TopWire ("we", "us", "our") operates https://topwire.vercel.app. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Email address — when you subscribe to our newsletter or create an account
• Payment information — processed securely by Stripe; we do not store card details
• Survey and poll responses — when you participate in site engagement features
• Chat messages — when you use the "Ask the Article" AI chat feature

Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data — pages viewed, articles read, features used, collected via PostHog analytics
• Device information — browser type, operating system, screen size
• Cookies — used for subscriber identification, article metering, and analytics (see Cookie Policy below)

How We Use Your Information

• To deliver our newsletter and email communications
• To process Pro subscription payments
• To personalize your content experience (e.g., category preferences)
• To improve our service through aggregated analytics
• To enforce article metering and tier-based access

Cookies

We use the following cookies:

• tw_subscriber_email — identifies your subscriber account (30-day expiry)
• tw_subscriber_tier — determines your access level: free or Pro (30-day expiry)
• tw_gate_dismissed_* — remembers if you dismissed an email prompt (7-day expiry)
• PostHog cookies — anonymous usage analytics

We also use localStorage to track article view counts for metering and audio play counts. This data stays on your device and is not sent to our servers.

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process your data:

• PostHog — product analytics (privacy-focused, EU-hosted option available)
• Stripe — payment processing
• Resend — email delivery
• OpenAI — AI-powered article chat responses (your chat messages are sent to OpenAI for processing)
• Supabase — database and file storage

Data Retention

• Subscriber data is retained while your account is active
• Chat messages are retained for service improvement and may be deleted after 90 days
• Analytics data is retained in aggregate form
• You can request deletion of your data at any time (see Your Rights)

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Delete your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Unsubscribe from emails at any time via the unsubscribe link in every email
• Opt out of analytics tracking

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@thetopwire.com.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (HTTPS), secure password hashing, and access controls on our databases.

Children's Privacy

Our service is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify subscribers of significant changes via email. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision.

Contact

For privacy-related questions, contact us at privacy@thetopwire.com.