Privacy Policy

LevelUp For Hacker News - Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 25, 2025

Introduction

LevelUp For Hacker News (“the App”) is published by Hemant Chaudhary. sudofish.com is a website fully owned by Hemant Chaudhary. We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and share information when you use the App. Please read this policy carefully. By using the App, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

  • Information You Provide Directly:

    • Hacker News Login (Optional): If you choose to log in with your Hacker News credentials, we do not store your username or password on our servers. We use your credentials to authenticate with Hacker News and store an authentication token locally on your device. This allows you to upvote and comment on stories within the App. This feature is entirely optional.
    • Google/Apple Login (Optional): If you choose to log in with Google (on Android) or Google/Apple (on iOS), we collect your name and email address. This is used to provide you with AI-generated summaries and to track your usage of the free and paid summary quota. This feature is entirely optional.
    • In-App Purchases: When you purchase additional AI summaries, your payment information is processed securely by Google (on Android) or Apple (on iOS). We do not store your payment card details or other sensitive financial information. Please refer to the Google Payments Privacy Policy (https://payments.google.com/payments/apis-secure/u/0/get_legal_document?ldo=0&ldt=privacynotice) and the Apple Payments Privacy Notice (https://www.apple.com/legal/applepayments/privacy-notice/) for details on how they handle your payment data.

  • Information Collected Automatically (Anonymous Data):

    • Firebase Analytics: We use the Firebase SDK to collect anonymous usage data to improve the App and debug issues. This data includes:
      • Crash logs
      • Fatal errors
      • Usage data (e.g., summary generated event)
      • Performance metrics (e.g., app launch time)

    This data is not personally identifiable, is not associated with any user ID, and is not used to track you individually. It is used for aggregate analytics and debugging purposes only. This information is not shared with any other parties.

  • Information We Do Not Collect:

    • We do not collect your mobile device ID.
    • We do not collect your location data.
    • We do not request access to your contacts, calendar, or other sensitive device permissions.
    • We do not send push notifications.
    • We do not collect any personally identifiable information (PII) beyond the name and email address provided during Google/Apple login (which is optional).

2. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • Hacker News Login: To authenticate you with Hacker News and enable you to interact with content (upvote, comment) on Hacker News through the App.
  • Google/Apple Login: To provide you with AI-generated summaries of articles and to manage your free and paid summary quota.
  • Anonymous Data (Firebase): To improve the App’s performance, identify and fix bugs, and understand how users interact with the App in aggregate.
  • Email Address: To process account deletion requests, as required by law.
  • OpenAI Integration: We use the Hacker News story URL to generate AI summaries, and no user-related information is sent to OpenAI.

3. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service Providers:
    • Firebase: We use Firebase (a Google service) for analytics, as described above.
    • Apple/Google: We use Apple and Google for in-app purchase processing. Their respective privacy policies (linked above) govern their handling of payment information.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law, legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Hemant Chaudhary, our users, or others. This includes responding to lawful requests from government authorities.

4. Data Security

We use standard encryption (HTTPS) for all communication between the App and our servers. While we take reasonable measures to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure.

5. Your Rights (GDPR and CCPA/CPRA)

You have certain rights regarding your personal information, depending on your location:

  • Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you (which, in most cases, will be limited to your name and email address if you used Google/Apple login).

  • Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate personal information we hold about you.

  • Right to Erasure (Deletion): You have the right to request that we delete your account and associated data. To request account deletion, please email [email protected].

  • Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

  • Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

  • Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

  • California Residents (CCPA/CPRA): California residents have additional rights, including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete personal information, and the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell your personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

6. Children’s Privacy

The App is not specifically targeted at children under the age of 13 (or 16 in some jurisdictions). While children may use the App, we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete such information.

7. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your own, including the United States. These countries may have data protection laws that are different from the laws of your country. We rely on standard contractual clauses and other appropriate safeguards, where applicable, to ensure that your data is protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.

8. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting a notice within the App or by other appropriate means. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

9. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact Hemant Chaudhary at:

[email protected]