diff --git a/backend/package-lock.json b/backend/package-lock.json
index de7a5d4..47a5492 100644
--- a/backend/package-lock.json
+++ b/backend/package-lock.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
       "dependencies": {
         "@anthropic-ai/sdk": "^0.61.0",
         "@aws-sdk/client-s3": "^3.879.0",
-        "@clerk/express": "^1.7.20",
+        "@clerk/express": "^2.1.21",
         "@google/generative-ai": "^0.1.3",
         "@polar-sh/express": "^0.3.4",
         "@polar-sh/sdk": "^0.34.10",
@@ -546,54 +546,51 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@clerk/backend": {
-      "version": "2.33.4",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@clerk/backend/-/backend-2.33.4.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-aF5IZGxicN6I5tq1g8GFTS3wbSVGzCRQ4zyZmZvRrux1xre2pVyWRoZ1qvMOjQ7doWJtEndxTZPjUaxXa4Zr2Q==",
+      "version": "3.4.13",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@clerk/backend/-/backend-3.4.13.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-3BABnKE1YZpQqJ/S8QD5FpzE7jq+mgaMrO7rLiWTI8Bfs/xk11XYSp1lMEf3BTo/rzEtaUsXaVDGvccYogKapg==",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@clerk/shared": "^3.47.6",
-        "@clerk/types": "^4.101.24",
+        "@clerk/shared": "^4.13.1",
         "standardwebhooks": "^1.0.0",
         "tslib": "2.8.1"
       },
       "engines": {
-        "node": ">=18.17.0"
+        "node": ">=20.9.0"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@clerk/express": {
-      "version": "1.7.80",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@clerk/express/-/express-1.7.80.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-h7Ghkk/rSrFUqlzgZvJ+wI8PZ+SDEWdBJfyOqWBd+poRXEkKy+LMIr6PWgWd4Qri2D9vMLDhFiE8CSHz0xBTdg==",
+      "version": "2.1.21",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@clerk/express/-/express-2.1.21.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-dpJktiUatE/4thWXeGzSzCe2uxqHcEXTv5JPhPq3GxDIpiHfe9oTfA1/9lPN8EsOrv2tQMW+dsGYnVQZZFIvdQ==",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@clerk/backend": "^2.33.4",
-        "@clerk/shared": "^3.47.6",
-        "@clerk/types": "^4.101.24",
+        "@clerk/backend": "^3.4.13",
+        "@clerk/shared": "^4.13.1",
         "tslib": "2.8.1"
       },
       "engines": {
-        "node": ">=18.17.0"
+        "node": ">=20.9.0"
       },
       "peerDependencies": {
         "express": "^4.17.0 || ^5.0.0"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@clerk/shared": {
-      "version": "3.47.6",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@clerk/shared/-/shared-3.47.6.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-hg2UFiwmSb3FnAciMxZZZculRN08NrlajXbBhT+nylMG6ljZoic0OlIGs+Rtp49scVMkX3Ytz5EUUj9pgVvcWQ==",
+      "version": "4.13.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@clerk/shared/-/shared-4.13.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-DyUtvNHgMmqjtTM0q285jKaAXUmCDSyItiGQTt1dNL0M6DZ3bxqsJz7wXPjh9zezmU4BAnLpwhj5gsM3OuNPzA==",
       "hasInstallScript": true,
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "csstype": "3.1.3",
+        "@tanstack/query-core": "^5.100.6",
         "dequal": "2.0.3",
         "glob-to-regexp": "0.4.1",
         "js-cookie": "3.0.7",
-        "std-env": "^3.9.0",
-        "swr": "2.3.4"
+        "std-env": "^3.9.0"
       },
       "engines": {
-        "node": ">=18.17.0"
+        "node": ">=20.9.0"
       },
       "peerDependencies": {
         "react": "^18.0.0 || ~19.0.3 || ~19.1.4 || ~19.2.3 || ~19.3.0-0",
@@ -608,18 +605,6 @@
         }
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/@clerk/types": {
-      "version": "4.101.24",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@clerk/types/-/types-4.101.24.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-QMxfO7kGng2sJyUTwejRFSxTbVqJXVbr9rkI5Ow8sLEa+HHc+33D9KVJDjMQeJ6XIxwOk7d86X9gLnGFHxnncg==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "@clerk/shared": "^3.47.6"
-      },
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=18.17.0"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/@colors/colors": {
       "version": "1.6.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@colors/colors/-/colors-1.6.0.tgz",
@@ -1243,6 +1228,16 @@
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       "license": "MIT"
     },
+    "node_modules/@tanstack/query-core": {
+      "version": "5.100.14",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@tanstack/query-core/-/query-core-5.100.14.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-5X41dGpxgeaHISCRW2oYwcSycZeULZzAunaudXT9ov1KOTj9xwt0CH6hbwqP1/z74ZWF7rYFnDpyYH07XFcZew==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "funding": {
+        "type": "github",
+        "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/tannerlinsley"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/@tybys/wasm-util": {
       "version": "0.10.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@tybys/wasm-util/-/wasm-util-0.10.0.tgz",
@@ -1848,12 +1843,6 @@
         "node": "*"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/csstype": {
-      "version": "3.1.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/csstype/-/csstype-3.1.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-M1uQkMl8rQK/szD0LNhtqxIPLpimGm8sOBwU7lLnCpSbTyY3yeU1Vc7l4KT5zT4s/yOxHH5O7tIuuLOCnLADRw==",
-      "license": "MIT"
-    },
     "node_modules/debug": {
       "version": "2.6.9",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/debug/-/debug-2.6.9.tgz",
@@ -3393,16 +3382,6 @@
         "node": ">= 0.8"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/react": {
-      "version": "19.2.6",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/react/-/react-19.2.6.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-sfWGGfavi0xr8Pg0sVsyHMAOziVYKgPLNrS7ig+ivMNb3wbCBw3KxtflsGBAwD3gYQlE/AEZsTLgToRrSCjb0Q==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "peer": true,
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=0.10.0"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/readable-stream": {
       "version": "3.6.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/readable-stream/-/readable-stream-3.6.2.tgz",
@@ -3769,19 +3748,6 @@
         "node": ">=4"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/swr": {
-      "version": "2.3.4",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/swr/-/swr-2.3.4.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-bYd2lrhc+VarcpkgWclcUi92wYCpOgMws9Sd1hG1ntAu0NEy+14CbotuFjshBU2kt9rYj9TSmDcybpxpeTU1fg==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "dequal": "^2.0.3",
-        "use-sync-external-store": "^1.4.0"
-      },
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "react": "^16.11.0 || ^17.0.0 || ^18.0.0 || ^19.0.0"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/tdigest": {
       "version": "0.1.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/tdigest/-/tdigest-0.1.2.tgz",
@@ -3927,15 +3893,6 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-tXzkojrv2SujumYthZ/WjF7jaSfNhSXlYMpE5AYdL2I3D7DCeo+mch8KtW2rUuKjDg+3VXODXHVgipt8yGY/eQ==",
       "license": "MIT"
     },
-    "node_modules/use-sync-external-store": {
-      "version": "1.6.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/use-sync-external-store/-/use-sync-external-store-1.6.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-Pp6GSwGP/NrPIrxVFAIkOQeyw8lFenOHijQWkUTrDvrF4ALqylP2C/KCkeS9dpUM3KvYRQhna5vt7IL95+ZQ9w==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "react": "^16.8.0 || ^17.0.0 || ^18.0.0 || ^19.0.0"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/util-deprecate": {
       "version": "1.0.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/util-deprecate/-/util-deprecate-1.0.2.tgz",
diff --git a/backend/package.json b/backend/package.json
index 423cc07..69734a4 100644
--- a/backend/package.json
+++ b/backend/package.json
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@anthropic-ai/sdk": "^0.61.0",
     "@aws-sdk/client-s3": "^3.879.0",
-    "@clerk/express": "^1.7.20",
+    "@clerk/express": "^2.1.21",
     "@google/generative-ai": "^0.1.3",
     "@polar-sh/express": "^0.3.4",
     "@polar-sh/sdk": "^0.34.10",