Our Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Aevum News (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy of our readers, subscribers, and users (“you” or “your”). This Privacy Policy governs the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of your personal information across all Aevum News websites, mobile applications, newsletters, and related services (collectively, the “Services”).

By accessing or using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our Services immediately.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and any preferences you choose to set.
• Subscription Details: Payment information (processed securely by third-party payment processors), billing address, and subscription tier preferences.
• Newsletter Preferences: Your subscription choices for our daily briefings, topic-specific digests, and special reports.
• Communications: Content of messages you send via our contact forms, customer support channels, or direct emails.
• Survey Responses: Data you voluntarily provide through reader surveys, polls, and feedback forms.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: Pages viewed, articles read, time spent on content, click patterns, scroll depth, and navigation paths.
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, screen resolution, and unique device identifiers.
• Location Data: Approximate geographic location derived from your IP address (city/region level, never precise GPS).
• Referral Data: The websites or sources that referred you to our Services.
• Performance Data: Page load times, error logs, and server interaction metrics.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• Analytics Partners: Aggregate, anonymized data from analytics providers.
• Social Media Platforms: Data from interactions with our social media channels where permitted by platform policies.
• Ad Technology Providers: Cohort-based and anonymized audience data from advertising partners.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use the information we collect for the following specific purposes:

1. Service Delivery: To provide, maintain, and operate our news platform, newsletters, and subscriber features.
2. Personalization: To customize your reading experience, including topic recommendations, content relevance, and interface preferences.
3. Content Improvement: To analyze reader engagement patterns and improve our journalism, layout, and content strategy.
4. Communication: To send you subscription confirmations, account updates, policy changes, and (with consent) promotional communications.
5. Security: To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, abuse, or security threats.
6. Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, and governmental requests.
7. Research & Analytics: To conduct internal research on reader behavior and trends for editorial and business development.

4. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information to any third party. We may share your data only in the following circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating our Services under strict data processing agreements:

4.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., court orders, subpoenas). In such cases, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you beforehand unless legally prohibited from doing so.

4.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of Aevum News, your personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify affected users via prominent notice on our platform.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our Services use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. Here is a breakdown of what we use:

5.1 Essential Cookies

Required for the operation of our Services. These include authentication cookies, security tokens, and session persistence cookies. These cannot be disabled.

5.2 Functional Cookies

Remember your preferences such as article display settings, region selection, and subscription status. These enhance your personalized experience.

5.3 Analytics Cookies

Help us understand how visitors interact with our content by collecting aggregated, anonymized data about page views, time on page, and navigation paths. We use privacy-respecting analytics that do not create individual profiles.

5.4 Advertising Cookies

We use contextually relevant advertising rather than behavioral targeting. Third-party ad partners may use cookies to serve ads relevant to the content you are viewing, but we do not share your personally identifiable information with advertisers.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information:

• Encryption: All data in transit is protected via TLS 1.3 encryption. Data at rest is encrypted using AES-256 encryption standards.
• Access Controls: Strict role-based access controls limit employee access to personal data on a need-to-know basis.
• Regular Audits: Independent security audits and penetration testing are conducted quarterly.
• Incident Response: A formal data breach response plan ensures rapid detection, containment, and notification within 72 hours as required by applicable law.
• Employee Training: All team members undergo annual privacy and security training.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We encourage you to use strong passwords and keep your account credentials confidential.

7. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the details provided in Section 14. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

• Account Data: Retained for the duration of your account plus 30 days after deactivation for potential reactivation.
• Subscription Records: Retained for 7 years after account closure for tax and legal compliance purposes.
• Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized analytics data is retained for up to 26 months.
• Communication Logs: Customer support communications are retained for 24 months.
• Cookies: Preference cookies expire after 12 months. Session cookies expire when you close your browser.

After the retention period expires, your data is securely deleted or irreversibly anonymized.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 16, we will take immediate steps to delete that information.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately at the details below, and we will delete such information promptly.

10. International Data Transfers

Aevum News operates globally, and your data may be transferred to, processed, and stored in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from yours.

We ensure that all international data transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards, including:

• EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for transfers from the European Economic Area.
• adequacy decisions from the European Commission where applicable.
• Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) for intra-group transfers.

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, your data will be protected in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

11. Third-Party Links

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of these external sites.

12. Your Choices

You maintain control over your personal data and communications:

• Email Preferences: Unsubscribe from promotional emails via the link in any Aevum News newsletter, or manage your topics in your account dashboard.
• Account Management: View, edit, or delete your account information at any time through your subscriber dashboard.
• Cookies: Control cookie preferences through your browser settings and our cookie consent banner.
• Do Not Track: We honor Do Not Track signals across all our Services.
• Marketing Opt-Out: You may opt out of marketing communications at any time without affecting your core service access.

13. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you through:

• A prominent notice on our website and mobile applications.
• Email notification to subscribers at their registered email address.
• An updated “Last Updated” date at the top of this document.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our Services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out to our Data Protection Team:

For residents of the European Economic Area, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. We encourage you to contact us directly first so we may resolve your concern.