Privacy Policy

Refusenik is an independent publication at www.refusenik.com, published by Refusenik, LLC. This policy explains what we collect when you read, sign up for, or take part in Refusenik, what we do with it, and the choices you have. When we say “we” or “us,” we mean Refusenik.

The short version: we collect what we need to run the site and the features you choose to use. We don’t sell your information, we don’t rent it out, and we don’t share it with advertisers.

When you read Refusenik

Like any website, our servers receive the information your browser sends with each request: your IP address, browser and device type, language preference, the page you came from, and the date and time of the visit. We use it to deliver pages, keep the site secure, block abuse, and understand which of our pieces people read.

We use Google Analytics to count visits and see how readers move through the site. Google Analytics sets cookies and receives the information above from your browser. You can opt out with Google’s opt-out browser add-on, and you can read how Google uses this information.

When you create an account

An account lets you comment, rate, save pieces to your favorites, and manage your settings. To create one we ask for your name and email address, and a password, which we store only in a scrambled form we cannot read back. You can also choose to:

• add a phone number, so we can text you sign-in codes;
• set up a passkey, which keeps a key on your device and gives us only its public half;
• use an authenticator app for sign-in codes.

Each time you sign in we keep a record of that session, including the IP address and browser it came from, so you can see where you’re signed in and sign out of any session you don’t recognize.

When you take part

• Comments. Your comment and the name on your account are shown publicly with the piece. To catch spam, we send the comment, your name, email address, and IP address to Akismet, a spam-filtering service.
• Ratings and favorites. We keep the ratings you give and the pieces you save, tied to your account. Ratings are shown only as an average; your favorites are visible only to you.
• Reports. If you flag something for our attention, we keep the report and who sent it, so our editors can review it.
• Email this. If you email a piece to someone, we use their address, and any note you add, to send that one email. We don’t keep the address or add it to any list.
• Contacting us. If you write to us, we keep your message and address so we can reply. We may quote a question, without your name, if answering it publicly would help other readers.

Some of our forms use Google reCAPTCHA to tell people from automated programs, which sends Google information about your browser and how you use the form.

Sharing our work on social media

When we publish a piece, we may post it to Refusenik’s own accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X, and Bluesky. These posts contain only what is already public on Refusenik: the piece’s title, description, link, and byline, and for events the date and time. We never send readers’ information to these networks.

What the networks give us. Each network lets us post to our own accounts only, and only after one of our administrators connects the account and approves the access.

• Facebook and Instagram: approval gives us the administrator’s Facebook user ID; the ID and name of the Refusenik Page they choose; the ID, username, and name of the Instagram account linked to that Page; and an access token that lets us post to the Page.
• X and Bluesky: we receive the account’s identifier and handle and an access token, and for Bluesky an app password created for us.

We keep these, along with the ID and link of each post we make and any error a network returns, so our editors can see what was shared.

What we don’t do. We don’t read messages, comments, followers, or insights from these accounts, and we request nothing else from anyone’s personal profile. We don’t use this information for advertising, combine it with what we know about readers, or sell it.

How we protect it. Access tokens and app passwords are encrypted when we store them and never shown again after an account is connected. We keep them only while the account stays connected.

Removing it. The administrator who connected a Facebook Page or Instagram account can withdraw our access at any time. In Facebook, under Settings & Privacy, then Settings, then Business Integrations, remove the app they connected for Refusenik. We stop using the account’s access as soon as Facebook tells us.

From the same screen, they can also ask for the information to be deleted. We then delete the connected accounts, their access tokens, and the record of their posts, and give them a confirmation code to check on the request. You can also contact us to ask for deletion. Removing this information doesn’t delete posts already published; those can be deleted on the network itself.

If you follow, like, or reply to us on one of these networks, that network’s own privacy policy applies to what you do there.

Cookies

A cookie is a small piece of text a website asks your browser to store. We use them to:

• keep you signed in and protect your forms from forgery;
• remember choices you’ve made, such as your language and whether you’ve seen our cookie notice;
• measure visits, through Google Analytics.

You can set your browser to refuse cookies. You can still read Refusenik without them, but you won’t be able to sign in.

Who else handles your information

We use a small number of service providers to run Refusenik. They handle information only to provide their service to us:

• Amazon Web Services, which hosts our files and sends our email;
• Cloudflare, which protects the site and speeds up its delivery;
• Twilio, which sends sign-in codes by text message;
• Akismet, which filters spam comments;
• Google, for analytics and reCAPTCHA;
• Datadog, which monitors the site for errors and outages.

Some of these providers are outside your country, and your information may be processed in the United States. Beyond these providers, we disclose information only when the law requires it, or when we believe in good faith that it’s needed to protect the rights, property, or safety of Refusenik, our readers, or the public.

How long we keep it

We keep account information for as long as you have an account. Comments stay with the piece they’re on until you or we remove them. Server logs and session records are kept for a limited time for security, then deleted.

Your choices

You can see and change your name, email address, phone numbers, passkeys, and active sessions in your account settings at any time. To get a copy of your information, correct it, or delete your account and the information tied to it, contact us. Depending on where you live, you may have further rights under local law; we’ll honor them.

Security

We protect your information with encryption in transit, encryption at rest for sensitive fields, and limited staff access. No system is perfectly secure, so if we ever learn of a breach that affects you, we’ll tell you.

Children

Refusenik isn’t meant for children under thirteen, and we don’t knowingly collect information from them. If you believe a child has given us information, tell us and we’ll delete it.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we’ll post the new version here. If the change is significant, we’ll also let account holders know by email or on the site.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your information? Contact us.