Crodal Research — Terms of Use & Acceptable Use

Last updated: 2026-06-30

These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your use of the Crodal (also "Crodal Research") browser extension, desktop app, and related websites and pages ("Crodal", "the service", "we", "us"). By installing or using Crodal — and by clicking "Agree & continue" on the consent screen shown when you first use it (your acceptance is recorded) — you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the service.

0. Eligibility & age (13+)

You must be 13 years of age or older to use Crodal. Crodal is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data. If you are under the age required by the laws of your country to consent to online services, do not use Crodal. By using Crodal you confirm you meet this requirement.

In short: Crodal is an early prototype (beta) offered for general testing and feedback, "as is." You are responsible for how you use it and for anything you capture, store, or share. Use it lawfully and respect other people's rights.

1. What Crodal Research is

Crodal lets you highlight text, add notes and sticky notes, capture screenshots, record your screen or audio, run text recognition and voice transcription, browse the web in a built-in (desktop) in-app browser, hold or join meetings, work with documents, spreadsheets and data (including AI-assisted analytics), and (optionally) sync or share your own content. It is a tool that acts only on the pages and content you open and only when you choose to use it. Crodal is currently offered in a prototype / beta state and is provided free for personal, educational, and research use.

2. Your responsibilities (Acceptable Use)

You are solely responsible for your use of Crodal and for all content you capture, create, store, or share with it. You agree that you will:

Be old enough. Use Crodal only if you are 13 or older, for lawful purposes only.
Use captured content lawfully. Respect copyright, database rights, trademarks, and other intellectual-property rights. Capturing material for your own private research or study is generally permitted; publicly redistributing others' copyrighted or paywalled content is not, and is your responsibility.
Obtain consent before recording other people. If you record a screen, call, meeting, or audio that includes other people, you are responsible for complying with all applicable recording-consent and wiretapping laws in your jurisdiction (some places require the consent of everyone involved).
Respect privacy and data-protection laws. Do not use Crodal Research to collect, store, or share other people's personal or sensitive information unlawfully (including under laws such as the GDPR or CCPA).
Respect website terms. Comply with the terms of service of the websites you visit and annotate.
Not misuse the tool. Do not use Crodal Research to bypass access controls, paywalls, DRM, or security measures; to harass, defame, or harm others; to capture confidential information you are not authorised to access; or for any unlawful, deceptive, or infringing purpose.
Comply with sharing rules. Only share content you have the right to share, and only with people you intend to share it with.
In-app browser & third-party sites. When you browse third-party websites inside Crodal (including the desktop in-app browser), you do so subject to those websites' own terms and the law. Crodal does not control and is not responsible for third-party sites or their content. Optional ad/content-blocking is a convenience setting and does not authorize you to bypass paywalls, security, or access controls.
AI input. Do not submit unlawful content, or other people's personal, confidential, or sensitive information, to any AI feature without the right to do so.
Restricted, paywalled or login-only content. Annotating a page you legitimately accessed (including a paid or login-only page) for your own private study is generally permitted. However, you must not use sharing or sync to redistribute substantial portions of someone else's paywalled, subscription, or otherwise restricted content to people who are not authorised to access it. Doing so may infringe copyright and breach that site's terms — and is your responsibility.

Important. If you use Crodal Research to do something unlawful — for example, recording people without required consent, or redistributing content you don't have the right to — that is your responsibility, not the responsibility of Crodal Research or its developers. You agree to bear the consequences of your own use.

3. Your content

You retain ownership of the content you create with Crodal Research (your highlights, notes, screenshots, recordings, and files). We do not claim ownership of it. Everything is private by default. When signed out, your content stays on your device; when signed in, it syncs only to your own private cloud space (visible only to you across your devices) and is shared with another person only when you explicitly approve that specific recipient — nothing is ever made public or sent to the websites you annotate, as described in our Privacy Policy.

4. Permitted use & license

We grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use Crodal Research for its intended purpose, subject to these Terms. You may not copy, resell, reverse-engineer for the purpose of cloning, or redistribute the extension except as allowed by applicable law or the store you obtained it from.

5. AI features

Crodal includes AI features (such as text recognition, voice transcription, writing help, and data/spreadsheet analytics). Some run entirely on your device; others are cloud/online and, when you use them, send the content you submit to the AI provider that powers the feature — the managed "Crodal Cloud" (processed through our secure backend using providers such as Google Gemini or OpenAI) or, if you choose to bring your own key, the provider you configure. Cloud AI is optional. All AI is provided "as is": output may be inaccurate, incomplete, or biased, and you are responsible for reviewing and verifying it before relying on it — especially for important, academic, legal, financial, or medical decisions.

6. Disclaimer of warranties

Crodal Research is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the extension will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or that data will never be lost. As a preview product, features may change, break, or be removed at any time.

7. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Crodal Research and its developers shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, profits, or goodwill, arising out of or related to your use of (or inability to use) the extension, your captured content, or your violation of any law or third-party right. Your sole remedy for dissatisfaction with the extension is to stop using it and uninstall it.

8. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Crodal Research and its developers from any claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the extension, your content, or your breach of these Terms or of any law or third-party right.

9. Account & access

Access during the preview may be invite-only and subject to approval. We may suspend or revoke access at our discretion, including for misuse. You can stop using Crodal Research and delete your data at any time from within the extension.

10. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by the "Last updated" date above. Continued use after changes means you accept the updated Terms.

11. Contact

Questions about these Terms: adminvnote@gmail.com (the Crodal Research Team).

This document is provided for transparency and is not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction; you are responsible for complying with the laws that apply to you.