Meanwhile: Privacy Policy
Meanwhile is a free Android app by Jesse Scott (British Columbia, Canada). It finds the point on Earth exactly opposite you and shows news from that country, or, when that point is open ocean, the sea conditions there. It is a hobby project: it has no accounts, no ads, and no servers of its own. This page explains what the app does with information, so you can decide whether you are comfortable with it.
The short version
- Meanwhile asks for approximate (coarse) location only, to work out the point opposite you. It does not store your location and does not send it to me; I run no server that could receive it.
- The app has no accounts, no ads and does not sell or share your data for advertising.
- Usage and crash reports are off unless you turn them on in the app. They are anonymous and you can turn them off again at any time.
- Some information necessarily goes to the services that supply the headlines, sea data and place lookups. They are listed below.
What the app uses, and why
| Information | Used for | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Your approximate location (only if you allow it) | Calculating the point opposite you | Handled on your phone by Google Play services' location service. Meanwhile does not save it or send it to me. |
| A place you search for | Finding its coordinates, so the app can find the point opposite it | Your device's built-in geocoder, which on most phones is provided by Google. |
| The coordinates of the point opposite you (your location, mirrored) | Finding which country, or ocean, it is in | Your device's built-in geocoder (usually Google). In open-ocean mode they are also sent to Open-Meteo to get sea conditions. Treat these coordinates as approximate-location data, because they are your location mirrored. |
| A country code (for example “MG”) | Fetching headlines from that country | The GDELT Project. For a few small places the app also reads public news feeds from outlets such as RNZ Pacific and Matangi Tonga. |
| Headlines you have loaded | Showing something straight away next time | Kept on your phone for up to three days, then ignored. Clearing the app's storage removes them. |
| A few settings | Remembering that you have seen the welcome screen, your choice about usage and crash reports, and how often the app has worked and asked, so it does not ask too often | Stored on your phone only. App backup is turned off, so this is not copied to other devices. |
Like any app that uses the internet, a request to one of these services reveals your device's IP address and basic technical details to that service. Meanwhile does not add anything to identify you to them.
Usage and crash reports (optional, off by default)
If you turn on “Share usage and crash data” (in the app's About screen, or when it asks you after it has worked a few times), Meanwhile uses Firebase, a Google service, to see how the app is used and to find crashes. Meanwhile can only send facts from a fixed list:
- which screens were opened (About, open source licenses, the support link), and whether you chose a place by using your location or by searching (not which place);
- whether a load worked, how long it took (roughly), roughly how many headlines it found, which news source supplied them (not which articles), and which kind of error happened if it failed;
- whether you allowed the location permission, and which view (land or ocean) you switched to;
- crash reports, containing the type of error and where in the code it happened, but not error messages;
- your phone's model and Android version, the app's version, and a random installation ID (a number that is not tied to you and changes if you reinstall).
The app is built so that these reports do not include your location, the point opposite you, the place you searched for, or the headlines you read. The advertising ID is not collected and ad personalization is turned off. If you turn the switch off again, reports stop, the app resets its random installation ID and discards reports it had not yet sent. Reports already sent stay with Firebase until its retention period ends. Google processes this data under its own terms; see the Firebase link above.
Links that leave the app
Tapping a headline opens the publisher's own website in your browser. The support link opens Ko-fi in your browser. Those sites have their own privacy policies, and Meanwhile has no control over them.
Who else handles information
- Google: location (Google Play services), place lookups (device geocoder) and, only if you opt in, Firebase.
- GDELT Project: the headlines.
- Open-Meteo: sea conditions, used under CC BY 4.0 for non-commercial purposes.
- Public news feeds from some outlets, for a few small places, such as RNZ and Matangi Tonga.
Keeping and deleting information
I hold no personal information about you: there is no account or server. Information on your phone (the headline cache and settings) is removed when you clear the app's storage or uninstall it. Turning off usage and crash reports stops further reports and resets the installation ID, so later reports can't be linked to earlier ones. Reports already sent are held by Firebase for its retention period; to ask about those, or anything else, contact me (below).
Your rights
Depending on where you live (for example under the GDPR in Europe, or PIPEDA and British Columbia's privacy law in Canada), you may have rights to access, correct or delete personal information, and to withdraw consent. Because Meanwhile keeps no personal information on a server of its own, most of that is in your hands on your phone, and you can withdraw consent for reports at any time with the switch in the app. If you want to exercise a right, contact me.
Children
Meanwhile is not designed for children, and I do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13.
Security
The app talks to its services over encrypted connections (HTTPS). No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but there is no database of user information for anyone to break into.
Changes to this policy
If the app starts doing something different with information, I will update this page and the “Last updated” date, and the app's About screen will say the same thing. The policy is also available from the app's Play Store listing.
Contact
Questions about this policy or the app: jesses.co.tt/contact.html.