruptions or data corruption

12. Account Termination

We reserve the right to terminate or suspend your account at any time for any reason, including violation of these Terms of Service. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease.

User-Initiated Account Deletion:

  • You may delete your account at any time through the application settings
  • Account deletion is permanent and irreversible
  • All your encrypted data will be deleted within 30 days
  • Active share links will be deleted when they expire or are revoked
  • Password Users: Export your data BEFORE deleting your account - we cannot recover it after deletion

13. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to revise these terms of service at any time without notice. By using this Service, you are agreeing to be bound by the then current version of these terms of service. Material changes will be communicated through the application or via email.

14. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us through the application support channels.

15. Alpha Version Notice

Cirth Notes is currently in alpha testing. Features may change, and the Service may experience bugs or unexpected behavior. By using the alpha version, you acknowledge that you are using pre-release software at your own risk.

The encryption system is production-ready (V2), but other features may be subject to change.