Privacy policy

This policy explains how CountOn2 News (“we”) handles personal data when you read our journalism, subscribe to a newsletter, or contact the newsroom. It applies to this website and to the email we send you.

What we collect

• Reading activity. When you open a page we record the article viewed and increment an aggregate counter. These counts are stored per article per day and are not tied to a named person.
• Technical request data. Our hosting provider processes the usual server log information — IP address, user agent, referring page, timestamp — in order to serve the page and to defend against abuse.
• Newsletter subscriptions. If you subscribe we store your email address, the date you signed up and your subscription status, so that we can send the newsletter and honour an unsubscribe.
• Messages you send us. If you email the desk, we hold the message and your address for as long as needed to deal with it, and afterwards where there is a journalistic or legal reason to retain it.
• Newsroom accounts. Staff logins store a name, email address and a hashed password. Readers do not need an account.

What we do not do

We do not sell, rent or trade personal data. We do not build advertising profiles of readers, and we do not use third-party behavioural tracking to follow you around other websites. We do not require an account to read.

Cookies and local storage

We use a small number of strictly functional cookies and local storage entries: one to remember whether you prefer the light or dark theme, and — for newsroom staff only — a signed session cookie that keeps you logged in. Neither is used for advertising. Clearing site data in your browser removes both.

Legal basis and purposes

Where data protection law requires a legal basis, we rely on our legitimate interest in operating a news website, publishing journalism and keeping the service secure; on your consent for the newsletter; and on legal obligation where we must retain records. You can withdraw newsletter consent at any time.

Processors we rely on

We use third parties to host the website, store our database, deliver images and send email. They act on our instructions, may only process data to provide those services, and are bound by contract to keep it confidential. We choose providers that support deletion on request.

How long we keep things

Aggregate view counts are retained indefinitely because they are not personal data. Newsletter records are kept until you unsubscribe, then deleted within thirty days apart from a suppression record that stops us mailing you again by mistake. Server logs are kept for a short rolling window set by our host. Correspondence is kept for as long as it is journalistically relevant.

Your rights

Depending on where you live you may have the right to ask for a copy of your data, to have it corrected or deleted, to object to processing, or to complain to a data protection regulator. Write to us via the contact page and we will respond within one month.

One important limit: data protection law in most jurisdictions contains an exemption for journalism. Where a request would require us to destroy, disclose or stop processing material held for publication — for example, notes identifying a confidential source — we may decline it and will explain why.

Children

This site is intended for a general adult audience. We do not knowingly collect data from children, and we will delete any that reaches us in error.

Changes to this policy

If we change how we handle data we will update this page and move the date at the top. Material changes affecting newsletter subscribers will also be announced in the newsletter itself.

Contact

Questions about this policy, or a request about your data, should go through the contact page. Our terms of use govern your use of the site more generally.