Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to The News Audit, operated under the brand name The American Newscast ("we," "us," or "our"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website, web application, and related services (collectively, the "Service"). The Service is currently in beta; however, our privacy and data security commitments apply fully regardless of beta status.

By accessing or using the Service, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your email address and password (stored in hashed form).
• Subscription Information: If you subscribe to a paid plan (Pro, Premium, or Max), payment processing is handled by Stripe, Inc. We do not store your full credit card number, CVV, or other sensitive payment details on our servers. We receive and store your Stripe customer ID, subscription ID, plan tier, and email address.
• Email Briefing Preferences: If you sign up for email briefings, we collect your email address and selected news topics.
• Saved Articles: Content you save or bookmark within the Service.
• Search Queries: News topics and market symbols you search for while using the Service.
• Referral Program Data: If you participate in the Referral Program, we collect and store your referral code, referral link usage, the email addresses of users who subscribe through your link, their plan type, and your earned commissions. If you connect a bank account for automated payouts, a Stripe Connect Express account is created on your behalf; your banking details are collected and stored exclusively by Stripe — we only receive your Stripe Connect account ID and onboarding status.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: We collect information about how you interact with the Service, including pages visited, features used, analysis requests made, and time spent on the platform. This data is collected via Vercel Analytics.
• Cookies: We use cookies to manage your session, track free usage limits (daily analysis count), and store your subscription/authentication status. These are functional cookies essential to the operation of the Service.
• Local Storage: Certain preferences (such as saved articles and UI settings) are stored in your browser's local storage and are not transmitted to our servers.
• Log Data: Our hosting provider (Vercel) may automatically collect standard log data including your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and timestamps.

2.3 Information from Third-Party Services

• News Content: We retrieve news articles and metadata from Newsdata.io for display and analysis. We do not share your personal information with these providers.
• AI Analysis: Article text is sent to Anthropic's Claude AI for bias analysis, fact-checking, and content summarization. We do not include your personal information in these requests. Anthropic retains API data for up to 7 days for safety monitoring, then deletes it. Anthropic does not use API data to train models. Anthropic's use of data is further governed by their own privacy policy.
• Payment Processing: Payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. We do not store your full credit card details. Stripe's handling of your data is governed by Stripe's Privacy Policy.
• Referral Payouts: If you participate in the Referral Program and connect a bank account for automated payouts, a Stripe Connect Express account is created on your behalf. Your banking information is collected and stored exclusively by Stripe on their independent infrastructure — we only store your Stripe Connect account ID. Payouts are processed automatically by Stripe when your pending balance meets the minimum threshold.
• Email Delivery: Email briefings are delivered via Resend.com. Your email address is shared with Resend solely for the purpose of delivering emails you have opted into.
• Database: Your data is stored on Supabase, which uses AWS-hosted PostgreSQL infrastructure. Supabase maintains industry-standard security practices and encryption.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide, maintain, and improve the Service
• To process your subscription and manage your account
• To deliver email briefings you have opted into
• To cache article analyses for performance (so repeated analyses of the same article load faster)
• To enforce usage limits for free-tier users
• To monitor and analyze usage trends and improve user experience
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues or abuse
• To comply with legal obligations

4. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored using Supabase (built on PostgreSQL) with industry-standard encryption at rest and in transit. Passwords are cryptographically hashed and never stored in plain text. Our application is hosted on Vercel's infrastructure, which maintains SOC 2 Type II compliance.

Independent Third-Party Infrastructure. Critical services — including payment processing (Stripe) and data storage (Supabase) — operate on their own independent servers with dedicated firewall configurations and security protocols that are maintained separately from The News Audit application. Stripe is PCI Level 1 certified and processes all payment data on its own infrastructure; we never see or store your full card details. Supabase runs on AWS-hosted PostgreSQL with its own network security, access controls, and encryption. This means your sensitive data is protected by enterprise-grade security measures even during periods where The News Audit application itself is undergoing changes as part of our ongoing beta development.

While we implement commercially reasonable security measures, no method of electronic storage or transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

5. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We share limited data with trusted third-party providers who assist in operating the Service (Stripe for payments, Resend for email delivery, Supabase for database hosting, Vercel for application hosting, Anthropic for AI analysis). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or governmental regulation.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.
• With Your Consent: We may share information for other purposes with your explicit consent.

6. Cookies & Tracking

We use the following types of cookies:

We use Vercel Analytics for aggregated, privacy-friendly usage analytics. Vercel Analytics does not use cookies and does not track individual users across websites.

7. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data.
• Data Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Opt-Out of Email: Unsubscribe from email briefings at any time using the unsubscribe link in each email or by contacting us.
• Cookie Management: You can configure your browser to refuse cookies, though this may limit certain functionality of the Service.
• Opt-Out of AI Analysis: You may choose not to use the AI-powered analysis features of the Service. If you wish to have previously generated AI analyses associated with your data deleted, please contact us.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the email address provided in Section 13.

7A. AI-Generated Content Disclosure

All article analyses, bias analyses, fact-checks, deep dives, and email briefings provided through the Service are generated by artificial intelligence (Anthropic Claude). These outputs are algorithmic assessments and are not human editorial opinions.

AI-generated content should not be treated as professional financial, legal, or journalistic advice. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Users should independently verify any information or analysis before making decisions based on it.

8. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to: (a) request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected; (b) request deletion of your personal information; and (c) opt out of the "sale" of personal information. We do not sell personal information as defined under the CCPA. To submit a request, contact us at the email address in Section 13.

9. International Users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we process your personal data based on: (a) your consent; (b) the necessity to perform our contract with you (providing the Service); or (c) our legitimate interests in operating and improving the Service. You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. Data may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where our hosting infrastructure is located.

10. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for individuals under the age of 13 (or 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

11. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Cached article analyses are retained indefinitely to improve Service performance. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or for legitimate business purposes (e.g., fraud prevention, legal compliance).

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: