Privacy Policy

Data We Collect

We collect data in a few categories:

Account & Identity Data (when you register or log in)

• Email address
• Password (stored only as a hashed value, never in plain text)
• Name (optional)
• Profile bio and avatar URL (optional)
• Role (e.g., user/admin) for access control
• Last login time

Content & Actions You Create

• Comments you post (and related metadata like timestamps)
• Saved/bookmarked articles
• Likes on articles

Reading & Engagement Activity

• Articles you open/read (reading history)
• Repeat views and timestamps
• Scroll depth milestones (for engagement measurement)
• Approximate read time (seconds) per article/session
• Feed interactions (scroll milestones and card clicks where enabled)

AI Feature Data (only for logged-in users)

• Your AI interactions (Explain, Simplify, Key Takeaways, Industry Impact, follow-up questions)
• AI conversation threads per article (to keep continuity)
• Your AI preference settings (e.g., depth, bullet preference)

When you use AI features, relevant article context and your prompt may be sent to an AI provider to generate the response. We do not allow AI features for anonymous visitors.

Device, Network, and Log Data

• IP address (used for security and approximate location detection)
• User agent string (browser/device metadata)
• Device type (mobile/desktop/tablet), OS, browser
• Screen and viewport dimensions
• Referrer and navigation path signals (entry/exit pages where available)
• Basic system logs for reliability and debugging

Approximate Location Data

We may infer approximate location (country/region/city) from your IP address for analytics and platform intelligence. We do not require precise GPS location.

Cookies & Similar Technologies

We use cookies/local storage to keep you signed in, remember preferences, and (if you consent) measure analytics. We also use a cookie consent system so you can accept or reject non-essential tracking.

Analytics (GA4 + GTM) and Internal Analytics

TechCulture uses Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how the platform is used. We also store certain engagement events in our own database to power internal dashboards, content intelligence, and personalization.

We do not intentionally track sensitive personal data (such as passwords) in analytics events.

Push Notifications

If you opt in, we may use Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) to send notifications. You can disable notifications at any time via your browser/device settings.

How We Use Your Data

• Provide the service (accounts, sessions, content delivery)
• Personalize your feed and recommendations based on reading and engagement behavior
• Power AI features and remember AI preferences (logged-in users only)
• Measure engagement and improve content quality and platform performance
• Detect abuse, fraud, or suspicious activity
• Debug errors and maintain reliability

How We Share Your Data

We do not sell your personal data. We may share limited data with:

• Service providers we use to operate TechCulture (e.g., hosting, logging, analytics, media storage, and AI providers), only as needed to provide the service.
• Law enforcement or regulators if required by law.

Data Retention

We retain data for as long as needed to operate TechCulture and provide the features you use. Some analytics/security logs may be kept for longer periods to maintain platform integrity.

Security

We use reasonable security measures designed to protect your data. No system is 100% secure, but we work to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse.

Your Choices and Controls

• You can adjust or reset AI preferences from your profile.
• You can clear saved articles and reading history using available profile controls where enabled.
• You can accept/reject non-essential cookies via the cookie consent banner/preferences.

Contact

For privacy questions or requests, contact TechCulture using the contact information provided on the website.