Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Alerts Plus ("we," "our," or "us") operates the alertsplus.io website and service. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our service.

2. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture. We use this to create and maintain your account.

Alert Data

We store the Google Alerts you connect, the news entries we process on your behalf, and any media lists or routing configurations you create.

Phone Numbers and SMS Opt-In Data

If you opt in to SMS notifications, we collect your phone number solely to deliver alert messages you have requested. Information obtained as part of the SMS consent process, including your mobile phone number, will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. We share your phone number only with Twilio, our SMS delivery provider, as strictly necessary to transmit the messages you have opted in to receive. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message.

Usage Data

We automatically collect standard server logs including IP addresses, browser type, and pages visited. This data is used for security, debugging, and service improvement.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Alerts Plus service
• Process and deliver your news alerts via email, SMS, Slack, or in-app feed
• Enrich news entries with author and outlet metadata
• Send transactional communications (opt-in confirmations, service updates)
• Monitor and improve service reliability and performance

4. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate Alerts Plus:

• Google OAuth for authentication
• SendGrid for email delivery
• Twilio for SMS delivery
• Slack API for Slack notifications
• Fly.io for hosting

Each of these services has its own privacy policy governing their handling of data. We share only the minimum information necessary for each service to function (e.g., your email address with SendGrid to deliver digest emails, your phone number with Twilio to deliver SMS alerts).

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We may share information only in the following circumstances:

• With service providers who assist in operating the service (as described above)
• If required by law, regulation, or legal process
• To protect the rights, safety, or property of Alerts Plus, our users, or the public

6. Data Retention

We retain your account data and alert history for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), secure session management, and access controls. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights

You may:

• Access the personal data we hold about you through your account settings
• Update or correct your information at any time
• Delete your account and associated data by contacting us
• Opt out of SMS notifications at any time by replying STOP or using the settings page
• Unsubscribe from email digests using the unsubscribe link in any email

9. Children's Privacy

Alerts Plus is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a revised effective date.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at [email protected].