iQiosk Privacy Policy
Last updated: 3 November 2026
iQiosk is a Chrome extension that shows a personalised news feed in a popup, the side panel or a full-page tab. This policy explains what data the extension and its backend handle, why, and who receives it.
What we collect
| Data | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| An anonymous account ID (a random Firebase user ID) | Created automatically the first time you open the extension | To identify your session to our backend without asking you to sign up |
| Email address and password | Only if you create an email account or sign in | To sign you in and to link a Pro subscription to your account. Passwords are handled by Firebase Authentication; we never see or store them. |
| Custom news prompts | Only if you use a Pro feature and submit a prompt | To generate the news you asked for. The prompt is sent to our backend and on to an AI provider. We also keep it, with its result and your account ID, in an audit log for 90 days to detect abuse and investigate problems. |
| Pro digest settings (your saved prompt, language, chosen digest time and your time zone) | Only if you use a Pro feature; saved whenever you open the extension or change them | To run your prompt automatically every day at your chosen time in your time zone, and to show you the result when you open the extension. They are stored against your account ID and are never shown to other users. They are deleted 30 days after the extension last contacted us. |
| Pro profile and settings (your chosen news categories, theme, display density, prompt, language, filter rules, paused sources, digest choice, result volume and boost and mute keywords) | Only if you use a Pro feature; saved whenever you change them | To give you the same settings in every session of your account, such as on another device, and to tell a session when another one changed them. They are stored against your account ID and are never shown to other users. They are deleted 365 days after you last changed them. |
| Pro news history (title, summary, source, link and date of the stories generated for you) | Only if you use a Pro feature | To avoid showing you the same story twice. It is stored against your account ID and is never shown to other users. |
| Subscription details (Paddle customer ID, subscription ID, plan and status, email) | Only if you subscribe to Pro | To give your account access to Pro features and let you manage the subscription |
| A push subscription address (a random web address your browser's push service gives the extension), with your account ID and plan | Only when you switch "Refresh in background" on (it is off by default); removed when you switch it off | To tell your browser that new news is ready, so the feed is up to date when you open it. The message carries no news and no personal data. Alerts are sent at random moments within a window of about 10 minutes, to spread the load. The address is deleted 60 days after the extension last renewed it, or sooner if you switch the setting off. |
| IP address and standard request logs | Whenever the extension contacts our backend | To limit abuse (rate limiting) and keep the service secure. Our hosting provider may keep request logs. |
We do not collect your browsing history, the pages you visit, page content, your location, health data, or your personal communications. The extension has no access to your tabs or web pages.
Data stored on your device
The extension saves your settings in the browser's local storage on your device: display mode, theme, selected categories, prompt and filter preferences, saved and read article IDs, and the last loaded feed so it opens quickly. This data stays on your device and is not sent to us, except that if you use a Pro feature your settings are also saved to your account as described above. Removing the extension deletes the data on your device.
Payments
Subscriptions are sold through Paddle, which acts as the merchant of record. Checkout happens on a web page outside the extension, and Paddle collects and processes your payment details and billing information under its own privacy policy. We never receive your card number. Paddle tells us your customer ID, email address, and subscription status. Subscriptions are also covered by our Terms of Service and Refund Policy.
Who we share data with
We do not sell your data, and we do not use it for advertising. We share it only with the service providers needed to run iQiosk:
- Google Firebase: sign-in (anonymous and email accounts).
- Your browser's push service (Google for Chrome, Microsoft for Edge): delivers the "new news is ready" alerts. It receives the subscription address it issued and an empty, signed message.
- Paddle: payments and subscription management.
- An AI provider (OpenAI or Google Gemini): receives the custom prompts of Pro users to generate news. Prompts are not linked to your email address.
- Our hosting and database providers: run the backend and store the data described above.
We may also disclose data when the law requires it, when needed to investigate abuse or protect security, or as part of a merger, acquisition or sale of assets.
How we use data
We use the data above only to provide the extension's single purpose: showing you a news feed, managing your account and subscription, and keeping the service secure. We do not use it for any unrelated purpose, and we do not use or transfer it to determine creditworthiness or for lending.
Limited Use disclosure
The use of information received from Chrome APIs adheres to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. We only use user data to provide or improve the extension's single purpose, we do not transfer it except as described in this policy, we do not use it for personalised or interest-based advertising, and our staff do not read user data unless you give consent (for example for support), it is necessary for security or to comply with law, or it is aggregated and anonymised.
Security
All communication between the extension and our backend uses HTTPS. Passwords are handled by Firebase Authentication and are never stored by us. Access to our backend is restricted to our own clients and is rate limited.
Retention and deletion
Account and subscription records are kept while your account or subscription exists and as long as the law requires for billing records. Your Pro news history is deleted automatically 30 days after each story was first stored, the audit log of your Pro prompts 90 days after each prompt, and your saved Pro digest settings 30 days after the extension last contacted us, and your Pro profile and settings 365 days after you last changed them, and your push subscription address 60 days after the extension last renewed it. You can delete your account yourself in the extension under Settings > Account > Delete account. This cancels your Pro subscription immediately and deletes your Pro news history, prompt audit log, digest settings, Pro profile and settings, push subscription addresses, the email address we mirror from Paddle, and your sign-in. We keep the subscription record (Paddle IDs and status, no email address), and Paddle keeps its own records as the law requires. You can also email us at the address below to ask for deletion. Data stored on your device is removed when you delete your account or uninstall the extension.
Children
iQiosk is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data.
Changes
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page.
Contact
Questions or deletion requests: msamarehshafeei@gmail.com