Privacy Policy
Effective Date: September 11, 2025
The Discoverist (“we,” “our,” or “us”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard information when you interact with our website, newsletters, and related services (collectively, the “Services”).
Your privacy is important, and this Privacy Policy is designed to clearly explain our practices regarding the collection and use of personal information and the choices you have.
If you are located in the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or the United Kingdom (UK), please see our Notice to Individuals in the EEA and UK section below for information about your rights under GDPR and the UK Data Protection Act 2018.
If you have questions or wish to exercise your privacy rights, you may contact us via our Privacy Contact Form.
1. Your Consent; Opting Out
By using our Services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of information as described in this Privacy Policy.
You may choose not to provide personal information, in which case some features of our Services may not be available. You may also:
- Manage your cookie preferences via Consent Preferences.
- Unsubscribe from newsletters using the link provided in each email.
- Submit additional privacy requests (e.g., access, correction, deletion) through our Privacy Contact Form.
2. Information We Collect & How We Collect It
We collect two broad types of information:
a. Personal Information
This includes information you provide directly, such as:
- Name and email address (newsletter signups and subscription accounts)
- Payment information processed through Stripe for subscriptions or other transactions
- Account credentials and profile information for subscription services
- Information submitted via contact forms
We do not store credit card information; all payments are handled securely by Stripe.
b. Website User Information
This includes information collected automatically, such as:
- IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and time spent on the site
- Cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies
- Searches performed on the site, which may be tracked to analyze popular topics and trends. These search requests are stored in an aggregated, anonymized form and do not contain personally identifiable information.
We use this information to improve our Services, understand usage trends, and provide personalized features such as saved/favorited content for subscribed users.
3. How We Use Information
We use the information collected to:
- Provide and improve the Services, including subscription-based features
- Send newsletters and updates to subscribed users
- Process payments via Stripe
- Analyze site traffic, search trends, and ad performance (Google Analytics/Ads)
- Enable users to save and favorite content within their accounts
- Respond to inquiries submitted via our contact form
- Comply with legal obligations
4. Third-Party Services
We use third-party services to operate our Services:
| Service | Purpose | Link to Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| AcyMailing | Newsletter management | AcyMailing Privacy |
| Stripe | Payment processing | Stripe Privacy |
| Google Analytics | Website usage analysis | Google Privacy |
| Google Ads | Advertising | Google Ad Settings |
Note: We do not have access to personal-level data in third-party systems. These services provide only aggregated or anonymized reports. Users wishing to manage or delete data in a third-party system should use the links above.
5. User Responsibilities
You are responsible for:
- Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
- Providing accurate information to us
- Updating your personal information via your account or the contact form
Providing inaccurate or outdated information may affect your ability to access subscription services, receive newsletters, or use saved/favorited content features.
6. Data Retention
- Newsletter and account data: Retained until you unsubscribe, delete your account, or are marked inactive after one year of inactivity.
- Payment data: Retained according to Stripe’s policies.
- Search and usage data: Stored in aggregated, anonymized form for analytics and trend tracking.
- Other personal data: Retained only as necessary for the purposes described in this policy.
We are under no obligation to store personal information indefinitely and disclaim liability related to the destruction of residual data.
7. Cookies & Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Remember your preferences and account session
- Analyze traffic, usage trends, and search popularity (Google Analytics)
- Serve and measure advertising (Google Ads)
You can manage cookie preferences at any time via Consent Preferences. Essential cookies required for site functionality and payments will remain active. Rejecting cookies may affect certain personalized site features, including saved/favorited content for subscribers.
8. Exercising Your Privacy Rights
Most privacy controls can be managed directly by you:
- Adjust cookies via Consent Preferences.
- Unsubscribe from newsletters via your account dashboard or the link in any email.
If you wish to exercise additional privacy rights (such as requesting access, correction, or deletion of your personal data), please submit a request using our Privacy Contact Form.
We will respond to privacy requests within the time-period required by applicable law. Please note that certain personal information may be exempt from such requests. We may also require you to provide additional information to verify your identity before processing your request.
9. Notice to Individuals in the European Union, EEA, and UK
If you are in the EU, EEA, or UK, you have rights under GDPR/UK Data Protection Law:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction: Update inaccurate or incomplete data
- Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): Request deletion of your data
- Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
- Objection: Object to processing of your data for specific purposes
Submit any requests via our Privacy Contact Form.
10. Security
We implement reasonable measures to protect your data. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. External Links
Our Services may include links to third-party websites or social media platforms. This Privacy Policy applies only to The Discoverist’s Services. Any interaction with third-party sites is governed by their own privacy policies.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted with a new Effective Date.
13. Contact Us
For questions or to exercise your privacy rights:
Submit a request via our Privacy Contact Form.
1.0 | September 11, 2025 | Original Privacy Policy published