Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to the CTE Research Initiative ("we," "our," or "us"), operated by Cognitive Thought Engine LLC, a Texas limited liability company. We are committed to protecting your privacy and personal information in compliance with the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA) and other applicable laws.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website (cognitivethoughtengine.com) and services.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

Category	Examples	Purpose
Identifiers	Email address, name	Account creation, communications
Assessment Data	DLI scores, productivity metrics	Provide service, track progress
Commercial Info	Subscription status, payment method (via Stripe)	Process payments, revenue sharing
Usage Data	Pages visited, features used, time on site	Improve service, analytics
Communication Data	Emails, support requests	Customer support

2.1 Sensitive Data

We do NOT collect sensitive personal data including:

• Social Security numbers
• Health or medical information
• Financial account numbers (Stripe handles payment data)
• Precise geolocation
• Biometric data
• Racial or ethnic origin
• Religious beliefs

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for these specific purposes:

• Service Delivery: Provide, maintain, and improve our services
• Assessment: Calculate your DLI score and productivity metrics
• Payments: Process revenue share payments to you (when active)
• Communications: Send transactional emails (welcome, DLI results, payouts)
• Marketing: Send promotional emails (only with your consent)
• Support: Respond to your questions and requests
• Analytics: Monitor trends and usage patterns (aggregate only)
• Security: Detect and prevent fraud or abuse

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do NOT sell your personal information. Under TDPSA, you have the right to opt out of data sales - but we don't engage in data sales.

We may share your information only with:

Recipient	Purpose	Data Shared
Stripe	Payment processing	Email, payment method
SendGrid	Email delivery	Email address, name
Plausible Analytics	Privacy-friendly analytics	Aggregate page views only (no personal data)
Anthropic	AI-powered features	Anonymized usage patterns

We may also disclose information when required by law or to protect our legal rights.

5. Your Privacy Rights and How to Exercise Them

5.1 Right to Appeal

If we deny your privacy request, you have the right to appeal. Send your appeal to privacy@cognitivethoughtengine.com with subject "TDPSA Appeal" within 60 days of our response. We will respond within 60 days.

If you are unsatisfied with our appeal response, you may file a complaint with the Texas Attorney General at texasattorneygeneral.gov.

6. Email Communications and Consent

We send two types of emails:

Type	Examples	Opt-Out
Transactional	Welcome email, DLI results, password reset, payment confirmations	Cannot opt out (required for service)
Marketing	Productivity tips, product updates, promotions	Unsubscribe link in every email

To unsubscribe from marketing emails: Click the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any marketing email, or email privacy@cognitivethoughtengine.com with subject "Unsubscribe".

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use Plausible Analytics, a privacy-friendly analytics tool that:

• Does NOT use cookies
• Does NOT collect personal data
• Does NOT track individual users
• Is fully GDPR, CCPA, and TDPSA compliant

We do NOT use:

• Third-party advertising trackers
• Cross-site tracking cookies
• Fingerprinting technologies

Your browser's "Do Not Track" signal is respected.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures:

• Encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encryption at rest (database encryption)
• Access controls (role-based permissions)
• Regular security audits
• Secure payment processing via Stripe (PCI DSS compliant)

While we implement reasonable safeguards, no system is 100% secure. If we experience a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you as required by law.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information:

• Active accounts: As long as your account is active
• After deletion request: Removed within 30 days (except legal requirements)
• Backup systems: Purged within 90 days
• Legal obligations: Financial records retained 7 years per IRS requirements

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under 13. 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 at privacy@cognitivethoughtengine.com.

Upon verification, we will delete the child's information within 30 days.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any linked websites.

12. Revenue Sharing Transparency

As part of our business model, we share 70% of eligible revenue with our users. Your earnings are calculated based on your DLI score and engagement. All revenue calculations are transparent and you can request an audit of your earnings at any time.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. When we make material changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top
• We will notify you by email for significant changes
• We will provide a summary of changes

Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

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