Who We Are

SourceScout is a tool developed by The DisMisal Team to help students and educators evaluate the credibility of online sources. It analyzes publicly available webpage content and provides guidance based on established evaluation frameworks, including CRAAP and RAVEN.

Company: DisMisal (“we,” “us,” or “our”)

Product: SourceScout (Chrome Extension & Website)

Website: https://sourcescout-tau.vercel.app/

Contact: dismissal.hawaii@gmail.com

Information We Process

SourceScout is designed to minimize the collection of personal information. We do not require accounts, and we do not collect personal identifiers such as names, email addresses, or login credentials.

1. Webpage Data (URL & Content)

When a user analyzes a webpage, SourceScout processes:

• The webpage URL
• Publicly available text content from the page

This information may be temporarily processed and optionally stored to:

• Generate a credibility assessment
• Cache results to improve performance for future requests

This data is not linked to individual users.

2. Technical and Diagnostic Data

Like most web services, limited technical data may be processed automatically, including:

• IP address (via hosting infrastructure)
• Request metadata, such as timestamps and error logs

This data is used only for security, debugging, and performance purposes and is not used by SourceScout to identify users or track individual behavior.

AI Usage

SourceScout uses artificial intelligence to analyze webpage content and assist in generating credibility assessments.

• AI processes only publicly available webpage content
• No personal user data is required or used
• Data sent for analysis is limited to article text and metadata
• SourceScout does not use student data to train AI models
• AI outputs are advisory only and are not used for grading, profiling, or decision-making about students

Student and Educational Data

SourceScout is designed for use in educational environments and does not collect or maintain student education records.

The tool does not:

• Track individual students
• Create user profiles
• Store browsing histories tied to individuals

As a result, SourceScout does not access or manage data protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Data Sharing

We do not sell or share personal information.

SourceScout may use trusted service providers, such as cloud hosting and AI processing services, to operate. These providers process data only to deliver functionality and do not use data for their own purposes.

Data Retention

• Cached webpage data, such as URL and score, is retained only as long as necessary for performance and system functionality
• Technical logs are retained for a limited period for security and debugging

No personal user data is retained by SourceScout.

Security

We use industry-standard security measures, including:

• Encrypted connections (HTTPS)
• Access controls
• Secure hosting infrastructure

Children’s Privacy

SourceScout does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 and is designed to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Your Rights

Because SourceScout does not maintain personal user profiles, there is no personal data to access, modify, or delete.

However, if you would like a specific webpage removed from our cache, you may contact us at dismissal.hawaii@gmail.com.

Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Updates will be posted on our website with a revised effective date.

Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact:

dismissal.hawaii@gmail.com

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using SourceScout (the “Service”), you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

SourceScout is a browser-based tool that analyzes publicly available webpage content and provides credibility assessments using structured evaluation frameworks.

The Service is intended for educational and informational purposes only.

3. Educational Use Disclaimer

SourceScout provides guidance only.

The Service:

• Does not replace teacher judgment
• Should not be used as the sole basis for grading or academic decisions
• Does not make determinations about student performance or behavior

4. No User Accounts

SourceScout does not require user registration or accounts.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for unlawful purposes
• Attempt to reverse engineer or disrupt the Service
• Use automated tools to overload or abuse the system

6. Intellectual Property

All content, branding, and functionality of SourceScout are owned by DisMisal unless otherwise stated.

7. Third-Party Services

SourceScout relies on third-party infrastructure and AI services to function. These services are used solely to provide the functionality of the tool.

8. Service Availability

We do not guarantee:

• Continuous availability
• Error-free operation

The Service may be updated, modified, or discontinued at any time.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, DisMisal is not responsible for:

• Decisions made based on SourceScout output
• Inaccuracies in AI-generated analysis
• Any damages resulting from use of the Service

10. Privacy

Use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy.

11. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Service constitutes acceptance of updated Terms.

12. Contact

For questions about these Terms:

dismissal.hawaii@gmail.com