1. Who this policy covers
This Privacy Policy explains how Reading the Law ("we," "us," or "our") handles information in connection with the website at readingthelaw.org (the "Site"). It doesn't cover any third-party site or service we link to, including the Google Form we currently use for our matchmaking waitlist; those are covered by the relevant third party's own privacy policy.
2. Information we collect automatically
Like most websites, our hosting provider automatically logs some technical information whenever you visit, such as your IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, referring page, and timestamps. We also use Matomo Analytics, described below, to collect similar visit information in aggregate. We use this information for purposes like keeping the Site secure and understanding overall traffic patterns, not to identify individual visitors.
3. Cookies and similar technologies
We use Matomo, a web analytics service, to understand how visitors use the Site. Matomo sets a small number of first-party-style cookies (served from Matomo's cloud infrastructure) to distinguish visits and visitors, for example to avoid double-counting a single visit as two. These cookies don't identify you by name and aren't used for advertising or shared with ad networks.
We also use Google AdSense to display ads on the Site. AdSense and its partners may set cookies (or use similar technologies, such as device identifiers) to serve ads and, depending on your location and settings, to personalize those ads based on your activity on this Site and elsewhere on the web. You can review or opt out of personalized advertising through Google Ads Settings or, in the EU/EEA and UK, through the consent choices Google's advertising products present to you. See How Google uses information from sites that use its services for more detail.
Our hosting provider may also use minimal technical cookies necessary to serve the Site reliably. If we add any additional cookie-based tools in the future, we'll update this policy to describe what we've added and why.
4. Third-party services used by this Site
We rely on a small number of third-party services to run the Site:
- Hosting (Vercel). The Site is hosted on Vercel's infrastructure, which processes standard connection and request data to serve pages to you.
- Analytics (Matomo Cloud). We use Matomo, hosted at geodework.matomo.cloud, to measure page views and general visit patterns. Matomo Cloud processes standard visit data (such as IP address, browser, device, pages viewed, and referring page) on our behalf. See Matomo's Privacy Policy for details on how the underlying service handles data.
- Advertising (Google AdSense). We use Google AdSense to display ads on the Site. Google may use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads and measure their performance, and, where permitted, to personalize ads based on your activity. See Google's advertising policy and Google's Privacy Policy for details.
- Fonts (Google Fonts). We load typefaces from Google's font service. Loading a page on this Site may send your IP address and browser information to Google as part of that request. See Google's Privacy Policy for details.
- Matchmaking waitlist (Google Forms). The "Join the Waitlist" link on our matchmaking page currently opens a Google Form in a new tab. Any name, email address, or other information you submit there is collected and stored by Google on our behalf, subject to Google's Privacy Policy and, where applicable, Google Forms' terms. We use that information solely to follow up about the matchmaking platform.
- Affiliate links (Amazon Associates). Our support page links to books on Amazon through the Amazon Associates program. If you click one of those links, Amazon may set its own cookies to attribute any resulting purchase to us for a commission; we don't receive your name, address, or what you bought. See Amazon's Privacy Notice for details.
5. Information you send us directly
If you email us at [email protected], we'll have access to your email address and whatever you choose to include in that message. We use it only to respond to you and don't add it to any mailing list without your separate consent.
6. How we use information
We use the limited information described above to:
- Operate, maintain, and secure the Site.
- Understand overall usage patterns so we can improve the content.
- Respond to emails you send us.
- Follow up with people who join the matchmaking waitlist once that platform is ready.
7. How we share information
We don't sell personal information ourselves. We share information with the service providers described above (our hosting provider, Google) to the extent necessary for them to provide their service to us, or if required to do so by law, subpoena, or other legal process. Google AdSense is the one exception worth calling out directly: Google acts on its own behalf, not just ours, when it uses cookies and similar technology to serve and measure ads, subject to Google's own privacy policy and advertising terms linked above.
8. Data retention
Standard hosting logs are retained only as long as our hosting provider's default retention period. Waitlist submissions are retained in the connected Google Form or spreadsheet until the matchmaking platform launches or until we no longer need them for that purpose, whichever comes first. Emails you send us are retained as long as reasonably necessary to address your inquiry.
9. Your choices and rights
You can decline to submit the waitlist form or email us; doing so just means we won't have any way to follow up with you. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights over information held about you, such as the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of information you've submitted to us directly. To make such a request regarding information you've sent us by email, contact [email protected]. For information submitted through the Google Form, you'll generally need to contact Google directly or use the controls Google provides.
10. Children's privacy
The Site isn't directed at children, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we'll take appropriate steps to remove it.
11. Security
We rely on our hosting provider's standard security practices to protect the Site. No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, so we can't guarantee absolute security for any information transmitted to or through the Site.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be reflected on this page; we encourage you to review it periodically.
13. Contact
Questions about this policy, or requests regarding your information, can be sent to [email protected].