CantonNews (“we”, “us”, or “our”) operates https://cantonnews.org(the “Site”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, and the choices you have. Please read it carefully. By using our Site you agree to the practices described below.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide Directly
- Newsletter subscriptions. When you subscribe to our newsletter we collect your email address and, if provided, your name.
- Contact form. When you use our contact form we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message.
- Project submissions. If you submit a project to our ecosystem directory we collect your name, company name, email address, project details, and any other information you voluntarily provide.
- Advertising & partnership enquiries. If you contact us for advertising or partnerships we collect your name, email, company, and message content.
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Log data. Our servers automatically record information including your IP address, browser type and version, referring URL, pages visited, time and date of visit, and time spent on pages.
- Device information. We collect information about the device you use to access the Site, including hardware model, operating system and version, and browser type.
- Cookies and similar technologies. We use cookies and similar tracking technologies as described in Section 5 below.
- Usage data. We collect information about how you interact with the Site, such as articles read, search queries, and navigation paths.
1.3 Information from Third Parties
- We may receive information about you from analytics providers, advertising partners, and social media platforms when you interact with our content on those platforms.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Deliver, operate, and improve the Site and its content;
- Send you our newsletter and editorial updates you have subscribed to;
- Respond to your enquiries and support requests;
- Process project submissions and evaluate ecosystem listings;
- Analyse Site usage and user behaviour to improve user experience;
- Monitor and enforce compliance with our Terms of Use;
- Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, security incidents, and abuse;
- Comply with applicable laws and legal obligations;
- Send you administrative communications such as changes to our policies;
- For any other purpose described to you at the point of collection.
Legal bases (EEA/UK visitors). Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we process your personal data on the following legal bases: performance of a contract or steps prior to entering a contract (responding to enquiries); legitimate interests (Site analytics, security, improving services); consent (newsletter subscription, non-essential cookies); and compliance with a legal obligation.
3. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal data. We may share it in the following circumstances:
- Service providers. We share data with trusted third-party vendors who help us operate the Site, including hosting, database services, email delivery, and analytics providers. These vendors are contractually obligated to protect your data and may only use it to provide services to us.
- Business transfers. If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via a prominent notice on the Site before your data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
- 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. a court or government agency).
- Protection of rights. We may disclose information where we believe it is necessary to investigate, prevent, or act regarding illegal activity, suspected fraud, or situations involving potential threats to safety.
- With your consent. We may share your data for any other purpose with your explicit consent.
4. Data Retention
We retain personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:
- Newsletter subscribers. We retain your email address until you unsubscribe. You may unsubscribe at any time via the link in any newsletter email.
- Contact & submission records. We retain these for up to 3 years from the date of submission for correspondence and legal purposes.
- Log and analytics data. Typically retained for up to 26 months in aggregated or pseudonymous form.
When data is no longer required we will securely delete or anonymise it.
5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
We use the following categories of cookies:
- Strictly necessary cookies. Required for the Site to function. They cannot be disabled.
- Performance & analytics cookies. Help us understand how visitors interact with the Site (e.g. pages visited, errors encountered). We use aggregated, pseudonymous data only.
- Functional cookies. Remember your preferences such as language or theme settings.
- Targeting & advertising cookies. Used to deliver relevant content and, where applicable, measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. These are only set with your consent.
You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect Site functionality. For EEA/UK users a cookie consent banner is presented on first visit.
6. International Data Transfers
CantonNews is operated from servers located in the European Union and the United States. If you access the Site from outside these regions, your data may be transferred to and processed in countries whose data protection laws differ from those of your home country. Where required, we rely on standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission, or other appropriate safeguards, to transfer data internationally.
7. Your Rights & Choices
7.1 All Users
- Opt-out of newsletter. Use the unsubscribe link in any newsletter email, or contact us via our contact page.
- Do Not Track. Some browsers transmit “Do Not Track” signals. We currently do not alter our practices in response to such signals, but we support your right to choose.
7.2 EEA and UK Residents (GDPR / UK GDPR)
You have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
- Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
- Erasure — ask us to delete your personal data (“right to be forgotten”), subject to certain exceptions;
- Restriction — ask us to restrict how we process your data in certain circumstances;
- Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format;
- Object — object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
- Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us via our contact page. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority (e.g. the ICO in the UK, or your national data protection authority in the EEA).
7.3 California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)
California residents have the right to:
- Know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, or sell;
- Delete personal information we have collected about you, subject to certain exceptions;
- Opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information — we do not sell personal information;
- Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.
To submit a request, contact us via our contact page. We will respond within 45 days of receiving a verifiable request.
8. Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures designed to protect your personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include encrypted data transmission (TLS/HTTPS), access controls, and regular security reviews. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Third-Party Links & Services
The Site contains links to third-party websites, including Canton Network, exchanges, projects, and ecosystem partners. 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 privacy practices or content of such sites.
We use third-party services for hosting, database infrastructure, analytics, and email delivery that may process your data as part of operating the Site. These services are bound by their own privacy policies and data processing agreements.
10. Children’s Privacy
The Site is not directed at individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, please contact us via our contact page and we will promptly delete it.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the new policy on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. Your continued use of the Site after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us via our contact page.
