Data Privacy and AI

Data, Privacy, and AI

Local sidecar files

For paper.pdf, Inleaf Reader automatically maintains versioned JSON files beside the document:

.inleaf-reader/
  paper.pdf.annotations.json
  paper.pdf.wordbook.json
  paper.pdf.progress.json

Markdown and annotated-PDF files are optional exports created only when you request them:

paper.pdf.annotations.md
paper.pdf.annotated.pdf

The top-level JSON shapes are:

{ "schemaVersion": 1, "annotations": [] }
{ "schemaVersion": 1, "words": [] }
{ "schemaVersion": 1, "progress": { "page": 12, "updatedAt": "..." } }

This directory is deliberately portable. You can back it up or synchronize it with Git, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Syncthing, or another file-sync tool.

Reliability

• JSON changes are serialized so overlapping actions do not overwrite each other.
• Files are replaced atomically after a valid new version is ready.
• Every JSON file is validated when read and the previous valid version is retained as a .bak recovery copy.
• If current JSON is invalid, Inleaf Reader restores a valid backup and keeps the unreadable file with a .corrupt-<timestamp> suffix.
• Legacy unversioned sidecars are migrated automatically.
• Moving or renaming a PDF uses a lightweight content fingerprint to locate missing sidecars.
• Existing files at a destination are never overwritten during recovery.

Working with your AI

Because annotations and vocabulary are structured local files, an AI assistant with workspace access can:

• summarize your annotations;
• find unresolved questions or todo tags;
• compare notes across papers;
• turn vocabulary into exercises;
• draft a literature review from selected evidence;
• link answers back to page numbers and original text.

A useful request is:

Read the .inleaf-reader annotations for this PDF. Group my notes by theme, preserve page references, and list questions that still need research.

The reader does not require a bundled paid AI service. You decide which AI has access to the PDF and sidecar directory.

Privacy model

• Inleaf Reader does not currently collect telemetry or analytics.
• PDFs and sidecars remain in user-selected local paths.
• ECDICT and local Argos translation stay on the machine.
• DeepSeek and LibreTranslate receive selected text only when you choose those providers.
• API keys remain in VS Code SecretStorage.

Always review the privacy terms of a remote translation or AI provider before sending sensitive material.