NEA Report App Privacy Policy

Local advertisements are drawn from the website’s published placements. The native story reader does not run the website’s ad-selection and tracking scripts. Short advertiser videos can play silently and loop. Selecting an advertiser link opens the destination outside the app, where that service’s privacy practices apply. NEA Report does not use the app to build advertising profiles across other companies’ apps and websites.

Google advertisements in updated app versions

Advertising disclosure updated September 28, 2026. App versions that include Google AdMob use Google’s Mobile Ads and User Messaging Platform services to deliver ads and manage privacy choices. Earlier versions without these components do not make these ad requests. TestFlight versions use test advertisements rather than revenue-generating ads.

Google may process device and app identifiers, an IP address that can indicate approximate location, advertising views and interactions, and crash or performance diagnostics for advertising, measurement, security and service improvement. Non-personalized ads still involve data processing. We request non-personalized ads and do not request Apple’s permission for cross-app tracking. We do not pass Reader Rewards email addresses, account details, reading history or sharing records to AdMob, and we do not send precise GPS location.

In versions with Google ads, open Menu > Privacy to turn off Google ad requests on this device or revisit Ad privacy choices when Google’s consent service requires that option. Required consent is checked before requesting ads. Disabling Google ads does not disable existing local sponsor displays or erase data already held by providers. Google explains its practices and choices in its Privacy Policy and advertising privacy information.

Optional Reader Rewards account

Rewards privacy update: September 27, 2026.

News remains free to read without an account. To earn Rewards points, you enter your email address, accept the Rewards account notice and verify a six-digit code sent to that address. Signing in with the same email on supported NEA Report platforms links to the same reader account and points balance; website and Android integrations will be announced separately.

NEA Report stores your verified email address, account identifier, point ledger, qualifying story identifiers and reading dates, shared story identifiers and share-record timestamps, derived achievements, sign-in sessions, and consent choices. This information operates the program, prevents duplicate awards and abuse, and supports essential sign-in and account notices. The app observes active reading time and progress to request an award; those observations are checked by the server and are not retained as a detailed scroll-by-scroll history. For Community Informer achievements, the app reports a story identifier after a share service reports completion. Each story counts once per reader account. This does not verify public posting or delivery, and we do not collect recipients, contacts, message text or the sharing service used. Sharing earns achievement progress, not spendable points. Unverified email addresses are temporarily stored to deliver and validate sign-in codes. Rate limiting uses keyed hashes derived from an email address or connecting IP address, with short-lived counters.

Your iPhone stores its sign-in token in Keychain, separate from local news and bookmarks. The server stores token hashes. Codes expire after 10 minutes, reading challenges after 30 minutes and sign-in sessions after 90 days. Daily cleanup removes expired operational records when the website scheduler runs. Point and consent records remain while your Rewards account exists. Signing out revokes that device’s session; it does not delete your shared account or points. Deleting the app does not delete your server account and may not remove its Keychain entry.

A separate, optional and initially unchecked choice lets NEA Report use your email address for its news emails, merchandise promotions and sponsor offers sent by NEA Report. Earning points does not require marketing consent. This choice does not authorize sharing your email address with advertisers. You can withdraw it in Rewards without losing points; any future marketing messages must also provide an unsubscribe option. The initial Rewards service records preferences and sends requested sign-in codes; it does not send marketing campaigns or export mailing lists.

Rewards provides a Delete Rewards Account control. Confirming removes the active account email, points, achievements, sign-in sessions, reading challenges and consent history across supported platforms. Saved stories on your device remain separate. Hosting backups may retain older copies temporarily under the host’s backup practices; these are not active accounts or mailing lists. You may also contact news@neareport.com for access, correction or deletion help.

Rewards points have no current cash value and redemption is not yet available. The Rewards Terms in the app explain eligibility and earning limits. Rewards is not directed to children under 13.

Optional support purchases

Optional, one-time Support NEA Report purchases use Apple’s App Store payment system. Apple processes payment using your App Store account. NEA Report does not receive your payment-card details. Support purchases do not award points, unlock content, remove ads or create a subscription. Apple manages payment receipts and refund requests.

When Local News Supporter achievements are available, you may choose to link a new support purchase to your signed-in Reader Rewards account before buying. Linking starts unchecked and is optional; you may support NEA Report without a Rewards account. We give Apple a randomly generated account token rather than your Rewards email address. We store that token, Apple’s transaction identifier, the support product/level, whether it is a real or test purchase, verification times and refund status with your Rewards account. We use these records to verify purchases with Apple, prevent duplicate or incorrect claims and maintain supporter achievements across devices. We do not store your card information or a copy of your Apple payment receipt. Linked purchases do not change your marketing preference, and are not automatically linked to Fourthwall merchandise orders.

Bronze, Silver and Gold Local News Supporter badges recognize the corresponding one-time support options. A higher level includes lower badges. Repeated purchases do not combine into higher tiers. Refunded purchases and test payments do not qualify. Purchases made without account linking cannot be retroactively claimed. Verification is periodically refreshed with Apple; a badge may temporarily be unavailable if verification cannot be refreshed for more than 24 hours.

Deleting your Rewards account removes these linked records and achievements from the active Rewards system, subject to the backup retention described elsewhere in this policy. Deleting Rewards does not refund Apple purchases or erase Apple’s own transaction records. Contact Apple for purchase receipts or refunds.

Merchandise store

The Store opens NEA Report’s Fourthwall shop inside an in-app Safari browser. Fourthwall and its payment providers process product selections, cart information, payment, shipping and order support under the store’s privacy policy. NEA Report and Fourthwall may receive the contact and delivery information needed to fulfill and support your order. Store order and cart activity may also be used for shop analytics and email reminders about an unfinished checkout, including promotional offers. The app does not read payment-card information entered in the browser or automatically link merchandise orders to Reader Rewards. The store’s own marketing choices are separate from Reader Rewards consent. Review the shop’s privacy policy before checkout.