SmarterSources / Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Your privacy matters. Most SmarterSources tools run entirely in your browser — no uploads, no accounts, no tracking of your files.

Prefer the plain-English version? Read How Privacy Works.

Last updated: February 28, 2026

SmarterSources is owned and operated by Market Action Research, Inc., a California corporation ("we," "our," or "us"). We operate the website smartersources.com. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your choices.

Privacy is core to how we built SmarterSources. We intentionally designed our tools to process everything directly in your browser so that your files, data, and personal information never have to leave your device. We believe you shouldn't have to sacrifice privacy to use free online tools — and we built our platform to prove it.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide

Most tools on Smarter Sources run directly in your browser. We do not require accounts or logins, and we do not collect personal information unless you voluntarily provide it (for example, through a contact form or email).

If you contact us, we may collect:

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • Any information you include in your message

Payment information (voluntary tips)

If you choose to leave a voluntary tip through our "Support Smarter Sources" button, your payment is processed by Stripe, Inc. We do not receive, store, or have access to your full credit card number or payment credentials. Stripe may collect:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Billing address
  • Payment method details (handled entirely by Stripe)

Stripe's handling of your payment data is governed by the Stripe Privacy Policy. We may receive a transaction confirmation (amount, date, and partial card information) for our records.

Automatically collected information

Like most websites, we may collect basic technical data, including:

  • IP address
  • Browser type
  • Device type
  • Pages visited
  • Time spent on the site

Tool usage metrics

We track anonymous, aggregate tool usage data such as which tools are used, how often they are used, and whether a user completed an action (e.g., uploaded a file or downloaded a result). This data helps us understand which tools are most valuable and where we can make improvements.

Important: We have zero visibility into the actual content you process. We cannot see your files, images, text, calculations, or any other data you work with in our tools. We only know that a tool was used — never what was processed.

2. How We Use Information

We use collected information to:

  • Operate and maintain the website
  • Improve site performance and tools
  • Understand how visitors use the site
  • Identify which tools are most popular and prioritize improvements
  • Respond to messages or support requests
  • Display advertisements

We do not sell your personal data. We do not access, view, or store any content you process using our tools.

3. Cookies and Advertising

Analytics

We use Cloudflare Zaraz to manage our analytics and consent. To balance your privacy with a better user experience, we have customized our system:

  • 30-Day Consent: When you make a choice about analytics, we only remember that choice for 30 days via the zaraz-consent cookie. After 30 days, the cookie expires, and we will refresh your preference.
  • Regional Logic: Depending on your location, we may ask for your explicit consent via a banner (standard in the EU) or automatically grant it to provide an uninterrupted experience (standard in the US).

These tools may collect pages visited, time on site, and device and browser information.

Advertising

We may display ads through third-party advertising partners such as Google AdSense. These partners may use cookies or similar technologies to show relevant ads and measure ad performance.

Google and its partners may use cookies to serve ads based on your visits to this and other websites. You can learn more or opt out at adssettings.google.com.

4. How Our Tools Handle Your Data

Most Smarter Sources tools:

  • Run entirely in your browser — your files and data never leave your device
  • Do not upload files to our servers
  • Do not store your inputs or outputs

While we track anonymous usage metrics (e.g., "the image compressor was used 50 times today"), we have no ability to see, access, or store the actual files, text, or data you process. Your content stays on your device at all times.

Because our tools run client-side, we never see the sensitive data you process — only anonymous usage metrics that tell us which tools are helping people.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services, each governed by their own privacy policies:

  • Cloudflare — hosting, CDN, and analytics (via Zaraz)
  • Google AdSense — advertising
  • Stripe, Inc. — payment processing for voluntary tips

These services may collect data according to their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review them.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information. However, no internet transmission or storage method is completely secure.

7. Children's Privacy

Smarter Sources is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal data, please contact us and we will remove it.

8. Your Choices

You can:

  • Disable cookies in your browser settings
  • Use ad settings provided by Google or other ad partners
  • Contact us to request deletion of information you provided

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will always be posted on this page with a new "Last updated" date.

10. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at:

Email: [email protected]
Website: smartersources.com