Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy — Short News
Last Updated: August 22, 2026
Short News ("we," "us," "our," or the "App") is a news aggregation and citizen journalism platform that allows users to read curated news (via RSS feeds) and publish local news content. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the Short News mobile application and related services (collectively, the "Service").
By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide Directly
- Account Information: Name, email address, mobile number, and profile picture when you register or log in via Email, Phone Number, or Google Social Login.
- User Generated Content (UGC): News articles, headlines, summaries, categories, images, and videos that you upload as a creator/reporter via Creator Studio.
- Interactions: Likes, comments, bookmarks, poll votes, and content reports you submit.
- Monetization & Payout Details: Bank account details, UPI ID, or mobile payment numbers provided by creators to withdraw earnings, rewards, and payouts.
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Location Information: Approximate and precise location (city, state, GPS coordinates) collected with your permission, used to deliver hyper-local news and regional weather updates.
- Device & Usage Data: Device model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, IP address, app usage patterns, and crash/diagnostic reports (collected via Firebase Crashlytics).
1.3 Content You Choose to Upload
- Local news reports, photos, and videos submitted through the app's news/media upload feature, including any metadata (such as capture location or timestamp) attached to that content.
2. Device Permissions We Request
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Foreground Service (FOREGROUND_SERVICE, FOREGROUND_SERVICE_DATA_SYNC) | Runs a background progress notification during news/media uploads so large video/image uploads complete reliably, even if you switch to another app. |
| Location (ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) | Delivers location-specific news, local updates, and regional weather. |
| Camera & Media (CAMERA, READ_MEDIA_IMAGES, READ_MEDIA_VIDEO) | Lets you capture or select photos/videos for news reporting or your profile picture. |
| Notifications (POST_NOTIFICATIONS) | Delivers breaking news alerts and upload progress notifications. |
You can enable or disable most of these permissions at any time through your device settings. Disabling certain permissions may limit App functionality (e.g., you won't receive hyper-local news without location access).
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Deliver personalized local, state, and national news content.
- Facilitate content publishing, editorial review, and community moderation.
- Calculate creator monetization, view-count based earnings, and process payouts.
- Manage user rewards, including daily check-ins, spin wheel bonuses, and lucky draws.
- Ensure system security and prevent fraud, spam, and copyright violations.
- Send push notifications for breaking news and account/upload updates.
- Improve app performance, fix bugs, and analyze usage trends.
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.
4. Third-Party Services & SDKs
We work with the following trusted third-party partners to provide core services. Each has its own privacy policy governing how they handle data.
- Google Play Services & Firebase — Authentication, Cloud Messaging (FCM) for notifications, Crashlytics for crash reporting, and Analytics for usage insights. (Google Privacy Policy)
- Google AdMob & Custom Ad Networks — Serving banner, native, and interstitial advertisements. AdMob may collect device identifiers (such as the Advertising ID) to serve relevant ads. (Google AdMob Privacy)
- YouTube IFrame API — Used to embed official live news streams in compliance with YouTube's Terms of Service. (YouTube Terms)
- OneSignal — Delivers real-time push notifications. (OneSignal Privacy Policy)
- GoldAPI — Supplies live commodity market rates (Gold & Silver) displayed in-app; this integration does not involve sharing your personal data.
We do not control how these third parties use data collected through their own SDKs and encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.
5. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:
- With Service Providers: Third-party vendors listed in Section 4, strictly to provide the services described above.
- Publicly, When You Choose: Content you publish as a creator/reporter (articles, images, videos, your public profile name/photo) is visible to other users of the App.
- For Legal Reasons: If required by law, court order, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Short News, our users, or the public.
- Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to standard confidentiality safeguards.
6. Data Retention
We retain your account information and content for as long as your account remains active or as needed to provide the Service. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time (see Section 8). Some information may be retained for a limited period where required for legal, fraud-prevention, or accounting purposes (e.g., payout/transaction records).
7. Data Security
We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures — including encrypted data transmission, secure storage, and access controls — to protect your information. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Your Rights and Choices
Depending on your location and applicable law (including India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023), you may have the right to:
- Access, correct, or update your personal information via your in-app profile settings.
- Request deletion of your account and associated personal data.
- Withdraw consent for location access or notifications at any time via device settings.
- Opt out of personalized ads where supported by your device (e.g., resetting your Advertising ID).
- Lodge a complaint with our Grievance Officer (see Section 12) regarding how your data is handled.
To exercise these rights, contact us using the details in Section 12.
9. Children's Privacy
Short News is not intended for children under the age of 13 (or the minimum age required by your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.
10. Monetization, Payouts & Financial Information
Bank account details, UPI IDs, and payment numbers provided by creators for withdrawing earnings are used solely for processing payouts and verifying identity to prevent fraud. This financial information is handled through secure payment processing channels and is not shared with advertisers or unrelated third parties.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes via an in-app notice or by updating the "Last Updated" date above. Continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us / Grievance Officer
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact us at:
Email:[email protected]
This policy is designed to be published within the Short News app and on the Google Play Store listing. Please review the bracketed placeholders (contact email, grievance officer name, and address) and replace them with your actual details before publishing.