Privacy
Last updated: 2026-09-02
Libros helps people read public-domain classics. This page explains what data is involved and how it is treated. It is written in plain language on purpose.
Who runs this
Libros is operated by Xowit Labs LTD, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 17154346). For privacy questions, email [email protected].
What the site does
- Serves a curated catalog of public-domain books and a web reader.
- Saves your reading position in your browser (via
localStorage) so you can resume on the same device without an account. - Lets you save individual books offline on this device (Cache Storage + a service worker). Only books you choose are stored; we do not download the whole catalog.
- Offers optional Google sign-in so reading position can sync across your devices. Browsing and reading never require an account.
Data we process
On your device (not sent to us by default)
- Reading progress — which book, chapter, and block you last read, stored in your browser’s local storage. This remains the offline / anonymous cache even when you are signed in.
- Offline books — if you tap “Save offline”, book text and images for that edition are stored in your browser’s cache on this device only.
- Display preferences — reader font size and theme are stored in this browser for all books (device-local; not synced across devices).
- Word explanations you have already seen — kept in this browser so tapping the same word again is instant and still works offline.
Clearing site data for this domain, or using a private window, removes that information. We cannot recover purely local data.
If you sign in with Google
When you choose “Continue with Google”, we create an account so progress can sync. We store:
- Google account id (the stable subject id Google provides for your account).
- Email from Google (used to identify your account and for essential service messages if ever needed — not for marketing lists unless you opt in later).
- Display name and avatar URL if Google provides them (shown in the account menu).
- Cloud reading progress — per book: edition, chapter, block, and last update time — so you can resume on another device.
- Session cookie — an essential httpOnly cookie so you stay signed in.
We do not request Gmail, contacts, or other Google scopes beyond OpenID profile and email. We do not sell your personal data. Marketing email would only ever be with a separate opt-in.
On our servers / hosting (everyone)
- Technical logs — like most websites, our host (Cloudflare) may process standard request metadata (for example IP address, user agent, URL, timestamps) for security, reliability, and abuse prevention.
- No advertising trackers — we do not run third-party ad trackers on the reader.
When you tap a word to have it explained
Tapping a word in the reader (or selecting a passage and choosing “Explain this”) sends that word or passage, the sentence around it, and the book’s title and author to Cloudflare Workers AI, which generates the explanation. Nothing else about you goes with it: the request is not linked to your account, and we do not keep a record of what you looked up.
- Answers are cached and shared. What a word means in a sentence is the same for every reader, so an explanation is stored by word and sentence — never by person — and reused. Nothing in that store identifies who asked.
- A hashed address, for seven days. The feature costs money to run, so we count requests against a one-way hash of your IP address to stop it being abused. The address itself is never stored, and the counts are deleted after seven days.
- Explanations are machine-generated and can be wrong. The panel says so every time. They are not a scholarly source.
- You can turn it off. Reading settings → “Explain a word when I tap it”. With it off, nothing is sent and a tap does nothing.
Why we process data
- Provide the reading site and keep it secure (legitimate interest / contract for the service).
- Sync progress across devices if you choose to sign in.
- Explain a word or passage when you ask for one, and stop that feature being abused.
We do not sell your personal data.
Cookies
Local reading progress and preferences use local storage, not cookies. When you sign in, we set an essential session cookie so you stay logged in. We will not use non-essential tracking cookies without saying so here.
Who else is involved (processors)
- Cloudflare — hosting, CDN, and database infrastructure for serving this site and storing account/progress data.
- Google — when you use Google sign-in; their auth screens and terms apply to that step.
How long we keep data
- Local progress and prefs: until you clear them or your browser removes them.
- Server logs: according to our host’s defaults / what we need for security.
- Account and cloud progress: while your account exists, or until you delete the account (or ask us to).
Your choices
- Use the site without an account.
- Clear browser site data to wipe local progress and offline books.
- If signed in: sign out from the account menu, or use Delete account to remove server-side account and progress data.
- Request access or deletion by emailing [email protected].
Children
Libros is not directed at children under 13 (or the higher age required in your country for digital consent). Do not create an account for a child.
Public-domain books
Book texts come from public-domain sources (for example Project Gutenberg). Attribution for each work appears on the work page. That content is not personal data about you.
Changes
If this policy changes in a meaningful way, we will update the date at the top of this page.