Privacy Policy for Briefly

Effective Date: Feb 1, 2026
Last Updated: Feb 1, 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to Briefly ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information. This Privacy Policy applies to the Briefly mobile application (the "App") available on iOS and Android platforms.

By using Briefly, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use the App.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

Account Information:

• Authentication Data: When you sign in using Google Sign-In, Apple Sign-In, or phone authentication, we collect your authentication credentials through Firebase Authentication.
• Profile Information: Display name, email address, and profile photo (if provided by your authentication provider).
• Phone Number: If you choose phone authentication, we collect your phone number for verification purposes.

Content Preferences:

• Topic Selections: The news topics and custom topics you choose to follow.
• Topic Order: Your preferred arrangement of topic tabs.

Communications:

• Chat Messages: Your conversations with our AI chatbot are stored locally on your device and may be transmitted to our servers to generate responses.
• Feedback: Any feedback, comments, or questions you send to us via email.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Device Information:

• Device type and model
• Operating system version (iOS or Android)
• App version and build number
• Screen dimensions and density
• Unique device identifier

Usage Information:

• Reading Activity: Articles you view, read duration, and scroll percentage
• Article Interactions: Articles you click, your position in the feed, and the tab from which you accessed the article
• Navigation Patterns: Tab switches, time spent on each screen, and page launch times
• Chat Activity: Number of messages sent and chat session duration

Performance Data:

• App performance metrics including load times, API response times, and error logs
• Network connectivity status

2.3 Location Information

We collect approximate location information based on your IP address to provide locally relevant news briefings. We do not collect precise GPS location data. You can control location-based features through your device settings.

2.4 Subscription and Payment Information

2.4A Login Requirement for Purchases

To purchase a VIP subscription, you must be signed in to a Briefly account. Purchases are not available in Guest mode.

• Subscription Status: Your VIP subscription tier and status
• Purchase Receipts: Transaction receipts from Apple App Store or Google Play Store for verification purposes
• Account Binding: We associate subscription benefits with the Briefly account that is linked after purchase verification. If you sign in with a different Briefly account, benefits may not appear automatically. You can restore purchases using the same App Store Apple ID (iOS) or Google Play account (Android) originally used for the purchase.
• Payment information is NOT collected or stored by us. All payment transactions are processed securely by Apple or Google through their respective in-app purchase systems.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

3.1 To Provide and Improve Our Services

• Deliver personalized news briefings based on your selected topics
• Generate AI-powered chat responses to your questions
• Maintain and improve app functionality and performance
• Troubleshoot technical issues and fix bugs

3.2 To Personalize Your Experience

• Recommend relevant news articles based on your reading history
• Customize content feeds according to your preferences
• Remember your topic selections and preferences across sessions

3.3 To Manage Subscriptions

• Process and verify in-app purchases
• Manage VIP subscription status and features
• Handle subscription renewals and cancellations
• Restore purchases across devices

3.4 To Communicate With You

• Send important service announcements
• Respond to your inquiries and feedback
• Notify you about subscription-related matters

3.5 To Analyze and Understand Usage

• Analyze app performance and user engagement through Firebase Analytics
• Collect crash reports and diagnostic data through Firebase Crashlytics to identify and fix app issues
• Identify trends and improve content recommendations
• Monitor and analyze reading patterns to enhance content quality

3.6 To Ensure Security and Prevent Fraud

• Detect and prevent fraudulent transactions
• Verify purchase receipts
• Protect against abuse and unauthorized access

4. How We Share Your Information

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

4.1 Service Providers

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the App:

• Firebase (Google): Authentication, analytics, crash reporting, and cloud services
• AWS (Amazon Web Services): Backend API hosting and data storage
• Apple/Google: In-app purchase processing and verification

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

4.2 Legal Compliance

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or to:

• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect our rights, property, or safety
• Investigate potential violations of our Terms of Service
• Prevent fraud or abuse

4.3 Business Transfers

If Briefly is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or prominent notice in the App of any change in ownership.

4.4 With Your Consent

We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

• Account Information: Retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period after account deletion to comply with legal obligations.
• Reading History: Stored for up to 90 days to provide personalized recommendations.
• Chat Messages: Stored locally on your device and generally remain there until you clear the App's data/cache via your device's system settings. Server-side chat logs are retained for up to 30 days.
• Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized analytics data may be retained indefinitely for research and improvement purposes.
• Subscription Records: Retained for as long as required for tax, accounting, and legal compliance (typically 7 years).

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal purposes.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

6.1 Access and Portability

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format

6.2 Correction and Update

You can:

• Update your profile information through the App
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information

6.3 Deletion

You have the right to:

• Request deletion of your account and personal information
• Clear your reading history within the App (where available) and remove chat messages by clearing the App's data/cache

6.4 Opt-Out Rights

You can:

• Opt out of personalized content recommendations (note: this may reduce service quality)
• Disable location-based content through device settings
• Unsubscribe from promotional communications

6.5 Do Not Sell My Personal Information (CCPA)

We do not sell your personal information. California residents can learn more about their rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) by contacting us.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at Briefly.Feedback@gmail.com.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information:

• Encryption: Data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using SSL/TLS protocols.
• Secure Storage: Personal information is stored on secure servers with restricted access.
• Authentication: We use Firebase Authentication with industry-standard security practices.
• Access Controls: Only authorized personnel have access to personal information, and only when necessary.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Children's Privacy

Briefly is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete such information.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States and Singapore (where our servers are located). These countries may have different data protection laws than your country.

We ensure that such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws and implement appropriate safeguards as required by law.

10. Third-Party Services

10.1 Authentication Providers

• Google Sign-In: Subject to Google's Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy
• Sign in with Apple: Subject to Apple's Privacy Policy at https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/
• Firebase Authentication: Subject to Google's Privacy Policy

10.2 Analytics and Crash Reporting

We use Firebase Analytics to understand app usage and Firebase Crashlytics to collect crash reports and diagnostic data. Firebase may collect device identifiers, usage information, and crash logs. Crash data is anonymized and used solely to improve app stability. Learn more at https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy.

10.3 In-App Purchases

• Apple App Store: Subject to Apple's Privacy Policy
• Google Play Store: Subject to Google's Privacy Policy

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

11. Your Choices and Controls

11.1 Account Management

• Sign Out: You can sign out of your account at any time through the "Me" tab.
• Delete Account: Contact Briefly.Feedback@gmail.com to request account deletion.

Guest Accounts and Sign-In Changes:

• If you use the App as a guest, we may store certain preferences under a temporary guest profile. When you sign in, we may merge that guest profile into the signed-in account.
• If you sign out and sign in using a different method that results in a different account, your prior account data and subscription benefits will not be automatically available in that different account. If applicable, you can restore purchases using the same App Store Apple ID (iOS) or Google Play account (Android) originally used for the purchase.

11.2 Data Management

• Clear Chat History: We do not currently provide an in-app "clear chat" feature. You may remove locally stored chat data by clearing the App's data/cache via your device's system settings.
• Reset Topic Preferences: You can change your topic selections at any time through the Topics tab.

11.3 Communications

You can opt out of promotional emails by contacting Briefly.Feedback@gmail.com. You cannot opt out of essential service communications (e.g., subscription confirmations, security alerts).

11.4 Device Permissions

You can control app permissions through your device settings:

• iOS: Settings > Briefly
• Android: Settings > Apps > Briefly > Permissions

12. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Briefly uses minimal tracking technologies:

• Local Storage: We use SharedPreferences (Android) and UserDefaults (iOS) to store user preferences locally on your device.
• SQLite Database: We store reading history and chat messages locally for app functionality.
• Analytics Identifiers: Firebase Analytics uses identifiers to track app usage anonymously.

WebView Cookies

When you view external news articles through our in-app browser (WebView):

• Third-Party Cookies: The news websites you visit may set their own cookies through the WebView
• Cookie Control: You can clear WebView cookies through your device settings or by clearing the app cache
• Third-Party Policies: Cookies set by external websites are governed by those websites' privacy policies, not ours

The Briefly app itself does not set or use cookies for native app functionality.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Notify you of material changes via email (if you have an account) or prominent notice in the App
• Require your consent for material changes if required by law

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the App after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Email: Briefly.Feedback@gmail.com Response Time: We will respond to privacy inquiries within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).

15. Additional Information for Specific Regions

15.1 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), California residents have specific rights:

Categories of Personal Information Collected:

• Identifiers (name, email, phone number, device ID)
• Internet activity (reading history, app usage)
• Geolocation data (approximate location)
• Inferences (content preferences)

Your Rights:

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell your information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

How to Exercise Your Rights: Email Briefly.Feedback@gmail.com with "CCPA Request" in the subject line.

15.2 Other Jurisdictions

We comply with data protection laws applicable in all jurisdictions where we operate. If you have specific questions about compliance in your region, please contact us.

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Thank you for trusting Briefly with your personal information. Your privacy matters to us.