Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 2026
Ponder is a reading catalogue. This policy explains what data we collect, why, and how we use it.
What we collect
When you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo. We store your email address to identify your account.
We store the reading activity you create: essays you mark as read, save, or rate; reviews you write; notes you add; and lists you create. This data is associated with your account.
Payments
Premium memberships are processed by Stripe. We do not store your card number or payment details. Stripe stores them under their own privacy policy. We retain your Stripe customer ID and subscription status to manage your membership.
How we use your data
Your data is used solely to provide and improve the Ponder service. We do not sell, share, or rent your personal information to third parties, and we do not share your account information with advertisers.
Advertising
Ponder shows ads to readers who are not premium subscribers. We use Google AdSense, a third-party advertising service. Google and its advertising partners use cookies and similar technologies to serve and measure ads, including ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.
You can control or opt out of personalized advertising in your Google Ad settings, and opt out of many third-party advertising cookies at aboutads.info and youronlinechoices.eu. Premium subscribers see no ads, and no advertising cookies are loaded for them. For more, see Google’s advertising policies.
Public information
Your username and public reading activity (essays read, ratings, reviews) may be visible to other users on your profile page. Notes are private and only visible to you.
Data retention
We retain your data as long as your account is active. You can request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us at the address below.
Chrome Extension
The ponder Chrome extension reads metadata from the page you are currently viewing (including the page title, URL, author name, publication name, publication year, article description, and cover image) in order to pre-fill the "Add to ponder" form. This data is only read when you open the extension popup and is only sent to readponder.com if you click "Add to ponder."
The extension does not run in the background, does not track your browsing history, and does not collect any data from pages you visit without your interaction. No page content is stored by the extension itself; any data submitted is stored on readponder.com under this privacy policy.
Cookies
We use a session cookie to keep you signed in. For readers who are not premium subscribers, Google AdSense and its partners also set advertising cookies, as described under Advertising above. Premium subscribers are not served advertising cookies.
Contact
Questions about this policy? Contact us