Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Gazatte (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is an independent news platform committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have about that information when you use our website at gazatte.co and any related services (collectively, the “Service”).

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you disagree with any part, please discontinue use of the Service.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

• Account registration details: name, email address, and password (stored hashed).
• Profile information: display name, biography, and avatar you choose to upload.
• Comments and interactions you post on articles.
• Messages sent via our Contact form.

Information collected automatically:

• Log data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time and date of access.
• Device information: screen size, operating system, and browser version.
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 5).

3. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account and authenticate your identity.
• To personalise your reading experience and your subscription feed.
• To send you notifications about articles, comments, and platform updates.
• To respond to your contact form submissions and support requests.
• To analyse traffic patterns and improve site performance and content.
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues and fraudulent activity.
• To comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for targeted advertising.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, we process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Contractual necessity: to provide the Service you signed up for.
• Legitimate interests: site analytics, security, and fraud prevention.
• Consent: for non-essential cookies and optional notifications.
• Legal obligation: where required by applicable law.

5. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Service. Essential cookies are necessary for login sessions and cannot be disabled. Non-essential cookies (analytics, preference) are only set with your consent. For full details, see our Cookie Policy.

6. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We may share your data with:

• Hosting and infrastructure providers who process data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements.
• Analytics providers (e.g. anonymised, aggregated usage statistics only).
• Law enforcement or regulatory bodies where required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our users.

All third-party providers are bound by confidentiality obligations and may not use your data for their own purposes.

7. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or for legitimate interests such as fraud prevention. Log data is retained for up to 90 days.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”).
• Object to or restrict certain types of processing.
• Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@gazatte.co.

9. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including HTTPS encryption, hashed password storage, and rate limiting. No system is completely secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to responding to any breach promptly and transparently.

10. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with their data, please contact us and we will delete it immediately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at info@gazatte.co or via our Contact page.