Privacy

Last updated: August 2026

Public news stays free

Reading editions on the web does not require an account. Membership is optional and does not change what non-members can read.

What we collect

• Newsletter: email address, subscription status, consent timestamp, and optional referral source.
• Membership: email and payment status via Stripe — we do not store card numbers.
• Analytics: aggregated page and edition events (see below).
• Reactions: story reaction type tied to a pseudonymous browser identifier — not your name.
• Forms: name, email, and message content when you contact us or submit a story tip.

Do Not Track

When your browser sends a Do Not Track (DNT) signal, we skip non-essential analytics beacons. Essential server logs for security and rate limiting may still apply.

Analytics & retention

We record lightweight events — edition views, scroll depth, shares — in our database or a configured analytics provider. Events are retained for approximately 365 days, then deleted by automated cleanup. We do not sell analytics data.

Browser identifiers

Reactions and some analytics use a random browser ID stored in local storage — not cookies for advertising. It lets us prevent duplicate reaction spam without building a personal profile. Clearing site data removes it.

Reactions privacy

Reaction counts are public aggregates. Your individual choices are not displayed to other readers. We may rate-limit abusive patterns using hashed IP addresses — never published.

Email

Newsletter emails include an unsubscribe link processed on our servers. We use your email only for Past 24 communications you opted into, unless you separately contact us.

Your rights

You may request access, correction, or deletion of personal data we hold by emailing hello@thepast24.com. We respond within a reasonable timeframe.