Privacy Policy

Controller and Contact

The data controller is Mehmet Armanç Korkmaz, operating Alor as a sole proprietorship. For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, contact support@mercurynews.app.

Data We Collect

Depending on the features you use, Alor may process the following data:

• Installation and security data, such as an app-generated installation identifier, Apple App Attest related identifiers and verification metadata, app version, device/OS information, IP address, user agent, request timestamps, and server logs.
• News and RSS preferences, such as selected sources, source subscriptions, custom RSS URLs you add, onboarding interests or keywords, category selections, bookmarks, and local app settings.
• Content and feature requests, such as article, topic, feed, search, and refresh requests needed to provide the app experience.
• Location-related data, only when you choose or permit it, such as selected city/district or device location permission status for weather, air quality, earthquake, and alert features.
• Notification data, such as push notification tokens, notification preferences, and alert delivery metadata when notifications are enabled.
• Food and product tool data, if you use those features, such as barcode values, label text or images, meal photos, descriptions, and analysis results you submit.
• Advertising data, such as ad requests, ad impressions, clicks, approximate device/network information, and advertising identifiers when allowed by your device settings, applicable consent, and Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework.
• Account or support data, if you contact us or use account-based features, such as identifiers, contact details you provide, support messages, and related records.

How We Use Data

• To provide news feeds, RSS source selection, personalization, bookmarks, weather, markets, sports, events, music, games, and utility features.
• To secure the service, prevent abuse, verify genuine app traffic, debug failures, maintain reliability, and enforce rate limits.
• To send notifications you enable and manage your notification preferences.
• To provide advertising, measure ad performance, limit abuse, and support the app.
• To comply with legal obligations and respond to user privacy requests.

Legal Bases for EEA, UK, and Swiss Users

Where GDPR or similar laws apply, we rely on the following legal bases: performance of a contract to provide requested app features; legitimate interests for security, reliability, fraud prevention, and service improvement; consent for optional permissions, certain advertising choices, and tracking where required; and legal obligations where applicable.

Advertising and Tracking

Alor uses Google AdMob to show ads. Google and its advertising partners may process ad request data, device information, approximate location derived from IP address, ad interactions, and identifiers. On iOS, the Identifier for Advertisers may be used only if you grant permission through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt and where applicable consent allows it. You can manage tracking permission in iOS Settings.

Learn more about Google's advertising data practices at policies.google.com/technologies/ads.

Third-Party Services

We use service providers to operate Alor, including hosting, database, security, notification, analytics of server health, AI-assisted features when used, and advertising providers. These providers may process data on our behalf or under their own terms when you interact with their services. Examples include Apple services, Google AdMob, cloud hosting providers, database providers, RSS/news source hosts, and AI providers used for app features or content processing.

When the app fetches a custom RSS source directly from your device, that RSS publisher may receive your IP address, user agent, and request metadata.

Retention

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes described above. Local preferences remain on your device until you delete or reset the app. Server-side preferences, security records, notification records, and logs are retained for operational, security, legal, and abuse-prevention needs, then deleted or anonymized. Advertising data is retained according to Google and partner policies.

Your Choices and Rights

• You can disable notifications, location permission, and tracking permission in iOS Settings.
• You can edit RSS sources, preferences, bookmarks, and personalization choices inside the app where available.
• You can request access, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, or objection where applicable by contacting us.
• You may withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. Withdrawal does not affect processing that happened before withdrawal.
• EEA, UK, and Swiss users may also have the right to lodge a complaint with a local data protection authority.

International Transfers

Alor and its service providers may process data in countries other than your country of residence. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as contractual protections or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

Children

Alor is not directed to children. If you believe a child provided personal data to us, contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

Changes

We may update this policy as Alor changes. The updated date above shows when the policy was last revised.