Learning Machines Policy · Last updated 2026-04-15
Privacy Policy
This policy describes how Learning Machines handles account information, usage activity, and model-related data. It is written to explain the system as it exists today and is revised as the service evolves. For Northwestern University's overarching privacy practices, see the Northwestern Privacy Statement.
1. Information we collect
When you create or use a Learning Machines account, the platform may collect and store:
- Your account identity information: email address, first name, and last name.
- Searches, model requests, visualizations, annotations, timestamps, and related activity created while you use the site.
- Operational and usage data such as login events, verification events, account changes, and feature usage needed to keep the service reliable and secure.
- Technical information necessary to operate the site, including request metadata, error logs, and security validation events.
2. How we use this information
We use account and activity data to provide the service, secure accounts, support users, improve product usability, understand system demand, and investigate operational problems.
This includes understanding which user created which searches, jobs, or annotations, how often the system is used, and where the product experience may need to be improved.
3. Passwords and account security
Learning Machines administrators do not know your password and cannot look up a plain-text copy of it. Passwords are stored as secure hashed values rather than readable text.
The platform also supports email-based authentication flows such as verification links and magic links. These help confirm that you control the email address attached to the account.
4. What administrators can see
Platform administrators and authorized operators may be able to see:
- Which account performed a given action on the site.
- When an account signed in, verified an email address, updated profile details, or changed its password.
- Which searches, model runs, annotations, and similar records were created by an account.
- Aggregate or individual usage levels needed for support, auditability, troubleshooting, research operations, and service improvement.
Administrators do not need access to your plain-text password to see this activity, and the system is designed so they do not have it.
5. Cookies and analytics
Learning Machines uses a small number of cookies and a lightweight analytics service:
- Session cookies keep you signed in while you use the site. They do not track you across other websites and expire when your session ends.
- Google Analytics 4 is used to record anonymous pageview metrics (page URL, browser, device type, referrer, time on page). We do not send user-level events, identifiers, or research-query content to Google.
The platform does not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking pixels.
6. Email, notifications, and service messages
The platform may send account-related emails such as verification links, sign-in links, and password reset messages. These are used for account access and security, not general marketing.
7. Data retention and deletion
Account data, model records, annotations, and related files may remain in the system until they are deleted through normal platform retention or account-deletion workflows.
If you choose to delete your account, the platform attempts to remove your profile, related activity records, and associated model-storage artifacts as part of that process.
8. Contact and additional resources
For privacy questions about this service, or to request access to or deletion of your data, contact Northwestern University's privacy team at privacy@northwestern.edu.
This policy covers the Learning Machines platform operated by Northwestern University Libraries. For Northwestern's broader data-handling practices — including cookies, third-party services, user rights, and record retention — refer to the Northwestern Privacy Statement.