Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

1. Our Privacy Principle

Your privacy is the foundation of MADAI LABS. In short: your raw DNA and your identity stay private and are never sold or shared. The only information visible to other users is non-identifying — your ethnic and geographic background, tied to an anonymous MADAI ID. Everything below explains this in detail.

2. Information We Collect

We collect (a) account details you provide — your name and email address; (b) the raw DNA data you upload for analysis; and (c) the ethnic and geographic information associated with your sample. We also collect minimal technical data needed to operate the Platform (e.g. authentication sessions).

3. Where Your Raw Data Is Stored

Your raw DNA files are stored securely on our own servers located in the European Union (EU). They are protected with industry-standard security measures. Your raw data is never shared with anyone and never made public — it is used only to generate the analyses you request.

4. What Stays Private

Your private information — your name and email address — remains private at all times. It is never published, never shown to other users, and never sold or shared with third parties.

5. What Is Public

The only information other users can see is non-identifying: your ethnic and geographic background. Each member is assigned an anonymous MADAI ID. Using that ID, other users can view your ethnic information and — where G25 coordinates are available — build G25 models from your sample. Your name, email and raw DNA file are never part of this.

6. Your MADAI ID

Every uploaded sample is assigned a unique MADAI ID (e.g. MADAI0001). This ID is how your sample appears throughout the Platform and can be looked up in the Sample Dashboard. It carries only your ethnic and geographic information — it cannot be traced back to your name or email by other users.

7. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information or your raw genetic data with any third party — for any purpose. The only data ever visible to others is the public ethnic and geographic information described above.

8. Public Reference Datasets

For comparison and modelling, the Platform draws on publicly available academic genomic datasets (e.g. the Allen Ancient DNA Resource, AADR). These are external public sources and are independent of your personal data.

9. Your Rights & Data Deletion

You can request deletion of your data at any time. Upon request, your raw data and sample will be removed from our servers. Deletion requests are handled exclusively through the Contact tab (choose "Raw data deletion" or "Account deletion" and send a request) or by e-mailing our dedicated deletion inbox at delete@madailabs.de. Important: deletion requests sent to the general support address (support@madailabs.de) are not processed or acknowledged — only the Contact tab or delete@madailabs.de. We usually process requests within 24–48 hours.

10. Cookies & Usage Analytics

We use two kinds of browser storage. (a) Essential storage — required for sign-in, your session, your chosen language, your display settings (such as light or dark mode), and to remember your cookie choice. It also includes a device identifier: the first time you open the sign-in dialog, a random ID is generated and stored in your browser so we can tell a device you have already used from a new one. If we see a device we do not recognise, we send a verification code to your e-mail address before granting access. Once you have confirmed that code, the ID is also stored on our servers, linked to your account, so the device stays trusted for 14 days; after that it expires and is deleted, and the next sign-in asks for a code again. This ID is created without a separate consent because it protects your account against unauthorised sign-ins; the legal basis is our legitimate interest in the security of the Platform (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). It is a random value, it is never used to track your behaviour or to recognise you across other websites, and you can remove it at any time by clearing your browser storage. Essential storage is always active and never used for tracking. (b) Anonymous usage analytics — only if you accept it in the cookie banner. When accepted, we record which pages and tools are opened, tied to a random, non-identifying ID stored in your browser, so we can understand what is used most and improve the Platform. This runs entirely on our own servers in the EU (first-party); there are no third-party trackers, no advertising, and no cross-site tracking. We do not store your IP address and we do not link this data to your account or DNA. The legal basis is your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You can change or withdraw your choice at any time via "Change cookie settings" at the bottom of this page — choosing "Essentials only" stops all analytics and deletes the anonymous ID.

10a. No External Content Loading

All fonts and scripts the Platform needs are hosted on our own servers. Nothing is fetched from external content networks (for example Google Fonts) when you open a page, so no third party receives your IP address without your knowledge. The Google Sign-In component is loaded only at the moment you actively choose "Sign in with Google". Interactive maps are the one exception: when you open a map tool, the map tiles are requested from the tile provider named in the map's attribution, which necessarily sees your IP address.

11. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not intended for children under 16. We do not knowingly collect data from minors.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated through the Platform.

13. Contact

For general privacy questions, contact us at support@madailabs.de. For data or account deletion, please use the Contact tab or write to delete@madailabs.de — deletion requests sent to support@madailabs.de are not processed.