About

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 16, 2026

OnceTopNews, part of the Once Hit family of sites ("we," "us," or "our"), operates us.topnews.oncehit.net (the "Site"), a news data site that shows which news stories are being covered and watched across U.S. news outlets. We don't publish news articles; headlines link to the original outlets. You can use the Site without creating an account.

This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how long we keep it, and the choices and rights you have. It applies to the Site only, not to the news outlets, YouTube, Bluesky, or other websites we link to.

1. Information we collect

1.1 Information collected automatically when you visit

• Connection and device data: your IP address, browser type and version (user agent), the page you visited, the page that referred you to us, and the time of your visit. We use this to run and secure the Site, count visits, and filter out bots.
• Usage events: which story or event page you open, which share button you tap, which sections of the home page appear on your screen, whether you are a new or returning visitor, and the kind of site that referred you (for example, Google or a social network).
• Approximate region: our content delivery provider, Cloudflare, estimates the state or region of your connection. We do not collect precise location.
• Searches: the words you type into the Site's search box, the number of results, and your IP address.

We do not record mouse movements, scrolling, or keystrokes, and we do not use session-replay tools.

1.2 Information stored in your browser

We store a small amount of information in your browser's local storage to make the Site work: your sign-in token (only if you sign in; removed when you sign out), the time of your last visit and the top stories at that time (to show what changed since then), how many times you have visited (to decide whether to suggest adding the Site to your home screen), the reactions you have tapped, and display preferences. A service worker caches pages so the Site loads faster and works offline. You can clear this information at any time in your browser settings.

1.3 Cookies

Our regular pages do not set cookies. A few interactive pages (your account page, sign-in, embedded widgets, and the administrator area) use a session cookie and a security (CSRF) cookie that expire after 120 minutes. We do not use advertising or analytics cookies. Cloudflare may set cookies needed for security and performance; see Cloudflare's privacy policy.

1.4 Reactions and recommendations

When you tap a reaction or the "push" button, we record it so we can show totals and prevent repeated voting. If you are not signed in, we link it to a one-way coded value derived from your IP address (we do not store the IP address with it). If you are signed in, we link it to your account. Reactions and recommendations only affect the reader sections of the Site; they never change the news data rankings.

1.5 Account information (if you sign in)

Accounts are provided by OnceAccount (account.oncehit.net), the sign-in service for Once Hit websites. We do not see or store your password. When you sign in, OnceAccount shares with us, and we store: your OnceAccount ID, nickname, profile picture URL, email address, and whether your email is verified. We also keep records created on the Site: sign-in dates and count, daily visit streaks, points and point history, badges, levels, the recommendations you make with points, and on-site notifications. If you recommend a story with points, your nickname may appear publicly in the list of readers who recommended it. You must be at least 13 years old to create an account. The first time you sign in, we ask for the month and year you were born; we use it only to check your age and do not store it.

1.6 Browser notifications (only if you turn them on)

If you choose to turn on browser notifications, your browser gives us a push address and encryption keys. We store them with your notification choices, your browser type, the date we last sent you a notification, and your account ID if you are signed in. Notifications are delivered through your browser maker's push service (Google, Mozilla, Apple, or Microsoft).

1.7 Public data from other services (not about Site visitors)

To measure how news is covered, we collect publicly available data from news outlets' official accounts: video titles and view, like, and comment counts from YouTube (through the YouTube API Services), and post links and like, repost, reply, and quote counts from Bluesky. We do not collect comment or reply text, and we do not collect data about individual YouTube or Bluesky users. If an outlet deletes a Bluesky post, we mark it as deleted and stop using it.

2. How we use information

• To operate, maintain, and secure the Site, including detecting bots and abuse.
• To produce the Site's aggregate data, such as how many readers opened a story or searched for a topic. Published statistics never identify individual visitors.
• To provide account features (points, badges, levels, recommendations, notifications).
• To fix errors and improve the Site.

We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not build profiles of you across other websites.

3. How we share information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We share information only with service providers that help us run the Site, under their own privacy terms:

• Cloudflare (content delivery and security)
• OnceAccount (sign-in)
• Browser push services (only if you turn on notifications)
• LINE, which we use to send internal notices to our staff

We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect the rights and safety of our users or the public, or as part of a merger or transfer of the Site.

Global Privacy Control: Because we don't sell or share personal information, there is nothing to opt out of. If we ever start, we will treat a Global Privacy Control signal from your browser as a request to opt out.

4. YouTube

The Site uses YouTube API Services. By viewing YouTube content on the Site, you are also subject to the YouTube Terms of Service (https://www.youtube.com/t/terms). Google's Privacy Policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy) explains how Google handles data. Video thumbnails load from YouTube's servers. A YouTube player loads only when you choose to play a video, and it uses YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode. We do not record which videos you play. You can review and revoke access granted to applications through Google's security settings (https://myaccount.google.com/permissions); note that the Site does not request access to your Google or YouTube account.

5. How long we keep information

• IP addresses and browser types recorded with visits: 90 days, after which we keep only totals that don't include IP addresses.
• Search terms: the search words are kept as part of our aggregate data; the IP address recorded with a search is deleted after 90 days.
• Error logs: 90 days.
• Database backups: copies are removed as the backups rotate out.
• Account information and account records: until you delete your data (see section 6). We delete it right away; copies in database backups are removed as the backups rotate out.
• Browser notification subscriptions: until you turn notifications off; subscriptions that stop working are deleted within 30 days.
• Public data from YouTube and Bluesky (video and post titles, links, and public counts): kept as part of our news archive. If an outlet deletes a Bluesky post, we mark it as deleted and stop using it.

6. Your rights and choices

Wherever you live in the United States, you can ask us to:

• tell you what personal information we have about you and give you a copy;
• correct information that is wrong;
• delete your personal information.

If you have an account, you can delete your data yourself: sign in, open My Page, and choose "Delete my data." Signing in confirms it's you, and we delete your data right away and sign you out. For any other request, email oncehit.service@gmail.com. We will verify your request (for example, by asking you to confirm from the email address on your account) and respond within 45 days. You may use an authorized agent. We will not treat you differently for exercising these rights. When you delete your data, we delete your nickname, profile picture, email address, level, points and points history, badges, visit history, notifications, and browser notification subscriptions, and we unlink your past visits from your account. Totals that already include your past reactions or recommendations are not reduced, and your name in public lists is replaced with "a reader." Visit records that are no longer linked to you follow the retention periods in section 5. Your sign-in account belongs to OnceAccount, which other Once Hit websites also use, so deleting your data here does not delete your OnceAccount account. To delete it, email oncehit.service@gmail.com. If you sign in to the Site again later, you start over as a new member. You can also turn off browser notifications at any time, sign out, and clear the information stored in your browser.

7. Children

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

8. Security

We use reasonable measures to protect information, including encrypted connections. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

9. Changes

If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page. If the change is significant, we will also post a notice on the Site.

10. Contact

OnceTopNews, part of the Once Hit family of sites
Email: oncehit.service@gmail.com