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Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 4, 2026

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

Email, name, ZIP code, phone number (optional), preferred language, persona type.

Documents & Forms

Form Helper: When you use the Form Helper, your answers are processed only during your session to help you prepare a form. Sensitive fields (such as SSN) are never stored — you enter them yourself on the official form. Only the form's field structure is saved; your personal answers are not stored on our servers.

Document AI (receipts, tax & bookkeeping): If you choose to save documents to your account (for example, receipts or statements for bookkeeping), those documents are stored securely, associated with your account, and can be deleted by you at any time. This includes photos, videos and audio files you upload — for example a photo of a receipt, a form or notice you want explained, a short clip attached to a news tip, or audio for a story you are creating.

Usage Data

We record which screens are opened and which features are used, so we can tell whether a change actually helped. This is stored on our own servers — not sold or shared. We do not record your account ID, IP address, precise location, or the content you read or write. The session identifier lives only for the length of a browser session.

We also use Vercel Analytics for anonymous page views, and we track reading preferences to personalize your news feed.

Location Data

ZIP code is required for local news. GPS is optional and triggered only by user action. Your browser or phone will ask for permission before sharing location. We use location at the ZIP, city or county level — we do not store precise coordinates for personalization.

In the mobile app: the app asks for location permission the first time you use a feature that needs it — emergency help, filling in your ZIP code during setup, pinning an event on the map, or sharing where you are in a conversation. We never collect your location in the background, and you can refuse or revoke it at any time in your phone settings; the rest of the app keeps working.

Mobile App

  • Notifications: If you turn on alerts, we store a notification token for your device, along with your language and ZIP so the alert arrives in a language you read. You can turn alerts off at any time in your device settings; the token stops being used.
  • Microphone: The interpreter needs your microphone while it is running. Interpretation audio is not stored — speech is converted to text, translated, and spoken back. We keep no recording. The microphone is used only while the interpreter screen is open.
  • No advertising ID: We do not collect an advertising identifier and we do not use your data for advertising.

Text Messages (SMS)

  • Group texts: If you opt in to texts from a group or organization on The Neighbor Times, we store your mobile number and language so its messages reach you in a language you read. Reply STOP to any text to opt out, or START to opt back in. Message and data rates may apply; message frequency varies by group.
  • Texts you forward to your account: If you verify a phone so you can forward texts to your account, we store a keyed hash of the number, its last 4 digits and the name you give it — not the number itself. A forwarded text is read once to create to-dos, calendar events or notes, and the original message is not stored; each item keeps one supporting sentence, the sender, and the date and time. You can remove a phone or delete these items at any time.
  • We do not sell or share your SMS opt-in data or personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging opt-in data and consent are not shared with any third parties, other than the provider that delivers the messages for us.
  • SMS alerts and codes: If you turn on SMS alerts in your notification settings, or ask for a verification code, we store and use the mobile number you give us to send those texts. SMS alerts are off unless you turn them on and cover only critical deadlines and order alerts; a code is sent once, only when you ask for it.
  • Consent and opt-out: We text you only after you opt in or ask for a code. Consent to receive texts is not a condition of using The Neighbor Times or of any purchase. Reply STOP to any text to opt out, or START to opt back in; you can also turn off a group's texts on its page or SMS alerts in Settings. Message and data rates may apply. For help, email hello@theneighbortimes.com. See also the SMS Terms section of our Terms of Service.

2. How We Use Your Information

  • Personalize local news and content based on your ZIP code and preferences
  • Process documents using AI for data extraction and categorization
  • Translate content into your preferred language
  • Send notifications about local events, deadlines, and safety alerts
  • Improve our AI translation quality through anonymized corrections

3. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process your data:

  • Google Gemini AI — Document analysis, content generation, translation review
  • Vercel Analytics — Anonymous page view analytics
  • AWS (Amazon Web Services) — Infrastructure hosting, email delivery (SES)
  • ElevenLabs — Text-to-speech audio generation
  • Sentry — Error monitoring (PII is scrubbed from error reports)
  • Google Firebase Cloud Messaging — Delivering notifications to the mobile app
  • Google Cloud Speech-to-Text — Converting your speech to text during interpretation and voice input. Audio is processed to produce the transcript and is not stored by us.
  • Stripe — Payment processing for credits and business subscriptions. Stripe receives your payment details directly; we never see or store your card number.
  • Twilio — Sending and receiving text messages (SMS). Twilio processes phone numbers and message content to deliver texts, and keeps its own delivery records under its policies.

4. Data Retention

  • Account data is retained until you delete your account
  • Uploaded documents are retained until you manually delete them
  • Authentication tokens expire after 7 days
  • Analytics data is anonymized and retained per Vercel's policies
  • Texts forwarded to your account are not stored; the items made from them are kept until you delete them, and removing a phone erases its hash

5. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access — View all data we have about you
  • Delete — Delete your account and all associated data via Settings → Delete Account
  • Export — Download all your data as JSON or PDF via Settings → My data
  • Correct — Update your profile information at any time
  • Opt-out — Decline cookies, disable notifications, unsubscribe from emails, reply STOP to any text message

6. Children's Privacy

The Neighbor Times is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

7. Cookies

We use essential cookies for authentication and optional analytics cookies (Vercel Analytics). You can accept or decline non-essential cookies when you first visit the site.

8. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including HTTPS encryption, JWT authentication, rate limiting, and security headers (HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options). Sensitive data in error reports is automatically scrubbed.

9. Contact

For privacy-related inquiries:

privacy@theneighbortimes.com

The Neighbor Times, Fairfax, Virginia, USA

10. Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.