The Collective Press

PRIVACY POLICY

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY

At The Collective Press (“we,” “us,” or “our”), we are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all individuals who engage with our work. As a pseudonymous publishing collective dedicated to works that challenge, transform, and liberate, we understand that privacy is not merely a legal requirement—it is a sacred trust.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, protect, and share information when you use our website, publications, community spaces, and related services (collectively, our “Services”).

Our Privacy Philosophy:

  • Minimal Collection: We collect only what is necessary to provide our Services
  • Maximum Protection: We safeguard your information with appropriate security measures
  • Transparency: We are honest about what we collect and why
  • Your Control: You maintain rights over your personal information
  • Mission Alignment: Our data practices serve liberation, not exploitation

By using our Services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our Services.

1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

Account Registration
If you create an account, subscribe to our newsletter, or register for community access, we may collect:

  • Name (or pseudonym if you prefer)
  • Email address
  • Optional: Location (city/region only, not full address)
  • Optional: Areas of interest (e.g., consciousness development, democratic governance, constitutional medicine)

Communications
When you contact us, we may collect:

  • Your name and email address
  • Message content and any attachments
  • Information needed to verify identity or respond to your inquiry

Community Participation
If you participate in our online communities (Discord, forums, study groups), we may collect:

  • Username (pseudonyms encouraged and supported)
  • Profile information you choose to share
  • Posts, comments, and shared content
  • Community interaction data (to maintain safe, supportive spaces)

Donations and Purchases
If you support our work financially, we (or our payment processors) may collect:

  • Payment information (credit card, PayPal, etc.)
  • Billing address
  • Donation amount and frequency
  • Note: Payment information is processed securely by third-party processors; we do not store full credit card numbers

Event Registration
If you register for workshops, webinars, or gatherings, we may collect:

  • Name and contact information
  • Accessibility needs or dietary restrictions (in-person events)
  • Emergency contact information (in-person events only)

Job Applications and Volunteer Inquiries
If you express interest in contributing to our work, we may collect:

  • Contact information
  • Relevant experience and skills
  • References (with your permission)
  • Work samples or portfolio materials

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

Technical Information
When you visit our website, we automatically collect:

  • IP address (anonymized where possible)
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type and operating system
  • Pages visited and time spent
  • Referring website (how you found us)
  • General location (country/region only, derived from IP)

Cookies and Similar Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies for:

  • Essential Functions: Keeping you logged in, remembering preferences
  • Analytics: Understanding how visitors use our site to improve it
  • Security: Detecting and preventing fraud or abuse

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain functionalities.

1.3 Information from Third-Party Sources

We may receive information about you from:

  • Social Media: If you interact with us on social platforms (we see public profile information)
  • Analytics Providers: Aggregated data about website traffic and user behavior
  • Payment Processors: Confirmation of successful transactions
  • Public Records: Information relevant to legal compliance or safety concerns

We do not purchase personal data from data brokers or engage in data trafficking.

2. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use collected information to:

2.1 Provide and Improve Our Services

  • Deliver requested publications, materials, and resources
  • Maintain and improve our website and digital infrastructure
  • Personalize your experience (e.g., remembering preferences)
  • Develop new offerings based on community needs

2.2 Communicate With You

  • Send requested updates, newsletters, and announcements
  • Respond to inquiries and provide support
  • Notify you of relevant events, publications, or opportunities
  • Share important updates about our Services or policies

You can opt out of promotional communications anytime; we will still send essential service-related messages.

2.3 Facilitate Community Engagement

  • Enable participation in forums, study groups, and discussions
  • Connect community members with shared interests (with consent)
  • Maintain safe, respectful community spaces
  • Moderate content to prevent harm, abuse, or exploitation

2.4 Process Transactions

  • Complete purchases or process donations
  • Issue receipts and tax documentation
  • Prevent fraud and unauthorized transactions

2.5 Protect Rights and Safety

  • Enforce our Terms of Use and community guidelines
  • Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or illegal activity
  • Respond to legal requests or protect legal rights
  • Ensure the safety of our community members

2.6 Research and Analytics

  • Understand how people use our Services
  • Analyze trends to improve content and offerings
  • Measure the impact of our work
  • Aggregate anonymous data for research purposes

2.7 Fulfill Legal Obligations

  • Comply with applicable laws and regulations
  • Respond to legal process (court orders, subpoenas)
  • Cooperate with law enforcement when legally required

3. HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

Our General Principle: We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share information only as described below.

3.1 Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate our Services:

  • Website Hosting: To keep our site online and accessible
  • Email Services: To send newsletters and communications
  • Payment Processors: To handle financial transactions securely
  • Analytics Tools: To understand website usage
  • Community Platforms: To host forums, Discord servers, or discussion spaces

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for specified purposes.

Current Service Providers (as of December 2025):

  • WordPress.com or similar (Website hosting)
  • ProtonMail (Email)
  • Stripe and/or PayPal (Payment processing)
  • Google Analytics (Website analytics) – with IP anonymization enabled
  • Discord (Community platform)

For an updated list, contact us at privacy@thecollectivepress.org

3.2 Community Members (With Your Consent)

  • Public posts, comments, and contributions you make in community spaces
  • Information you choose to share in your profile or bio
  • Content you explicitly mark as shareable

We encourage the use of pseudonyms in public-facing community spaces.

3.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to:

  • Comply with legal obligations or respond to legal process
  • Protect the rights, property, or safety of The Collective Press, our users, or the public
  • Detect, prevent, or address fraud, security, or technical issues
  • Enforce our Terms of Use or other agreements

3.4 Business Transfers

In the unlikely event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the new entity. We will notify you via email and/or prominent website notice before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

3.5 With Your Explicit Consent

We may share your information for purposes not listed here if we obtain your explicit consent.

4. DATA RETENTION

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

Retention Periods:

  • Account Information: Until you request deletion or account closure
  • Transaction Records: 7 years (for tax and legal compliance)
  • Communications: Until resolved or no longer needed (typically 3 years)
  • Analytics Data: Aggregated/anonymized data retained indefinitely
  • Community Posts: Until you delete them or request removal (public posts may remain if they contribute to ongoing discussions)

Your Right to Deletion: You can request deletion of your personal information at any time (see Section 7).

5. DATA SECURITY

We take the security of your information seriously and implement appropriate technical, administrative, and physical safeguards:

5.1 Technical Measures

  • Encryption: Data transmitted to and from our website is encrypted using SSL/TLS
  • Secure Storage: Personal data stored on secure servers with access controls
  • Password Protection: Passwords are hashed and salted (never stored in plain text)
  • Regular Updates: Software and systems kept current with security patches

5.2 Administrative Measures

  • Access Controls: Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
  • Background Checks: Team members undergo appropriate vetting
  • Training: Staff trained in privacy and security best practices
  • Incident Response: Procedures in place to respond to potential breaches

5.3 Your Responsibility

  • Use strong, unique passwords
  • Keep login credentials confidential
  • Report suspicious activity immediately
  • Log out from shared devices

Important Note: No system can be 100% secure. While we use industry-standard security measures, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You use our Services at your own risk.

6. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS AND CHOICES

6.1 Access and Correction

You have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you
  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Request a copy of your data in a portable format

How to Exercise: Email privacy@thecollectivepress.org with your request.

6.2 Deletion and Data Removal

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal obligations, fraud prevention).

How to Exercise: Email privacy@thecollectivepress.org. We will respond within 30 days.

Exceptions: We may retain certain information if required by law or necessary for legitimate purposes (e.g., preventing abuse, resolving disputes).

6.3 Opt-Out of Communications

You can opt out of promotional emails by:

Essential service communications (e.g., account updates, security alerts) cannot be opted out of while you maintain an account.

6.4 Cookie Preferences

You can control cookies through:

  • Browser settings (see www.allaboutcookies.org for guidance)
  • Our cookie consent banner (if applicable)
  • Third-party opt-out tools (see Section 6.6)

6.5 Do Not Track

Some browsers support “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals. Our website does not currently respond to DNT signals, but we minimize tracking as described in this policy.

6.6 Third-Party Advertising and Analytics

Google Analytics:

Social Media Platforms:

  • If you interact with our content on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn), those platforms collect data according to their own policies
  • We do not control their data practices
  • Review their privacy policies: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn

Advertising:

  • We do not currently engage in personalized advertising or ad retargeting
  • If we do in the future, we will update this policy and provide opt-out mechanisms

7. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

7.1 Pseudonymity and Author Protection

The Collective Press supports pseudonymous participation for both authors and community members. We recognize that:

  • Some individuals require anonymity for safety or personal reasons
  • Consciousness work and healing often involve vulnerability
  • Pseudonymous contribution has a long and honored tradition

Our Commitment:

  • We will not attempt to de-anonymize pseudonymous users
  • We will resist legal requests for unmasking except under court order
  • We support the use of privacy-enhancing technologies (e.g., encrypted email, Tor)

7.2 Sensitive Information

Consciousness development, healing work, and spiritual practices may involve sharing sensitive personal experiences:

  • We do not require disclosure of health conditions, trauma history, or spiritual experiences
  • If you choose to share sensitive information in community spaces, consider doing so pseudonymously
  • We will moderate community spaces to prevent exploitation or inappropriate probing of personal information
  • Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in group or public settings—share mindfully

7.3 Minor Users (Children Under 13)

Our Services are not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If we discover that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

Parents/Guardians: If you believe your child has provided us with information, contact us immediately at privacy@thecollectivepress.org.

7.4 International Users

Our Services are operated in the United States. If you access our Services from outside the US:

  • Your information may be transferred to and stored in the US
  • US privacy laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction
  • By using our Services, you consent to this transfer

European Union Users: While we are not currently subject to GDPR (as a US-based organization serving primarily US users), we respect GDPR principles and offer similar privacy protections. EU users have rights under GDPR including access, rectification, erasure, data portability, and objection to processing. Contact privacy@thecollectivepress.org to exercise these rights.

8. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES AND SERVICES

Our Services may contain links to external websites, platforms, or services not operated by The Collective Press:

  • We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties
  • This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party sites
  • We encourage you to review their privacy policies before sharing information

Examples:

  • Social media platforms where we maintain a presence
  • Payment processors (Stripe, PayPal)
  • Community platforms (Discord, Reddit)
  • Resource links in publications

9. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect:

  • Changes in our practices or Services
  • Legal or regulatory requirements
  • Feedback from our community

Notification:

  • We will post the updated policy on this page with a new “Last Updated” date
  • For material changes, we will notify you via:
    • Email (to registered users)
    • Prominent website notice
    • Community announcement

Your Continued Use: Using our Services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Review Regularly: We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

10. CONTACT US

We welcome questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices.

Privacy Inquiries:
Email: privacy@thecollectivepress.org
Response Time: Within 30 days

General Contact:
Email: contact@thecollectivepress.org
Website: thecollectivepress.org

Mailing Address:
The Collective Press
30 N Gould St #11074

Sheridan, WY, 82801, USA

Data Protection Officer: [To be designated when organizational size requires]

11. JURISDICTION AND GOVERNING LAW

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the United States and the state of Wyoming.

Any disputes arising from this Privacy Policy will be resolved through:

  1. Good-faith negotiation between parties
  2. Mediation (if negotiation fails)
  3. Arbitration or legal proceedings in Wyoming

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This Privacy Policy reflects our commitment to transparency, protection, and respect for all individuals who engage with The Collective Press. We acknowledge that privacy is a fundamental right and that trust is sacred.

Thank you for entrusting us with your information. We honor that trust by handling your data with the utmost care and integrity.

— The Collective Press
“Knowledge wants to be free. Privacy wants to be protected.”

Last Updated: December 29, 2025
Version 1.0