Privacy Policy
Last updated: 16 October 2026 (analytics added)
This policy explains what information the Zena Digest Android application ("the app") handles
and how it is used. Zena Digest is operated by Gemelemi, an individual developer in Ethiopia.
No account, no personal profile
The app does not require registration and does not collect your name, email address, phone
number, contacts, precise location, photos or files.
Information handled on your device
- Reading activity and settings. Which stories you have read or saved, your
language, theme and notification preferences (followed topics, quiet hours, daily alert limit)
are stored only on your device. They are not uploaded to our servers. Uninstalling the app
deletes them; reading history can also be cleared in Settings.
Information processed by service providers
- Push notifications (Google Firebase Cloud Messaging). If you allow
notifications, Firebase assigns your installation a messaging token and records which news
topics it is subscribed to, so alerts can be delivered. We do not store this token on our
servers and it is not linked to your identity. Turning a topic off, or disabling notifications,
removes the subscription.
- Crash reports (Google Firebase Crashlytics). If the app crashes, a crash
report is sent containing technical details: the error and stack trace, app version, device
model, Android version and a random installation identifier. We use it only to find and fix
bugs. It is not used for advertising and is not linked to your identity.
- Usage analytics (Google Analytics for Firebase). To understand which features
are used and improve the app, we record app interactions such as screens viewed, stories opened
(and whether from the feed, search or a notification), shares, topic settings and radio plays,
together with a random app-instance identifier, app version, device model and approximate
country. Analytics does not use your advertising ID, is not used for ads or ad personalization,
and is not linked to your identity. Google keeps this data for up to 14 months.
- News content (Supabase). The app loads stories from our database hosted
by Supabase. When you open a story, an anonymous read counter is increased; no identifier of
you is stored with it. Like any web service, the hosting provider may briefly keep standard
technical logs, including IP addresses, for security and operations.
- App updates (Google Play). The app asks Google Play whether a newer
version is available, under Google's own privacy policy.
- Radio and market rates. When you play a radio station, your device
connects directly to that station's stream provider. The market-rates screen loads data from
ethiopiablackmarket.com. These third parties can see your IP address, as with any website.
- Google Gemini (server-side only). Used on our servers to summarize and
translate public news text. No data about you is sent to it.
We do not sell personal data and do not share it with anyone for advertising.
Advertising
The current version of the app shows no ads. If advertising (Google AdMob) is added in a
future version, it may use your device's advertising ID and, where required by law, ask for your
consent first. This policy and the Google Play listing will be updated before that happens.
Content
News articles are published by third-party outlets and public Telegram channels. We display
their headlines and AI-generated summaries and link back to the original source. We do not claim
ownership of that content. AI summaries may contain errors; the original source is
authoritative. Publishers can ask us to remove their content using the contact below.
Data retention and deletion
On-device data stays until you clear it or uninstall the app. Notification subscriptions last
until you turn them off or the token expires. Crash reports are kept by Firebase for up to 90
days. Because we hold no account or profile for you, there is nothing else to delete; you can
still contact us with any privacy request.
Security
All data is transmitted over HTTPS. Access to the backend database is restricted.
Children
The app is a general news service and is not directed at children under 13.
Changes
We may update this policy as the app evolves; material changes will be reflected here with a
new date.
Contact
Questions or requests: contact@zenadigest.app