Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 16, 2026

1. Introduction

Arifa ("we", "us", "our") is an AI-powered news intelligence platform that summarizes and analyzes publicly available Kenyan news articles. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data in accordance with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019 and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

2. Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

  • Account information: Name, email address, and password hash when you create an account.
  • Payment information: Processed securely by our payment provider (Paystack). We do not store your credit/debit card details.
  • Usage data: Pages viewed, features used, search queries, and AI chat messages — collected to improve the service.
  • Device information: Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers for mobile app users.

3. How We Use Your Data

  • To provide and maintain the Arifa service, including personalized news summaries and AI chat.
  • To process payments and manage your subscription.
  • To send service-related communications (e.g., daily briefings you opt into).
  • To improve our AI models and service quality using aggregated, anonymized usage data.
  • To comply with legal obligations under Kenyan law.

4. AI Processing Disclosure

Arifa uses artificial intelligence to process publicly available news articles. Specifically:

  • AI models generate summaries, sentiment classifications, and topic tags from news articles.
  • AI chat responses are generated based on recent news content and may contain inaccuracies.
  • Your chat messages are processed by AI models to generate responses but are not used to train third-party models.
  • AI-generated content is clearly labeled and should not be treated as professional advice.

5. Data Sharing

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

  • Payment processors (Paystack) to handle transactions.
  • Cloud infrastructure providers to host and deliver the service.
  • AI model providers to process content (your personal data is not shared — only article content).
  • Law enforcement when required by Kenyan law.

6. Your Rights

Under the Kenya Data Protection Act 2019 and GDPR (where applicable), you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you.
  • Request correction of inaccurate data.
  • Request deletion of your account and associated data.
  • Object to or restrict certain processing of your data.
  • Data portability — receive your data in a commonly used format.

To exercise these rights, contact us at the email below.

7. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

8. Cookies

We use essential cookies for authentication and session management. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. Analytics cookies, if used, collect anonymized usage data only.

9. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (TLS), hashed passwords, and access controls. However, no method of electronic transmission is 100% secure.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email or in-app notification. Continued use of Arifa after changes constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact

For privacy-related inquiries, data access requests, or complaints, contact us at: privacy@arifa.app