Privacy Policy
Last updated: November 30, 2025
1. Introduction
Welcome to Catamist News. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about our data practices.
Our Privacy-First Promise
We do not collect personal information from anonymous visitors. All data collection is anonymous and limited to basic website functionality and optional analytics. We only collect personal information (email addresses) when you explicitly choose to create an account or subscribe to our newsletter. Even then, we use this information only for the specific purpose you provided it.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
- Account Information: Email address, username (if you choose to create an account)
- Newsletter Subscription: Email address for our daily newsletter
- Comments and Feedback: Any comments or feedback you submit
- Contact Information: Information you provide when contacting us
2.2 Information We Collect Automatically
- IP Addresses: For security, fraud prevention, and basic site functionality (anonymized after 30 days)
- Device Information: Browser type, device type, screen size (no fingerprinting)
- Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, navigation patterns (with your consent)
- Geographic Data: General location (city/region level, not precise address)
- Referral Sources: How you found our site (Google, social media, etc.)
3. How We Use Your Information
3.1 Essential Services
- Provide and maintain our website
- Send you our daily newsletter (if subscribed)
- Respond to your comments and feedback
- Ensure website security and prevent fraud
3.2 Analytics and Improvement (With Your Consent)
- Understand how visitors use our site
- Improve content and user experience
- Optimize website performance
- Analyze reading patterns and preferences
4. Privacy-First Analytics
4.1 What We Track (Anonymous Users)
- ✅ Page views and reading time
- ✅ Navigation patterns within our site
- ✅ Device and browser information
- ✅ General geographic location
- ✅ Session duration and bounce rate
4.2 What We DON'T Track
- ❌ Personal identity (names, emails for anonymous users)
- ❌ Cross-site tracking (we don't follow you to other websites)
- ❌ Social media profiles (we don't know your Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
- ❌ Purchase history (we don't know what you buy elsewhere)
- ❌ Precise location (no GPS tracking)
- ❌ Third-party data (we don't buy or use data from other sources)
4.3 IP Address Collection
We collect IP addresses for:
- Security: Detect and prevent malicious activity, DDoS attacks
- Fraud Prevention: Identify suspicious patterns and abuse
- Legal Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements
- Site Functionality: Optimize content delivery and performance
Privacy Protection: IP addresses are anonymized (last octet removed) and deleted after 30 days. We don't use them for individual tracking or marketing.
5. Your Privacy Choices
5.1 Analytics Consent Levels
- No Tracking: No analytics data collected
- Basic Analytics: Page views and session duration only
- Full Analytics: Detailed interaction tracking (recommended for better experience)
5.2 Your Rights
- Access your personal data
- Correct inaccurate information
- Delete your account and data
- Export your data
- Opt out of analytics at any time
- Unsubscribe from newsletters
6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalized content. Here's what we use and why:
7. Data Security
- All data is encrypted in transit and at rest
- Regular security audits and updates
- Limited access to personal data
- Secure data centers with physical security
8. Data Retention
- Account Data: Until you delete your account
- Newsletter Data: Until you unsubscribe
- Analytics Data: 1 year maximum (anonymized)
- IP Addresses: 30 days maximum
- Server Logs: 90 days maximum
9. Third-Party Services
We use limited third-party services:
- Google Analytics: Website analytics (with your consent)
- Email Services: Newsletter delivery (AWS SES)
- Cloud Storage: File storage (AWS S3)
All third-party services are bound by strict data protection agreements.
10. Children's Privacy
Our website is designed for general audiences and does not specifically target children under 13. We do not collect any personal information from any users, regardless of age. All data collection is anonymous and limited to basic website functionality and optional analytics that help us improve the site experience.
11. International Users
If you are accessing our website from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: Catamist LLC, Austin, Texas
14. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
For users in the European Union, we process your data based on:
- Consent: For analytics and marketing communications
- Legitimate Interest: For security and fraud prevention
- Contract: For providing our services