1. Who We Are
MEET ("we", "us", "our") is an independent editorial publication that produces in-depth stories on founders, researchers, startups, companies, and the ideas shaping the future. We are committed to transparency about how we handle your information.
For questions about this policy, contact us at: privacy@meet.example
2. What Information We Collect
Information you provide directly: When you create an account, we collect your email address and a securely hashed password. When you submit a correction or contact form, we collect your name, email and message content.
Automatically collected information: When you visit MEET, we may collect standard server log information such as your IP address, browser type, referring URL, and pages visited. If you accept analytics cookies, aggregated usage data may be collected via analytics tools.
Cookies and local storage: We use browser localStorage to store your session, theme preference, and cookie consent choices. We do not use third-party tracking cookies unless you explicitly consent under "Marketing" in our cookie preferences.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide and improve the MEET platform and editorial content
- Authenticate your account and protect against unauthorised access
- Respond to corrections, source notes, and support requests you submit
- Understand how readers engage with our stories (analytics, with consent)
- Send editorial updates if you opt in (we currently do not send marketing email)
- Comply with legal obligations
4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
For users in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, our legal bases are:
- Contractual necessity — to operate your account and deliver the service
- Legitimate interests — site security, fraud prevention, and editorial quality
- Consent — for non-essential cookies (analytics, marketing) which you can manage at any time via our cookie banner
- Legal obligation — where required by applicable law
5. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We may share data with:
- Service providers — hosting, authentication (Supabase), and analytics partners who are contractually bound to protect your data
- Law enforcement — where required by a valid legal process
6. Data Retention
Account data is retained while your account is active and for up to 90 days after deletion. Contact submissions are retained for editorial review for up to 12 months. You may request deletion at any time by emailing us.
7. Cookies
MEET uses the following categories of cookies:
- Essential: Required for the site to function — session and consent storage
- Analytics: Help us understand page traffic (requires your consent)
- Marketing: Cross-site advertising tracking (requires your consent)
- Personalization: Theme and reading preferences (requires your consent)
You can manage your cookie choices at any time by clicking "Manage Preferences" in the cookie banner at the bottom of this page, or by clearing your browser storage.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Request erasure of your data ("right to be forgotten")
- Object to or restrict processing
- Data portability (receive your data in a machine-readable format)
- Withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior processing
To exercise any of these rights, contact privacy@meet.example. We respond within 30 days.
9. Security
Passwords are hashed using SHA-256 (and will use Supabase's bcrypt-based authentication once our backend is fully deployed). We use HTTPS throughout and apply industry-standard security practices. No method of transmission is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Children's Privacy
MEET is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, please contact us for immediate removal.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted at the top of this page with the updated date. Continued use of MEET after changes constitutes acceptance.
12. Contact
MEET Editorial
Email: privacy@meet.example
Corrections: corrections@meet.example