Privacy policy

1. Scope

This policy covers the Balance News iOS application and this companion website. In this policy, “we” and “us” refer to Balance News.

2. The iOS app

The current Balance News app does not create user accounts, collect names or email addresses, use advertising identifiers, request your device location, deliver push notifications, or include advertising SDKs.

Usage analytics. The app sends first-party product analytics to our own analytics server (hosted on Cloudflare). Each event is linked to a random install ID created on your device, not to your name, email or Apple ID. Events cover things like app opens and the app version, which tabs and features are used, when the upgrade screen is shown, and the outcome of a purchase or restore (the product identifier, never payment details). Like any network request, our server receives your IP address, which may be used to work out an approximate region; we do not store a precise location. We use this data only to understand and improve Balance News, and we do not sell it or use it for advertising.

From version 1.1.2. The same events are also sent to Amplitude, our analytics processor, keyed only to the random install ID; the app switches off Amplitude's collection of IP address, device identifiers, device model and OS version. Purchases are additionally recorded by RevenueCat, which receives the App Store transaction (product, price, date) and an anonymous RevenueCat ID so we can see subscription history. You can turn analytics off at any time in Settings > Share analytics; RevenueCat purchase records are kept because they support your subscription.

Balance News stores a cache of public news items, your followed topics and feed preferences, reading history, saved story summaries, and widget snapshots on your device. Your reading history, saved stories and followed topics are not uploaded to us. Saved publisher pages themselves are not copied; opening the original page may still require internet access.

3. News requests and external links

Balance News loads the day’s stories from our story server (hosted on Vercel) and, as a fallback, requests public RSS feeds directly from news publishers, in the foreground and when iOS grants a background or widget refresh opportunity. Our story server receives standard request information, such as your IP address, needed to deliver and secure the service; it does not receive your reading history. Like any web request, a publisher may receive technical information such as your IP address and user agent under its own privacy policy.

When you open an original article, iOS sends you to the publisher's website. That website's privacy practices apply after you leave Balance News.

4. Subscriptions

Optional Balance News Plus purchases are processed by Apple through StoreKit and the App Store. We do not receive or store your payment card details. Apple may provide the app with a signed entitlement so it can unlock the features you purchased.

5. Website and support

This website is hosted by Vercel, which may process standard request logs needed to secure and operate the service. We do not run a marketing tracker or sell website visitor data.

If you email support, we receive the email address and message you choose to send. We use it only to answer or resolve your request and retain it only as long as reasonably necessary.

6. Sharing and tracking

We do not sell personal information. We do not track you across apps or websites owned by other companies, we do not combine app activity with third-party data for advertising, and we do not share app activity with data brokers. Service providers that host our servers or process data for us (Cloudflare, Vercel, and from version 1.1.2 Amplitude and RevenueCat) act only on our behalf.

7. Children

Balance News is a general-audience news product. It is not directed to children and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

8. Contact and requests

Questions or privacy requests can be sent to hello@esl.careers. Because the app has no accounts, analytics events are stored only against a random install ID; deleting the app removes that ID from your device, and we can delete stored analytics for an install on request.

9. Changes

If Balance News adds accounts, analytics, advertising, or other data practices, this policy and the App Store privacy disclosure will be updated before that version is released.