Privacy Policy

What we collect and why

Anonymous use (no account)

You can use NewsFlash without signing in. In that case, we collect nothing from you server-side. Your reading history, interest vector, swipes, and saved cards are stored only on your device. They never leave it.

Account data (optional sign-in)

When you choose to sign in with Apple or Google, we create a Supabase user record containing:

• User ID — a UUID we generate. This is our internal identifier for your account.
• Email address — only if you granted it through Sign in with Apple or Google. Apple allows you to hide your email behind a private relay; we respect that and store whatever address Apple or Google provides.
• Display name — only if your identity provider included it and you did not opt out.

We do not store Apple identity tokens. Token verification is done server-side at sign-in and then discarded.

Swipe events (when signed in)

When you swipe a card, we record the card's UUID, the action (skip, save, or open), and a timestamp. This is stored in our backend to enable cross-device sync and to personalize the ranking of future cards. We do not store the content of the article — only the card identifier.

Push notifications (optional)

If you grant notification permission, iOS provides us with an APNs device token. We use it solely to send you "top story for you" alerts. You can revoke permission at any time in iOS Settings, and we will stop sending notifications immediately.

Subscription status

If you subscribe to NewsFlash Premium, Apple's StoreKit handles the transaction. We store your subscription status (active, lapsed, or in trial) keyed to your user ID. We never see your payment method, card number, or billing address — Apple manages all of that.

Crash reports

If you have enabled "Share With App Developers" in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements, Apple may share anonymized crash logs with us via App Store Connect. We use these only to fix bugs. We have no third-party crash analytics SDK.

What stays on your device

The following data is stored locally on your iPhone and is never transmitted to our servers:

• Your reading history and swipe log (anonymous mode)
• Your on-device interest vector used for card ranking
• Cards you have saved to your library

Signing out of the app clears local data. If you uninstall the app, all local data is removed by iOS.

Who we share data with

We do not sell personal data. We do not share data with advertisers. The only parties that receive any data related to your use of NewsFlash are the infrastructure providers listed below, and only to the extent necessary for the service to function.

Supabase

Our backend runs on Supabase Cloud (Supabase, Inc.). Your account record and swipe history are stored in a Postgres database hosted by Supabase. Supabase processes this data on our behalf under a data processing agreement. Data is hosted in the US. See supabase.com/privacy.

Apple (Sign in with Apple / APNs / StoreKit)

Apple handles authentication when you use Sign in with Apple, push notification delivery via APNs, and all subscription billing via StoreKit 2. Apple processes data under its own privacy policy at apple.com/legal/privacy.

Google (Sign in with Google)

If you sign in with Google, Google authenticates your identity and may share your email address and display name with us, subject to the permissions you grant. Google's privacy policy is at policies.google.com/privacy.

Anthropic (Claude Haiku)

We use Anthropic's Claude Haiku model to synthesize multi-source news cards. The synthesis runs on our servers and uses only the public text of RSS-ingested articles. We do not send any user data to Anthropic. Anthropic never receives your account information, swipe history, or any identifying information. See anthropic.com/privacy.

Image hosts (Unsplash and article publishers)

News card hero images are loaded from article publishers' CDNs and, for the marketing website, from Unsplash. When your device fetches an image, the image host receives a standard HTTP request that includes your IP address — the same as any image on the web. We have no control over how those hosts log requests. We do not use image pixels for tracking.

Push notifications

NewsFlash may send a push notification when a top story is likely relevant to your interests. This feature is fully opt-in: iOS will ask for permission before we can send anything. You can change your preference at any time in iOS Settings → Notifications → NewsFlash. If you decline or later revoke permission, you will not receive any notifications and no APNs token will be stored.

Subscriptions and payment

NewsFlash offers a Premium subscription ($2.99/week or $29.99/year, with a 3-day free trial) for access to additional features. Subscriptions are purchased through the App Store and billed by Apple. We receive only a notification from Apple's App Store Server Notifications confirming your subscription status — we never see your payment details. Refund requests must be directed to Apple.

Cookies and tracking (website)

This website (getnewsflash.app) does not use third-party analytics cookies or tracking pixels. We do not run Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any similar tool. The only external resources loaded are Google Fonts (for typography) and Unsplash (for images), which may log standard HTTP request data. Netlify, our hosting provider, may collect aggregate access logs for infrastructure purposes.

The app itself does not request App Tracking Transparency permission because we do not track users across third-party apps or websites.

Children

NewsFlash is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. Account creation requires Sign in with Apple or Sign in with Google, both of which enforce their own age requirements. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@jwsun.org and we will delete it promptly.

Your rights

Regardless of where you live, you can:

• Access your data — email us and we will send you a copy of what we hold.
• Delete your account — in the app, or by emailing us. Deletion removes your Supabase profile and all swipe rows within 30 days.
• Opt out of push notifications — revoke permission in iOS Settings at any time.
• Use the app anonymously — sign out or never sign in; no data is sent to our servers.

California residents (CCPA)

You have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion, and to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your rights, email support@jwsun.org.

EEA and UK residents (GDPR / UK GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing of, and port your personal data, and to object to processing. Our lawful basis for processing swipe data from signed-in users is the performance of the service you requested. To exercise any right, email support@jwsun.org. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

To make any data request, email us at support@jwsun.org with the subject line "Data Request." We will respond within 30 days.

Security

Data in transit between the app and our backend is encrypted with TLS. Data at rest in Supabase is encrypted at the storage level. Authentication tokens are short-lived and verified server-side on each request. We do not log full request bodies.

No system is perfectly secure. If you discover a potential vulnerability, please report it to support@jwsun.org.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where practical, notify signed-in users via an in-app notice. Continued use of NewsFlash after a change is posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We will not retroactively reduce your rights under this policy without explicit consent.

Contact

Questions, requests, or concerns about this policy:

NewsFlash
support@jwsun.org
getnewsflash.app