Privacy Policy — Dismal Freedom Press

Effective Date: March 1, 2026 | Last Updated: March 1, 2026

Dismal Freedom Press ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our readers, sources, subscribers, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

Newsletter subscriptions: When you subscribe to our newsletter through Substack, we collect your email address and any optional name you provide.
Donations: When you make a donation through Stripe, your payment information is processed by Stripe. We receive your name, email address, donation amount, and transaction confirmation. We do not store credit card numbers.
Tips and communications: When you contact us via email, Signal, or postal mail, we retain the content of your communications. We take special care to protect the identity of confidential sources (see Section 7).
Contact forms: When you use our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and message content.
Comments and submissions: If you submit letters, opinion pieces, or corrections, we collect the content you provide along with your contact information.

Information Collected Automatically

Analytics data: We use privacy-respecting analytics to understand how our website is used. This may include pages visited, referring URLs, browser type, device type, and approximate geographic location (city/region level). We do not use analytics tools that track individual users across websites.
Server logs: Our web servers automatically record information such as IP addresses, browser types, and access times. These logs are retained for security purposes and are regularly purged.
Cookies: We use a minimal number of cookies necessary for website functionality. See Section 3 for details.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To deliver newsletter content to subscribers
To process and acknowledge donations
To respond to tips, inquiries, and correspondence
To understand aggregate readership patterns and improve our website
To detect and prevent security threats or abuse
To comply with legal obligations

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We do not use your information for targeted advertising.

3. Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses a limited number of cookies:

Essential cookies: Required for basic site functionality, such as maintaining session state.
Analytics cookies: Used to collect aggregate, anonymized data about site usage. These cookies do not identify individual users.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or cross-site tracking pixels. You can configure your browser to reject cookies, though some site features may not function properly without essential cookies.

4. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process your data:

Substack: For newsletter delivery. Substack's privacy policy applies to information collected through our newsletter. substack.com/privacy
Stripe: For donation processing. Stripe's privacy policy governs payment data. stripe.com/privacy
Website hosting provider: Our hosting provider may process server logs containing IP addresses and access information.

We select third-party services that maintain reasonable privacy and security practices. However, we are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services.

5. Email Subscriptions

If you subscribe to our newsletter, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email or by contacting us directly. We will process unsubscribe requests promptly.

We do not share subscriber email addresses with third parties for marketing purposes.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

Newsletter subscriber data: Until you unsubscribe, plus a reasonable period to process the request.
Donation records: As required by tax and nonprofit regulations (typically seven years).
Server logs: Regularly purged, typically within 90 days.
Correspondence: Retained as part of our journalistic records, subject to source protection obligations.

7. Source and Tipster Protection

We take the protection of confidential sources seriously. Tips submitted through secure channels (Signal, encrypted email, postal mail) are handled with heightened security protocols. We limit internal access to source-identifying information and comply with California's journalist shield law (Cal. Evid. Code § 1070) to protect the identity of confidential sources. For more information, see our Tips page.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete it promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at editor@dismalfreedompress.org.

9. California Residents' Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provide you with specific rights regarding your personal information:

Right to know: You may request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
Right to delete: You may request that we delete personal information we have collected about you, subject to certain exceptions.
Right to opt out of sale: We do not sell personal information. There is no need to opt out.
Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
Right to correct: You may request that we correct inaccurate personal information.
Right to limit use of sensitive personal information: We do not use sensitive personal information for purposes beyond what is necessary to provide our services.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at editor@dismalfreedompress.org or write to us at 249 Commerce Ave #1042, Manteca, CA 95336. We will respond to verifiable consumer requests within 45 days.

Please note: The CCPA contains an exemption for information collected in the course of journalistic activities. We will honor privacy requests to the fullest extent consistent with our journalistic mission and legal obligations.

10. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information. These include encrypted connections (HTTPS), access controls, and secure storage practices. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the revised policy on this page with an updated effective date. Material changes will be noted prominently on our website. Your continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: editor@dismalfreedompress.org
Phone: (209) 425-2677
Mail: Dismal Freedom Press, 249 Commerce Ave #1042, Manteca, CA 95336