Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in two ways. First, information you provide directly: your email address when you subscribe to the newsletter or create an account, your name if you choose to provide it, payment information when you purchase a paid subscription, and the contents of any message you send us. Second, information collected automatically when you visit: standard server logs (IP address, browser type, pages requested, timestamps) and aggregate analytics about how the Service is used, such as page views and referral sources.

Payment card details are collected and processed directly by Stripe, our payment processor. We never see or store your full card number.

2. How We Use Information

We use your information to deliver the Service, including sending the newsletter and reports you signed up for; to manage accounts and paid subscriptions, including billing and renewal; to understand readership in aggregate so we can improve the publication; to secure the Service and prevent abuse; and to comply with legal obligations. We do not use your personal information for third-party advertising, and we do not sell or rent it to anyone.

3. Cookies and Analytics

The Service uses a small number of cookies and similar technologies: strictly necessary cookies for member login and session management, and analytics measurement to understand aggregate traffic. Analytics for the Service is provided by Vercel Web Analytics, which is designed around aggregate measurement rather than individual tracking. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings; disabling strictly necessary cookies may prevent member features from working.

4. Email Communications

If you subscribe to the newsletter, we use a third-party email delivery provider to send it. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can opt out at any time. We may also send transactional emails related to your account or subscription, such as receipts and renewal notices, which are not marketing and are sent as needed.

5. How Information Is Shared

We share personal information only with service providers who process it on our behalf and under contractual confidentiality obligations, currently including our hosting provider (Vercel), our payment processor (Stripe), and our email delivery provider. We may also disclose information if required by law, legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of the Service, its readers, or the public, and in connection with a business transfer such as a sale or reorganization of the publication, in which case this policy would continue to apply to information collected under it.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described above: newsletter emails for as long as you remain subscribed, account and billing records for as long as your account is active and thereafter as required for tax, accounting, and legal purposes, and server logs for a limited operational period. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or receive a copy of your personal information, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. Residents of the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom have these rights under the GDPR and UK GDPR; residents of California and certain other U.S. states have similar rights under state privacy laws, including the right to know and the right to delete. We do not sell personal information as those laws define the term. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address below and we will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law. You also always have the simplest option: unsubscribe from any email with one click, or ask us to delete your account.

8. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS) across the Service and reliance on providers with strong security practices for payments and hosting. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we limit what we collect precisely so that there is less to protect.

9. International Visitors

The Service is operated from the United States. If you access it from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for such transfers.

10. Children

The Service is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date above and, for material changes, provide notice on the Service or by email. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact

Privacy questions and rights requests may be directed to contact@brendanhart.com.