Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to the website located at https://techdrops.in, our progressive web application (PWA), and our official mobile applications published on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store (collectively referred to as the “TechDrops App” or “Service”), owned and operated by TechDrops (“we”, “us”, or “our”).

We are dedicated to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring transparent handling of data in full compliance with the Apple App Store Review Guidelines (Section 5.1 – Legal & Privacy), Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement and User Data Policies, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR – EU), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA).

2. Information We Collect and Process

TechDrops is built on a privacy-first, minimal-collection architecture designed to provide news updates without invasive tracking.

A. Information You Voluntarily Provide

• Direct Inquiries & Support: When you contact our support desk at support@techdrops.in or submit a news tip via our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and message contents solely to respond to your request.
• Newsletter Subscriptions: If you voluntarily subscribe to our daily Tech Drop alerts, we store your email address to deliver newsletter digests. You may unsubscribe anytime via the 1-click link in every email.

B. Information Stored Locally on Your Device (Offline Data)

• In-App Bookmarks & Saved Drops: When you tap the bookmark icon on any tech news article, the article metadata (ID, title, link, category, image) is stored strictly locally on your device in your browser or WebView localStorage. This data never leaves your device and is not transmitted to our servers.
• User Interface Preferences: Your selected theme preference (Dark Mode or Light Mode) and article text size scaling preferences are saved locally on your device.

C. Automatically Collected Technical & Diagnostic Data

• Device & Network Identifiers: Standard non-personally identifiable technical telemetry, including device model (e.g., iPhone 15, Samsung Galaxy S24), operating system version, screen resolution, browser/WebView type, language settings, and generic IP address (used only for approximate geographical routing and security mitigation).
• Performance & Crash Telemetry: Anonymized application performance, error logs, and loading speeds to maintain app stability and diagnose server latency.

3. Device Permissions Policy

To adhere strictly to Google Play and Apple App Store privacy mandates, the TechDrops Mobile Application operates with minimal device permissions:

Permission	Status	Purpose
Internet / Network Access	Required	To fetch live technology news feeds, images, and API data.
Push Notifications	Optional (User Opt-in)	To deliver breaking tech alerts. Can be disabled anytime in device settings.
Location / GPS	NOT Requested	We do not track or access your physical or precise location.
Camera / Microphone	NOT Requested	We do not access your camera, audio hardware, or microphone.
Contacts / Storage Access	NOT Requested	We do not access personal photos, contacts, or external file systems.

4. Third-Party Services & News Integrations

TechDrops integrates third-party APIs and services to power our automated tech aggregation:

• News Providers: NewsData.io, Dev.to API, Hacker News (Firebase), and verified tech RSS feeds (TechCrunch, The Verge, Wired). External links navigate users to the original publisher’s content.
• Mobile App Wrapper Engine: QuikApp.co runtime container for iOS and Android webview rendering.
• Push Notification Infrastructure: Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) and Apple Push Notification service (APNs) for optional broadcast notifications.

5. User Rights, Data Control & Deletion

Regardless of your geographic location, you have total control over your data:

• Clear Saved Bookmarks: You can purge all saved articles and preferences instantly by clicking “Clear All” on the Saved Articles page or by clearing your mobile app storage in Android/iOS application settings.
• Opt-Out of Push Notifications: You can revoke notification permissions at any time via your device’s Settings > Notifications > TechDrops.
• Right to Erasure (GDPR / CCPA): To request the deletion of any correspondence or newsletter email records, email us at privacy@techdrops.in with the subject “Data Erasure Request”. We fulfill all verified requests within 15 business days.

6. Children’s Privacy (COPPA & GDPR-K Compliance)

The TechDrops Application is designed for general audiences interested in technology and software engineering. We do not knowingly collect, solicit, or maintain personal information from children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in the European Union). If we become aware that personal information of a minor has been collected, we will take immediate steps to delete it.

7. California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA Notice)

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to data brokers or third-party advertisers for monetary or other valuable consideration (“Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information”).

8. Security Safeguards

We implement rigorous SSL/TLS 256-bit encryption for all data in transit across our website and mobile application. Our infrastructure is protected with firewalls, rate limiting, and routine vulnerability scanning.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may periodically update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our app features or regulatory requirements. Any modifications will be posted with an updated “Last Updated” timestamp at the top of this document. Continued use of the TechDrops app following updates signifies acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact Information