Privacy
Kern has no accounts, no ads and no tracking. This page explains the little data it does handle, and why.
In short: what you save, read and choose in the app stays on your phone. If you turn on notifications, we keep a push code, your time zone and the IDs of articles you have opened, so we can send the morning briefing at the right time and not nudge you about things you have read. If you send feedback, we keep what you send. We never sell data or use it for advertising.
Who is responsible
Kern is made by Ed Ball, an individual based in Scotland, UK. Ed is the data controller for the information described here. Contact: hello@kern.news.
What stays on your phone
Saved articles, which articles you have read, your theme, text size and onboarding choices, and whether you have unlocked Colour with a tip. This is stored only on your device. Deleting the app deletes it.
What we store, and why
If you turn on notifications
- Push token: the code Apple and Expo give your phone so we can send it notifications. It does not contain your name, email or Apple ID.
- Time zone (for example "Europe/London"), so the morning briefing arrives in your morning and nothing is sent at night.
- Articles you have opened: up to the 500 most recent article numbers, linked to your push token, so a reminder never points you to something you have already read.
- Platform (iOS) and the dates we last sent you a briefing or reminder, so you never get duplicates.
We use this only to send the notifications you asked for. Our reason (legal basis) is your consent, which you give by turning notifications on. Turn them off in the app's Settings and we stop sending and clear your reading list straight away. The token is deleted when Apple tells us it is no longer valid, for example after you delete the app, or when you ask us.
If you send feedback, flag an article or recommend one
- Feedback: your message, plus your name and email only if you add them, so we can read it and reply.
- Flags and recommendations: which article, the type of problem and any note you add. We don't record who you are.
- Spam protection: a one-way scrambled code (a salted hash) made from your internet address, stored with the submission so one person can't flood the system. We never store the address itself.
Our reason is our legitimate interest in fixing mistakes and improving Kern. We keep feedback for as long as it is useful for that, and for no more than two years. Ask us at any time and we will delete it sooner.
Server logs
Like any website or app server, our hosting providers record technical logs, including internet addresses, to keep their services secure and working. They keep these for a short time under their own policies. We don't use them to identify readers.
Tips
Tips are in-app purchases handled entirely by Apple. We never see your name, Apple ID or payment details. Apple only tells the app that a tip went through, and the app then unlocks the Colour theme on your phone. For refunds, use Apple's Report a Problem page.
Who helps us run Kern
- Supabase hosts the database and server functions (articles, push tokens, feedback).
- Expo and Apple Push Notification service deliver notifications.
- Netlify hosts this website.
- Anthropic provides the AI that writes articles from published sources. No reader data is ever sent to Anthropic.
These providers process data only to provide their service to us. Some are based in, or use servers in, the United States. Where data leaves the UK, they protect it with the safeguards UK law requires, such as standard contractual clauses.
What we don't do
No advertising, no analytics or tracking SDKs, no selling or sharing of data for marketing, and no profiles of what you read beyond the article list described above.
Your rights
You can ask to see, correct or delete the data we hold about you, or object to how we use it, by emailing hello@kern.news. If you have notifications on, include the time you turned them on or send the message from Settings → Feedback, so we can find your token. We reply within one month. You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
Children
Kern is a general news app and is not aimed at children under 13.
Changes
If this policy changes, we will update this page and the date below. Significant changes will also be noted in the app.
Last updated 9 November 2026.