Privacy Policy
Last updated: 31 March 2026
Market News Ltd and its affiliated entities ("MNI", "we", "us", or "our") operate the MNI Markets Microsoft Excel add-in (the "Add-in"). This Privacy Policy explains how the Add-in collects, uses, stores, and shares information when you install and use it.
1. Information the Add-in Collects
Authentication credentials. When you log in, the Add-in transmits your username and password (or initiates an OAuth 2.0 flow via Auth0) solely to obtain a short-lived access token. Your password is never stored by the Add-in.
Authentication tokens. The Add-in stores the access token and refresh token it receives after a successful login:
| Storage location | Scope | Cleared when |
|---|---|---|
OfficeRuntime.storage | Scoped to the Add-in, encrypted by Office | User logs out or token refresh fails |
sessionStorage | Scoped to the browser session | Tab / session closes |
Tokens expire after 8 hours and are silently refreshed 5 minutes before expiry.
Macroeconomic data. The Add-in retrieves real-time macroeconomic data (event titles, dates, countries, actual values, forecasts, prior values) from the MNI data service and writes it directly into your Excel spreadsheet. This data is not stored by the Add-in on any server.
2. How the Add-in Uses Information
The Add-in uses the authentication token exclusively to:
— Authorize REST API requests to fetch macroeconomic data.
— Authorize WebSocket connections for real-time data streaming.
No information collected by the Add-in is used for advertising, profiling, or any purpose other than delivering the data service.
3. How the Add-in Shares Information
The Add-in contacts the following external services:
| Service | Domain | Purpose | Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphaflash REST API | api.alphaflash.com | Fetch macroeconomic calendar data | HTTPS (TLS) |
| Alphaflash WebSocket | select.alphaflash.com | Real-time data streaming | WSS (TLS) |
| Auth0 | <tenant>.auth0.com | OAuth 2.0 token issuance and refresh | HTTPS (TLS) |
No data is shared with advertising networks, analytics providers, or any other third party.
4. Data Storage and Security
All communication between the Add-in and external services uses HTTPS or WSS (TLS).
The Add-in is hosted on Vercel at excel-plugin.mnimarkets.com, which enforces HTTPS by default.
Authentication tokens are stored in OfficeRuntime.storage, which is encrypted and scoped to the Add-in by the Office platform. Tokens are never exposed in URL query strings or logs.
5. Data Retention and Deletion
Authentication tokens are cleared immediately upon logout or token refresh failure. The Add-in retains no server-side data about individual users.
To remove all stored Add-in data, log out via the task pane and uninstall the Add-in from Excel. This clears all tokens from OfficeRuntime.storage.
6. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights under applicable privacy laws (including GDPR and CCPA) to access, correct, delete, or restrict the processing of your personal data held by MNI.
Because the Add-in itself stores only authentication tokens (not personal data), most data rights requests should be directed to the MNI Markets data service. To exercise your rights, contact us at:
Email: privacy@marketnews.com
Post: Market News Ltd, 3rd Floor, 1 Great Tower Street, London, EC3R 5AA
7. Children's Privacy
The Add-in is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via the Add-in's support page at excel-plugin.mnimarkets.com. The date at the top of this document indicates when it was last revised.
9. Contact
For questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or about the MNI Markets Add-in's data practices, contact us at:
Email: privacy@marketnews.com
Post: Market News Ltd, 3rd Floor, 1 Great Tower Street, London, EC3R 5AA