Vicksburg Daily News Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 28, 2026_

This Privacy Policy explains how Vicksburg Daily News (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects information for:

– Our website at https://vicksburgnews.com/ (the “Site”); and
– The **Vicksburg Daily News** mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android (the “App”).

The Site and the App handle data differently. **Part A** covers the website. **Part B** covers the mobile app. **Part C** explains how our App Store and Google Play listings relate to this policy. If you use only the App, **Part B** is the section that applies to your use of the App.

Part A — Vicksburg Daily News Website

Information we collect

**Information you provide:** If you contact us, comment where enabled, subscribe to a newsletter, or submit a form, we receive the information you choose to share (such as your name and email address).

**Automatically collected data:** Like most websites, our hosting and analytics tools may log technical information such as IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and referring URLs.

**Cookies and similar technologies:** We and our service providers may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Site, remember preferences, measure traffic, and—where applicable—serve advertising.

## Advertising and analytics (website only)

We may use third-party services on the Site that set cookies or collect usage data, such as Google Analytics (including via plugins such as Site Kit) and advertising partners including Google AdSense. Third-party vendors, including Google, may use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to this and other websites.

You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting [Google Ads Settings](https://adssettings.google.com/). You can also learn about opting out of some third-party vendors’ use of cookies for personalized advertising at [aboutads.info/choices](https://www.aboutads.info/choices). For more information about how Google uses data from sites that use its services, see [Google’s documentation](https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites).

> These advertising and analytics practices apply to the **Site only**. The App does not use website advertising cookies or Google AdSense inside the native reader. In-app advertising, when enabled, is described in Part B.

## How we use website information

We use information to operate and improve the Site, respond to inquiries, understand how content performs, display advertising where applicable, and protect against fraud or abuse.

## Sharing of website information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only with service providers that help us operate the Site (such as hosting, analytics, and advertising partners), or when required by law.

## Your choices (website)

You can set your browser to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal information. To make a request, contact us using the information in the Contact section below.

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Part B — Vicksburg Daily News Mobile App

This section describes how the Vicksburg Daily News app for **iOS and Android** handles your information. The app is a native reader for news published on vicksburgnews.com.

## Reading is anonymous

You do **not** need an account to read the news. When you browse, the app requests published content from vicksburgnews.com using encrypted (HTTPS) WordPress REST API calls. We do not require personal information for reading, and we do not use the app to build cross-app or cross-site **tracking** profiles for third-party advertising networks.

## In-app advertising (optional; not website AdSense)

When we enable **mobile app ads** in our newsroom tools (AdFusion **Mobile apps** settings), the App may show **image or text placements** from our own ad inventory—the same campaigns we manage for the Site, not arbitrary third-party ad networks inside the app.

The App:

– does **not** embed Google AdSense or other third-party advertising **SDKs** in the reader;
– does **not** use the advertising identifier (IDFA on iOS or Google Advertising ID) for ad targeting in the current version;
– does **not** track you across other companies’ apps or websites for advertising; and
– may count **ad impressions**, **viewable impressions**, and **clicks** (when you tap an ad and open the advertiser’s link) on our servers for campaign reporting, similar to on-site AdFusion analytics when enabled.

Tapping an ad typically opens the advertiser’s URL in your device browser. **Ad-free access** may apply to signed-in subscribers when we configure it on the Site.

If you tap “View on site” or open a link to vicksburgnews.com in a browser, the **Site’s** privacy practices—including cookies, analytics, and advertising described in Part A—apply to that web page.

## Information stored on your device

The following may be stored locally on your device and are **not** sent to us as a separate “profile” by the app:

– app preferences (such as theme and text size);
– cached articles and images for faster or offline reading;
– reading history and “continue reading” position;
– topics or authors you follow; and
– on-device saved stories (bookmarks) when you are not signed in.

You can clear local data from the app’s Settings where available. If you sign in, your Application Password is stored in the device secure store (iOS Keychain / Android Keystore), not in plain text.

## Information if you sign in (optional)

Sign-in is optional and is used for member features (such as syncing saved stories) and, for authorized staff, newsroom tools. When you sign in to vicksburgnews.com through the app:

– You authenticate using a WordPress **Application Password**. Your normal website login password is not stored in the app.
– Your account identifier and synced saved stories are stored on vicksburgnews.com, associated with your account, for app functionality only—not for third-party advertising or cross-app tracking.
– Your member account lives on vicksburgnews.com; the app does not create a separate cloud account.

## Information you choose to submit

Some optional features send information to our newsroom:

– **News tip:** message text and any optional name, contact details, or photo you attach. Photos are accessed only when you choose one; the app requests photo access at that moment.
– **CivicAdvice or similar features** (if enabled on the Site): your question and any display name or details you provide.
– **Newsroom tools (staff only):** content and images you upload are stored on the Site’s media library under your staff account.

We use this information only to operate those features and to respond to you.

## Push notifications (optional, opt-in)

If you turn on breaking-news or severe-weather alerts, the app registers a **device push token** with vicksburgnews.com so alerts can be delivered. The token is used only to deliver notifications, is not used for advertising, and guests can enable notifications without signing in. Delivery uses Apple Push Notification service (iOS), Firebase Cloud Messaging (Android), and related infrastructure (including Expo’s push service where configured). You can turn notifications off in the app’s Settings or in your device settings.

## Device permissions

The app may request:

– **Photos** — to attach a photo to a tip or, for staff, to add an image to a story.
– **Notifications** — to deliver alerts if you opt in.

The app does not require location, contacts, calendar, or microphone access for core reading features. Optional article audio, when available, uses platform audio playback as configured by the Site.

## Delete your account (in-app)

If you signed in as a member, you can delete your account in the app: **Settings → Delete my account**. This revokes app access, clears synced saves associated with the app flow, and deletes your member account on vicksburgnews.com where applicable. Signing out only removes the stored credential on your device and is not the same as account deletion.

## Service providers (app)

We rely on service providers to operate the app and Site, including hosting for vicksburgnews.com, Apple Push Notification service, Firebase Cloud Messaging, and push delivery services. We do not sell personal information collected through the app for third-party advertising.

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Part C — Apple App Store and Google Play

We distribute the Vicksburg Daily News app through **Apple’s App Store** (iPhone and iPad) and **Google Play** (Android). Store listings include links to this Privacy Policy at https://vicksburgnews.com/privacy-policy and to app support at https://vicksburgnews.com/app-support.

## Apple App Store

– **Listing:** Search for “Vicksburg Daily News” on the App Store or use the link we publish on vicksburgnews.com when the app is publicly available.
– **App Privacy (nutrition labels):** The “App Privacy” details shown on our App Store product page are based on **Part B** of this policy. They describe optional data collected when you sign in, submit a tip or question, enable push notifications, or use staff tools—not data required to read the news anonymously.
– **Tracking:** We indicate that the app does **not** use data to track you across other companies’ apps and websites for advertising, consistent with Part B.
– **Permissions:** iOS permission prompts (photos, notifications) match the “Device permissions” section in Part B.

If anything in the App Store privacy questionnaire differs from this policy, **this posted policy controls**. Contact us if you have questions.

## Google Play

– **Listing:** Package name `com.vicksburgnews.companion`. During **internal testing**, install links may be provided only to testers; the public Play Store listing may not appear until we publish to production.
– **Data safety:** The “Data safety” section on our Google Play store listing is based on **Part B**. It describes optional collection (account sign-in, tips, push token, staff uploads), encryption in transit (HTTPS), and in-app account deletion where available.
– **Ads declaration:** We declare that the app **may** contain ads when we enable in-app AdFusion placements; those are **publisher-controlled** placements, not third-party ad SDKs as described in Part B.
– **Families / children:** The app is a general-audience local-news service and is not directed to children under 13.

Store forms may be updated when app features change; we will keep this policy and the store disclosures aligned.

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# General

## Children’s privacy

Our Site and app are general-audience local-news services and are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

## Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict use of your personal information. Contact us using the information below. App members can also use in-app account deletion where available.

## Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes are effective when posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.

## Contact

Questions about this policy or the app:

– **Email:** news@vicksburgnews.com
– **App support:** https://vicksburgnews.com/app-support

Vicksburg Daily News
Vicksburg, MS 39183
United States