Privacy Policy

Last updated: 29 May 2026  ·  Version 1.0

Issued by ForgedLink Ltd — Company No. 17041602 — Registered in England and Wales

Gaana News ("the Platform") is operated by ForgedLink Ltd ("ForgedLink", "we", "us", "our"). We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and how you can control it, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide

• Account data: full name, username, phone number, and optional email address and bio.
• Content: posts, comments, and source URLs you submit.
• Payment data: Mobile Money phone number and ad details. Payment processing is handled by Paystack — we do not store card numbers or full MoMo credentials.

Information collected automatically

• Usage data: pages visited, article view counts (deduplicated per session).
• Ad analytics: impression and click counts for advertisements.
• Session data: stored securely server-side; no third-party tracking cookies.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To operate and improve the Platform.
• To authenticate you and keep your account secure.
• To send password reset links and platform notifications to your registered email (where provided).
• To process ad payments and report aggregate performance metrics to advertisers.
• To detect and prevent abuse, spam, and fraud.

3. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with:

• Paystack — to process payments (governed by Paystack's Privacy Policy).
• Law enforcement — where required by applicable law.

4. Data Retention

Your account and content are retained for as long as your account is active. Notifications are automatically deleted after 90 days. You may delete your posts at any time. To request full account deletion, email us at hello@gaana.news.

5. Security

ForgedLink implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. Passwords are stored as bcrypt hashes. All forms are protected with CSRF tokens. Sessions use HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite=Strict cookies. We apply rate limiting on authentication endpoints to reduce brute-force risk. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security but will notify you without undue delay if a breach is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, as required by UK GDPR Article 33/34.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate information via your Settings page.
• Request deletion of your account and associated data.
• Object to or restrict certain processing of your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact hello@gaana.news.

7. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has registered without parental consent, please contact us and we will delete the account promptly.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect changes. Continued use of the Platform after an update constitutes acceptance.

9. Contact & Complaints

For data protection enquiries or to exercise your rights, contact our legal team:

ForgedLink Ltd
71–75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ
legal@forgedlink.co.uk

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.