Privacy Policy

Welcome to Zareason. We are an independent technology news and analysis platform committed to providing high-quality, unbiased journalism. We respect your privacy and are dedicated to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website https://www.zareason.com/

(the "Site").

By accessing or using the Site, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the policies and practices described herein, please do not use our Site. We comply with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for users in the European Economic Area and other relevant local regulations.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that identifies, relates to, describes, or could reasonably be linked directly or indirectly with a particular consumer or device ("Personal Information"). We collect this data in two primary ways:

2.1. Information You Provide Voluntarily

• Account Registration: If you create an account, we collect your name, email address, username, and password.
• Newsletter Subscription: If you subscribe to our newsletters, we collect your email address and preferences regarding content topics.
• Comments and Interactions: If you post comments on articles or participate in forums, we collect the content of your submission, your username, and potentially your email address for verification purposes.
• Contact Forms: When you contact us for support, tips, or business inquiries, we collect your name, email address, and the message content.
• Payment Information: If you purchase subscriptions or merchandise, payment details are processed by secure third-party payment processors. We do not store full credit card numbers on our servers.

2.2. Information Collected Automatically

When you access the Site, we automatically collect certain technical information to ensure security, functionality, and performance:

• Device and Connection Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, clickstream data, referral URLs, and interaction with site features.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to enhance user experience, analyze traffic, and manage advertising. For more details, see our Cookie Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following legitimate purposes:

• Service Delivery: To provide, maintain, and improve the Site, process transactions, and manage your account.
• Communication: To send newsletters, editorial updates, administrative messages, and respond to your inquiries. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.
• Personalization: To tailor content recommendations and advertising based on your interests and browsing behavior.
• Security and Fraud Prevention: To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, security breaches, fraud, or illegal activities.
• Analytics and Research: To understand how users interact with the Site, measure the effectiveness of our content, and conduct internal research to improve our journalistic quality.
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our Terms of Service.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), our processing of your Personal Information is based on:

• Consent: For newsletter subscriptions, non-essential cookies, and optional marketing communications.
• Contractual Necessity: To provide the services you requested (e.g., account management, subscription access).
• Legitimate Interests: For site security, fraud prevention, analytics, and improving our content quality, provided these interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights.
• Legal Obligation: To comply with tax, accounting, or other regulatory requirements.

5. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your Personal Information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We engage trusted third-party vendors to perform services on our behalf, such as hosting, cloud storage, email delivery, payment processing, and analytics. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the specified purposes.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., court orders, subpoenas).
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify users of any such change and provide options regarding their data.
• Protection of Rights: To protect the safety, rights, property, or security of Zareason, our users, or the public, or to prevent illegal activity.

6. Data Retention

We retain your Personal Information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

• Account Data: Retained until you delete your account.
• Newsletter Data: Retained until you unsubscribe.
• Transaction Data: Retained for accounting and tax purposes as required by law (typically 5-7 years).
• Log Data: Anonymized or deleted after a specific period (e.g., 90 days) for security analysis.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your Personal Information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit (SSL/TLS) and at rest.
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal data to those who need it for their job functions.
• Secure server infrastructure and firewalls.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies to enhance your experience. You can control cookie settings through your browser.

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the Site to function (e.g., login sessions).
• Analytical Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with the Site (e.g., Google Analytics).
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences (e.g., language, theme).
• Advertising Cookies: Used to deliver relevant ads and limit ad frequency.

You can choose to disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of the Site.

9. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your Personal Information:

• Access: Request a copy of the Personal Information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your Personal Information, subject to legal exceptions.
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service provider.
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from newsletters via the link in every email.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws different from those of your country. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), to protect your data during international transfers.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not intended for children under the age of 13 (or 16 in certain jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. The updated version will be indicated by an updated "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this page regularly. Significant changes will be notified via email or a prominent notice on the Site.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: contatus+zareason@proton.me