Privacy Policy

Last Updated: February 2026

Our Privacy Commitment

Yaqat Qualitative Data Manager for Word (hereinafter, YaqatW) is built with privacy as a core principle. This policy explains how we handle data when you use YaqatW. The short version: We don't collect, store, or have access to your research data. Your data stays where you choose to keep it.

1. What Data YaqatW Handles

YaqatW provides a Microsoft Word Add-in for qualitative data analysis. The app processes the following data entirely on your computer or in accounts you control:

Research documents and text selections you code
Codes, categories, and relationships you create
Highlights and annotations within your Word documents
Metadata associated with your coding project (timestamps, user notes)
Settings you configure (preferred cloud provider, language preferences, etc.)

2. Where Your Data is Stored

Local Storage (Default)

By default, all your research data is stored in:

Your Word Document: Custom XML parts embedded directly in your .docx file
Browser IndexedDB: Local browser cache on your computer for fast performance
Completely Offline: No data leaves your computer

Optional Cloud Sync

YaqatW offers optional synchronization with cloud storage services that you already own and control:

Google Drive™ - Your Google Account
Dropbox - Your Dropbox Account
Microsoft OneDrive - Your Microsoft Account
Nextcloud - Your Nextcloud Server

When you enable cloud sync, YaqatW creates a "YaqatW-DATA" folder in your chosen provider and syncs JSON exports of your coding data. This happens only when you explicitly request it (Settings → "Sync Now") or enable auto-sync for specific clouds.

Important: Cloud sync is entirely optional. If you never choose a cloud provider in settings (default=Disabled), your data remains only in your Word documents and local IndexedDB cache.

3. Encryption & Security

YaqatW implements multiple layers of security to protect your research:

Local Processing: All coding and analysis happens on your computer. No data is sent to YaqatW servers.
Optional Encryption: When syncing to cloud storage, you can optionally enable AES-256-GCM encryption for sensitive fields (text excerpts, translations, comments) using a password you set.
Client-Side Only: Encryption and decryption happen entirely on your computer. We never see encrypted or decrypted data.
Cloud Provider Security: Your cloud accounts are secured by their respective service providers. We comply with their OAuth 2.0 security standards.

4. What We Don't Collect

YaqatW does not collect, store, or have access to:

Your research data or documents
Your coding schemes, categorizations, or annotations
Usage analytics or telemetry
Session logs or activity data
Your research topics, methodologies, or findings
AI API keys you provide (these are stored locally on your computer only)

5. Limited Use of Cloud Data

YaqatW accesses cloud storage services, including Google Drive™, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and Nextcloud, solely to store and synchronize project files required for the application's core functionality. Use of data obtained from these services is strictly limited to these purposes.

What We Do: YaqatW uses cloud data only to store, retrieve, backup, and synchronize your coding project files.

What We Don't Do: YaqatW will not use collected data for:

Advertising, marketing, or personalization
User profiling, behavior tracking, or retargeting
Credit or lending decisions
AI model training
Third-party sales or transfers (except as required by law)
Data aggregation or resale

6. AI Service Integration

YaqatW can integrate with AI services for translation and language processing (OpenAI, DeepL, Google Translate, DeepSeek). Important points:

Your API Keys: API keys you provide are stored locally on your computer and never sent to YaqatW servers. Exception: DeepL requests, including API keys, are temporarily transmitted through YaqatW's proxy server to process translation requests.
Direct Requests: When you use AI features, the text you select is transmitted directly from your device to the AI service provider using your own API key. YaqatW does not store or transmit this data through its own servers.
Third-Party Terms: AI services are subject to their own privacy policies. Review those services' privacy policies if you enable AI features.
Your Choice: AI integration is optional and configured by you in Settings with your own API keys.

7. Cloud Storage OAuth Authentication

YaqatW uses OAuth 2.0 authentication to securely connect with cloud storage providers for optional data sync. All cloud integrations follow these consistent privacy principles. YaqatW is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Google, Dropbox, Microsoft, or Nextcloud.

OAuth Tokens: OAuth tokens for cloud storage are stored securely on your computer and never transmitted to YaqatW.
Limited Scope: Access is limited to your own accounts only, YaqatW cannot access other users' data or files outside the designated sync folder.
No Data Intermediary: YaqatW does not act as an intermediary, data is synced directly between your computer and your cloud account.
Optional: All cloud sync is optional. You can use YaqatW entirely offline.
Provider Privacy Policies: Each cloud provider's data practices are governed by their respective privacy policies.

6.1 Google Drive™

YaqatW uses Google OAuth to authenticate with Google Drive™ for cloud sync.

OAuth Scope: YaqatW requests permission to read, create, and modify files in your Google Drive™ (specifically the "YaqatW-DATA" folder, marked with a YaqatW-specific attribute).
Folder Access: YaqatW only accesses the designated "YaqatW-DATA" folder and does not access other files or folders in your Google Drive™.
No Account Data Shared: YaqatW does not share your Google account information, email, or personal details with any third party.
Google's Privacy Policy: Google Drive™ is a trademark of Google LLC. Data practices are governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
Revoking Access: You can revoke YaqatW's access to Google Drive™ at any time through your Google Account security settings.

6.2 Dropbox

YaqatW uses Dropbox OAuth to authenticate with Dropbox for cloud sync.

OAuth Scope: YaqatW requests permission to read, create, and modify files in your Dropbox (specifically the "/Apps/YaqatW/YaqatW-DATA" folder).
Folder Access: YaqatW only accesses the designated "YaqatW-DATA" folder and does not access other files or folders in your Dropbox.
No Account Data Shared: YaqatW does not share your Dropbox account information or personal details with any third party.
Dropbox's Privacy Policy: Dropbox's data practices are governed by Dropbox's Privacy Policy.
Revoking Access: You can revoke YaqatW's access to Dropbox at any time through your Dropbox account security settings.

6.3 Microsoft OneDrive

YaqatW uses Microsoft OAuth to authenticate with Microsoft OneDrive for cloud sync.

OAuth Scope: YaqatW requests permission to read, create, and modify files in your Microsoft OneDrive (specifically the "YaqatW-DATA" folder).
Folder Access: YaqatW only accesses the designated "YaqatW-DATA" folder and does not access other files or folders in your Microsoft OneDrive.
No Account Data Shared: YaqatW does not share your Microsoft account information or personal details with any third party.
Microsoft's Privacy Policy: OneDrive is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Data practices are governed by Microsoft's Privacy Policy.
Revoking Access: You can revoke YaqatW's access to Microsoft OneDrive at any time through your Microsoft account security settings.

6.4 Nextcloud

YaqatW supports Nextcloud OAuth for users who prefer to sync data to their own Nextcloud server.

Server Access: YaqatW requests permission to read, create, and modify files on your Nextcloud server (specifically the "YaqatW-DATA" folder).
Folder Access: YaqatW only accesses the designated "YaqatW-DATA" folder and does not access other files or folders on your Nextcloud instance.
Self-Hosted: If you run your own Nextcloud server, you maintain full control over all data and server security.
Server Admin Privacy Policy: Data practices depend on your Nextcloud administrator's policies and your server configuration.
Revoking Access: You can revoke YaqatW's access to your Nextcloud server at any time through your server's security settings.

8. Your Rights & Control

Because YaqatW doesn't store your data, you have complete control:

Data Ownership: All your research data is owned by you and stored in locations you control.
Data Access: You can access your data by opening your Word document or accessing your cloud storage folder.
Data Deletion: Delete your data by removing your Word document, clearing IndexedDB cache from Settings, or deleting the "YaqatW-DATA" folder from your cloud storage.
No Third-Party Sharing: We don't sell, trade, or share your data with advertisers or other third parties.
Uninstall: Uninstall YaqatW from Word at any time. Your data remains in your document.

9. Data Retention

YaqatW does not retain any data on central servers. Data retention depends on where you store it:

Local Word Documents: Data persists as long as you keep the document
IndexedDB Cache: Data persists in your browser until you clear it (Settings → Clear Cache) or until browser data is cleared
Cloud Storage: Data persists in your cloud account until you delete it

For the most reliable data persistence, we recommend enabling optional cloud sync. This ensures your research data is backed up to your personal cloud account, protecting against local cache loss.

10. Security Incidents

Because YaqatW operates entirely on your machine with no central servers, security incidents affecting YaqatW would only impact local data on your computer or connected cloud accounts. In the unlikely event of a security vulnerability discovery:

Issues will be disclosed via GitHub at yaqalab/yaqatw-support
Fixes will be released as updates you can install
No centralized breach of user data is possible, as we don't operate central servers

11. GDPR, CCPA, and Data Protection Laws

YaqatW is designed to minimize regulatory compliance burdens:

Data Processing: All data processing happens on your computer. You are the data controller.
No Central Storage: We don't operate a central database, so GDPR right-to-deletion is automatically satisfied by deleting your documents.
Transparency: This privacy policy fully discloses our minimal data practices.
Consent: Cloud sync is optional and requires your explicit action.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy occasionally to reflect changes in YaqatW's features or legal requirements. We will notify users of material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date above and posting the new policy here.

13. Contact & Support

For privacy-related questions, concerns, or to report a potential security vulnerability:

Open an issue at YaqaLab Support Issues
Contact the primary developer: Fanantenana Rianasoa Andriariniaina (@frianasoa)

Future Open Source Commitment: YaqatW's source code is currently proprietary and closed. However, YaqaLab is committed to open-sourcing YaqatW in the future once the project reaches broader adoption and maturity. Until then, the code remains proprietary to protect early-stage development. See our Terms of Service for more details on our open source commitment.