Privacy Policy
Utah News ("we", "us", "the app") is operated by App Launchers, LLC. This policy explains what data the Utah News iOS app and our backend services collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using the app, you agree to this policy.
1. What we collect
- Account data. If you sign in with Apple, we receive a stable Apple-issued user identifier, and (when you choose to share them) your display name and email. Sign-in is optional — you may also continue as an anonymous guest, in which case we store only an opaque device identifier.
- Location. If you grant location permission, we use your coordinates to surface local news for your area, to show how far away an incident is, and to send geofenced alerts. Your most recent coordinates are sent to our backend only when you have an active push subscription for a city area. They are stored with your device's push registration, which is also tied to your account when you are signed in.
- Device and push tokens. We store the Apple Push Notification Service (APNs) token for your installation so we can send the alerts you have subscribed to.
- Submissions and contributions. When you voluntarily submit a story tip, URL, photo, or audio, we store the content and metadata you provide. You can request deletion at any time via the in-app "Delete Account" action or by emailing support@utah.news.
- Feedback on utah.news. If you send feedback or report a problem on utah.news, we store what you write, the email address if you give one (used only to reply, deleted after 180 days), and a daily-rotating keyed hash of your network address (used to limit abuse, deleted after 30 days). A story report is checked by our correction system, which may send its text to xAI for verification.
- Live broadcasts. If you choose to go live, we receive the camera video and microphone audio you broadcast, the title you write, your device model and your network (IP) address, which we need to deliver the stream, and, if you allow location, the place you are broadcasting from (used to label the broadcast "Live in" your city). A public broadcast is shown to other Utah News readers as it happens; a private one only to people who have its link. Broadcasts are not published as recordings: we keep a copy for 24 hours after a broadcast ends so that reports can be reviewed, then delete it. If a reader reports a broadcast, we store the report's reason with the reporter's account, or with a device identifier for a reader who is not signed in.
- App usage events. The app sends a small set of usage events to our own servers — never to a third-party analytics service: the app was opened; an article or video was opened or shared; the steps of first-run setup (a city was chosen, setup was finished or snoozed, which permissions you granted, and how many news topics you picked — not which ones). The topics you follow stay on your device. An article event carries the article's identifier, not its text, and we never record your search queries. When you are signed in, these events are linked to your account and are deleted with it (in-app "Delete Account"); when you are not signed in, they carry no account identity. Crash reports reach us only through Apple's standard developer tooling, and only if you have chosen to share them with developers in iOS Settings.
2. What we do not collect
- Contacts, microphone audio, camera images, calendar entries, or photo-library content unless you explicitly grant access for a specific feature (AI Journalist interviews, witness reporting, live broadcasting, calendar surfacing).
- Advertising identifiers (IDFA). The app does not request the App Tracking Transparency dialog and does not share data with third-party advertising networks.
- Payment information. Utah News is currently free; no in-app purchases or subscriptions are offered.
3. How we use your data
We use the data above only to operate the app: deliver local news for your area, send push alerts you have subscribed to, accept and process your editorial submissions, and improve reliability. We do not sell or rent personal data, and we do not share it with third parties except as required to run the service (e.g. Apple for push delivery, our Supabase database host, our hosting provider). All third parties we use are subject to confidentiality and data-protection agreements.
Only when a reader chooses to use Report a Story or AI Journalist, data needed for the requested feature may be processed by xAI for realtime voice, by OpenAI through AIProxy for text and vision, and by Google Gemini. Depending on what the reader chooses to provide, this data may include voice audio, transcript text, photos the reader attaches, and—only when the reader grants the relevant permission and asks about them—nearby contacts and calendar entries. This data is not used for advertising. Processor retention is governed by each processor’s applicable service terms; Utah News retains any resulting submission as described in Section 7. Readers can decline this processing by not using Report a Story or AI Journalist, and can revoke Microphone, Camera, Photos, Contacts, or Calendar permissions at any time in Settings.
4. Children (COPPA / GDPR-K)
Utah News is intended for users 13 and older. The app does not offer kids-mode features, parental controls, or family accounts, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us information, please contact support@utah.news and we will delete it.
5. European users (GDPR)
If you access the app from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have the right to access, correct, port, or delete personal data we hold about you, and to object to or restrict processing. Our lawful basis for processing is your consent (location, contributions) and our legitimate interest in operating the service (push delivery, basic analytics). To exercise any of these rights, email support@utah.news from the address associated with your account.
6. California residents (CCPA / CPRA)
We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under California law. California residents have the right to know, delete, correct, and limit the use of sensitive personal information. Email support@utah.news to make a verifiable request.
7. Data retention and deletion
We retain account data while your account is active. Anonymous guest device records are retained for up to 12 months of inactivity and then purged. You can delete your account from Settings → Delete Account in the app at any time (a guest uses Settings → Delete Guest Data). Deletion erases your account record and Sign in with Apple access, push token, location history, preferences and linked activity, the story tips and AI Journalist contributions you submitted, and the photos, audio and video you uploaded with them. Some shared content stays with your name and account link removed: discussion and Neighbor Board posts (shown as "[deleted]"), witness reports and their photos (marked anonymous), records of your live broadcasts, and links or reports you submitted. Published stories stay. The video copy of a live broadcast is deleted 24 hours after the broadcast ends, whether or not you delete your account.
8. Security
All traffic between the app and our backend uses HTTPS / TLS. We do not bundle non-exempt encryption (ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption is declared false in the app's Info.plist). Our backend runs on infrastructure with restricted SSH access and per-service credentials.
9. Changes to this policy
We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page when we make material changes. Significant changes will also be surfaced in the app on next launch.
10. Contact
Privacy questions, deletion requests, and complaints: support@utah.news.