Privacy Policy

The StoryBreak Android App

The StoryBreak Android app is built with Capacitor and works by displaying the StoryBreak website inside the app, similar to a web browser, plus a small number of native features: breaking-news push notifications, a share button, and support for opening storybreak.news article links directly in the app instead of a browser.

The app requests the Android INTERNET permission so it can load StoryBreak, and on Android 13 and later, the POST_NOTIFICATIONS permission so it can show breaking-news alerts. You can decline or later change the notification permission at any time from your device's app settings. Because the app displays the website, the advertising, analytics, weather and other practices described throughout this Policy generally apply to the app as well, except where a section below describes an app-only or website-only feature.

Information We May Collect

StoryBreak may collect information that you voluntarily provide, such as information included in emails, correction requests, story tips, business inquiries or other communications sent to us.

We, and the third-party services described in this Policy, may also automatically collect technical and usage information when you visit the website or use the app, including:

• Approximate location. Your general, city-level location may be inferred from your IP address, which is a normal part of how the internet and our hosting and advertising providers operate. If you enter a ZIP code to check local weather, that ZIP code and the general coordinates it maps to are used to look up weather for that area, as described under "Weather Feature and Location Information" below. StoryBreak does not request or collect precise GPS location from your device.
• Browsing history on StoryBreak, such as which pages, articles or categories you view.
• App and website interactions, such as pages visited, links or buttons used (including the share button), referring pages, and similar usage patterns.
• Diagnostics and performance information, such as browser or app type, device type, operating system version, app version, and general error or crash information, used to help keep StoryBreak working reliably.
• Device and advertising identifiers. On the Android app in particular, Google's advertising and Firebase libraries may make identifiers such as the Android advertising ID, Google Play services' "app set ID," or a Firebase installation identifier available to StoryBreak's advertising and notification providers, as described below.
• Browser type, referring page, IP address and similar technical information.

How We May Use Information

Information described in this Policy may be used to:

• Operate, maintain and improve the StoryBreak website and app;
• Respond to inquiries and review corrections, tips or other messages sent to us;
• Understand how readers use StoryBreak, for analytics and product improvement;
• Show and measure advertising, including through Google AdSense and the Google Mobile Ads SDK;
• Provide the ZIP-code weather feature and remember your last-used ZIP code on your own device;
• Send breaking-news push notifications to the Android app, if notifications are enabled;
• Detect, investigate and prevent fraud, abuse, security incidents and other misuse of StoryBreak; and
• Comply with applicable law, legal process or legitimate legal requests, and protect the rights, property or safety of StoryBreak, our readers or others.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

StoryBreak and third-party service providers may use cookies, web beacons, IP addresses and similar technologies to support website functionality, measure site usage, provide advertising, remember preferences and improve the reader experience.

Third parties may place and read cookies on your browser or use web beacons, IP addresses or similar technologies to collect information as a result of advertising being served on StoryBreak.

On the website and in the Android app, StoryBreak also uses your browser's or device's local storage to remember a small amount of information on your own device, such as the last ZIP code you entered for weather. Information stored this way stays on your device and is not, by itself, sent to StoryBreak's servers.

Google Advertising

StoryBreak may use Google AdSense and other Google advertising services to display advertisements on the website.

The StoryBreak Android app does not show its own separate in-app ad banners. Instead, it uses Google's WebView API for Ads to register the app's in-app browser (WebView) with the Google Mobile Ads SDK, so that the same AdSense ads already served by storybreak.news receive proper in-app signals when shown inside the app. StoryBreak does not use AdMob banner, interstitial, rewarded or app-open ad units in the app.

Third-party vendors, including Google, may use cookies, mobile advertising identifiers or similar technologies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to StoryBreak or other websites and apps. Google's use of advertising identifiers enables Google and its partners to serve advertisements that may be based on a user's visits to StoryBreak and other sites or apps.

Depending on applicable law, user choices and advertising settings, advertisements may be personalized or non-personalized. Non-personalized advertising may still use cookies, device identifiers or similar technologies for purposes such as frequency capping, aggregated reporting and fraud prevention.

Users can learn about and manage personalized advertising through Google Ads Settings. On an Android device, you can also review your advertising ID and turn on "Opt out of Ads Personalization" from your device's Google Settings (typically under Settings, then Privacy or Google, then Ads).

Additional information about how Google uses information from websites and apps that use its services is available through Google's information for partner sites.

Weather Feature and Location Information

If you use the StoryBreak weather page, you can enter a 5-digit U.S. ZIP code to see local conditions and forecasts. When you do, that ZIP code is sent to Zippopotam.us, a third-party ZIP-code lookup service, to convert it into an approximate location (city, state and general coordinates). Those coordinates are then used to request current conditions and forecast data from Open-Meteo and the U.S. National Weather Service (weather.gov), both third-party weather data providers.

Your browser or the app may store your last-used ZIP code in local storage on your own device so you don't have to re-enter it. StoryBreak does not request GPS or other precise device location, and does not maintain a server-side history of ZIP codes you have looked up. Aside from the ZIP-code weather feature, any approximate location associated with your visit is the general, IP-address-based location described under "Information We May Collect" above.

Push Notifications

The StoryBreak Android app can send breaking-news push notifications using Firebase Cloud Messaging, a Google service. Every app install that allows notifications is subscribed to a single shared notification topic — StoryBreak does not maintain a list of individual devices or target notifications to specific users.

On Android 13 and later, the app will ask for your permission before it can show notifications. You can allow, deny, or later change this permission at any time from your device's notification settings for StoryBreak.

Analytics and Diagnostics

StoryBreak may use analytics and diagnostic information — such as page or screen views, device and browser information, approximate location, referral sources, app error or crash information, and similar usage data — to understand how the website and app are used and to improve them. Some of this information may be collected automatically by our advertising, hosting or app-platform providers (including Google, as described in this Policy) as part of how those services normally operate, rather than through a separate, dedicated analytics product.

Advertising and Affiliate Links

StoryBreak may display advertisements and may participate in affiliate programs. Advertising and affiliate partners may collect or receive information when readers interact with ads, links or related services.

If StoryBreak earns compensation from an affiliate link, sponsored placement or other commercial relationship, we aim to provide appropriate disclosure where required.

Your Privacy Choices

Depending on your location, you may have choices or legal rights concerning cookies, personalized advertising, notifications, and the collection or use of certain information.

On the web, your browser settings let you block or delete cookies; disabling cookies may affect some website functionality. Google also provides its own advertising controls, described under "Google Advertising" above, including Google Ads Settings and, on Android, your device's ad personalization setting.

On the Android app, you can turn StoryBreak notifications on or off at any time from your device's notification settings, and you can uninstall the app at any time, which removes any information the app has stored locally on your device.

StoryBreak does not currently offer a formal account system or an automated data-deletion request tool. If you have a privacy question or request, you can contact us at the email address below and we will consider it, though we may not be able to fulfill every request, including requests directed at independent third-party services described in this Policy.

Third-Party Services

StoryBreak may use or link to websites and services operated by third parties. Those services may have their own privacy practices and policies. StoryBreak does not control the privacy practices or security of independent third parties.

Third-party services that StoryBreak currently uses, or that may be used to serve or measure advertising on StoryBreak, include:

• Google — Google AdSense and the Google Mobile Ads SDK, for advertising; Firebase Cloud Messaging, for push notifications; and Google Play services, on Android;
• Supabase, for website data storage, including article content and images;
• Vercel, for website hosting;
• Open-Meteo and the U.S. National Weather Service (weather.gov), for weather forecast data; and
• Zippopotam.us, for converting a ZIP code you enter into an approximate location for the weather feature.

This list describes the services StoryBreak uses as of the date of this Policy and may change as StoryBreak's services evolve. Readers should review the privacy policies of third-party services for additional information about their own practices.

Email Communications

If you contact StoryBreak by email, we may retain your message and contact information as needed to respond, maintain records, investigate a correction or tip, or protect the interests of StoryBreak and its readers.

Information Sharing

StoryBreak does not sell personal information directly to advertisers.

Information may be processed or shared with service providers that help operate, analyze, secure or monetize the website and app, when required by law, when necessary to protect legal rights or security, or as part of a business transaction involving StoryBreak.

Data Security

StoryBreak takes reasonable steps to protect information under our control. The StoryBreak website and Android app load content over HTTPS, which encrypts information in transit between your device and our servers. However, no website, app, network or electronic storage system can guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

StoryBreak retains information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, such as responding to your messages, maintaining the security and reliability of our services, and meeting legal or operational requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the purpose it was collected for, and information held by independent third-party services described in this Policy is subject to those providers' own retention practices.

Children's Privacy

StoryBreak is a general-audience news publication intended for users aged 13 and older. StoryBreak is not intentionally directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the website or the app.

If we learn that personal information from a child under 13 has been collected inappropriately, we may take steps to remove it.

Changes to This Policy

StoryBreak may update this Privacy Policy as the website, app, services, technology, advertising practices or legal requirements change. The date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was most recently updated.

Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy may be sent to: