Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains what information The Signal ("The Signal", "we", "us") collects when you visit readthesignal.net (the "Site"), subscribe to our newsletter, create an account, or purchase a paid subscription, and how we use, share, and retain that information.
1. Information We Collect
Information you provide
- Newsletter email address. When you enter your email address in the subscribe form on the homepage, we store that address so we can send you the newsletter.
- Account information. If you create a Hive account (free or paid), we store your email address, your display name or username, and the authentication data used to sign you in.
- Content you submit. Comments you post, messages you send through our contact form, and any other material you choose to send us.
- Paid subscription information. If you subscribe to a paid tier, our payment processor Stripe returns a customer identifier, your subscription status, plan, and renewal or billing dates, plus limited billing details such as the card brand and last four digits. We do not receive or store your full card number.
Information collected automatically
- Analytics. We use Google Analytics (measurement ID G-98KDVDFBCW) to understand how the Site is used. Google Analytics may collect a cookie or similar identifier, the pages you view, approximate location derived from your IP address, the referring page, your device and browser type, and session duration.
- Server logs. Our hosting provider records standard request logs (IP address, timestamp, requested path, user agent) for security and reliability.
- Browser local storage. The Site stores a small number of values in your browser's local storage, for example a session token so you remain signed in and your theme preference. These values are not used for advertising.
2. How We Use Information
- To deliver the newsletter you asked for and to operate your account.
- To process payments, manage subscriptions and renewals, and answer billing questions.
- To understand which articles and pages are useful, and to improve the Site.
- To keep the Site secure, available and free of abuse.
- To reply to your tips, corrections and messages.
- To meet our legal, tax and accounting obligations.
3. We Do Not Sell Your Personal Data
We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your email address with advertisers, data brokers, or other third parties for their own marketing purposes.
4. Service Providers
We share information only with the service providers required to run the Site, and only to the extent they need it to perform their function:
- Vercel — website hosting and delivery, including the serverless functions that power sign-in, subscriptions and the newsletter. Request logs are processed on our behalf.
- Cloudflare R2 — object storage that serves our media files, including the site logo, article images and audio versions of articles.
- Stripe — payment processing for paid subscriptions. Stripe collects your payment details directly and processes them under its own privacy policy; we receive only the limited billing information described above.
- Google Analytics — audience measurement, as described in section 1.
- Email delivery provider — the service that transmits our newsletter to the address you supplied.
We may also disclose information where we are legally required to do so, or where we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of The Signal, our readers, or the public.
5. Cookies and Analytics Opt-Out
The Site uses Google Analytics cookies and similar identifiers. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time, and Google offers a browser add-on that lets you opt out of Google Analytics: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. Blocking analytics cookies does not prevent you from reading the Site.
6. How Long We Keep Information
- Newsletter email address — kept until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete it.
- Account information — kept while your account is open and for a limited period after it is closed.
- Payment and subscription records — kept for as long as we are required to keep them for tax, accounting and dispute-resolution purposes.
- Analytics and server logs — kept for the retention period configured in those services.
7. Your Choices and Requests
You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email we send. To request a copy of the personal information we hold about you, to correct it, or to have it deleted, email [email protected] from the address you used. We will respond as quickly as we can, normally within a few business days.
8. Security
The Site is served over HTTPS. Payment card data is held by Stripe rather than on our own servers, and access to stored subscriber data is limited to the people who need it to run the Site. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Children
The Site is intended for a general audience interested in markets. It is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
10. International Visitors
The Site is operated from the United States, and our service providers may process and store information in the United States and other countries. If you access the Site from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as the Site and our practices change. The "Last updated" date above reflects the most recent revision. If a change materially affects newsletter subscribers or paying members, we will announce it on the Site or send notice to the email address on file.
12. Contact
Questions about this policy or about your information: [email protected].
See also our Terms of Service and Disclaimer.