Privacy Policy

1. Data we collect

Account data. If you create an account, we store your email address, a bcrypt-hashed password, and an optional display name. We never store your password in plain text.

Subscription data. If you subscribe to our newsletter, we store your email address, subscription status, opt-in timestamp, and your topic and persona preferences. We use double opt-in — you must confirm your email before we send you anything.

Usage data. We record anonymised article view counts and engagement events (e.g. favouriting an article) to improve our editorial curation. These events are linked to your account ID if you are signed in, or stored anonymously if you are not.

Analytics. We use Google Analytics 4, subject to your cookie consent. If you accept analytics cookies, Google collects standard web analytics data (pages visited, session duration, approximate location). We use this to understand readership patterns. You can withdraw consent at any time via the cookie banner.

Advertising. We use Google AdSense to display ads. AdSense may set cookies to serve relevant ads, subject to your consent. We operate Google Consent Mode v2 — no personalised ad data is collected without your agreement.

2. How we use your data

We use account data to authenticate you and associate favourites with your profile. We use subscription data to send you The Beat newsletter — only with your explicit consent. We use analytics data to understand how readers engage with our content and to improve it.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not share it with third parties except as described in this policy (Google Analytics, Google AdSense, our email delivery provider ZeptoMail, and our hosting infrastructure on Vercel and Microsoft Azure).

3. Legal basis (UK GDPR)

We process account and subscription data on the basis of consent (you signed up voluntarily) and contract (to deliver the service you requested). We process analytics data on the basis of consent (via the cookie banner). We process anonymised engagement data on the basis of our legitimate interests in improving our editorial product.

4. Cookies

We use the following categories of cookies:

Strictly necessary. Session authentication, cookie consent preferences. These cannot be disabled.

Analytics (optional). Google Analytics 4 — only set if you accept analytics cookies.

Advertising (optional). Google AdSense — only active if you accept advertising cookies.

You can change your cookie preferences at any time via the cookie banner at the bottom of the page.

5. Data retention

Account data is retained for as long as your account exists. If you delete your account or request erasure, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it by law. Newsletter subscription data is retained until you unsubscribe.

6. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to access, rectify, or erase your personal data; to restrict or object to processing; and to data portability. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@thebeat.tech. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

7. Third-party services

Vercel — hosting and edge network (US/global). Privacy policy: vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy.

Microsoft Azure — database and search infrastructure. Privacy statement: privacy.microsoft.com.

ZeptoMail — transactional email delivery. Privacy policy: zoho.com/privacy.html.

Google Analytics / AdSense — analytics and advertising. Google privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy.

Cloudflare Turnstile — bot protection on forms. Cloudflare privacy policy: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Significant changes will be communicated via the newsletter or a notice on the site.