Privacy Policy

1. Our Commitment

At Simatom News, your privacy is a core value. We are committed to transparency about our data practices. This Policy covers our current data practices and is written to remain applicable if Simatom News introduces paid memberships, advertising, or other commercial features in the future. We will provide prominent notice of any material changes to this Policy before they take effect.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account registration: name, email address, username, and password (or credentials managed by a third-party auth provider such as Google);
• Newsletter sign-up: email address and topic preferences;
• Comments & submissions: any content you post or submit to the Services;
• Payment information: billing details for any future subscriptions or paid features, processed by PCI-compliant third-party payment processors (Simatom News does not store raw payment card data).

Information Collected Automatically

• IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers;
• Pages visited, articles read, time spent on the site, and features used;
• Referring URLs and search queries that led you to the Services;
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 6).

Information from Third Parties
If you sign in via a third-party service (e.g., Google), we may receive basic profile information, such as your name and email address, as permitted by your settings on that service.

Future Data Collection
If Simatom News introduces advertising, we may collect additional data relevant to ad targeting and measurement, subject to your consent where required by applicable law. If we introduce paid subscriptions, we will collect billing and transaction data. We will update this Policy and provide notice before any such collection begins.

3. AI Feature Data Processing

This section specifically covers how article content is processed by our AI-powered Perspective Analysis feature. No personal user data is involved in this process.

3.1 What Data Is Processed

The Perspective Analysis feature transmits the text of publicly available, aggregated third-party articles to a third-party AI language model for automated analysis. This processing involves only the text content of the articles themselves. It does not involve any personal data belonging to Simatom News users.

Specifically, the following is NOT transmitted to the AI provider in connection with Perspective Analysis:

• Your name, email address, or account information;
• Your reading history, saved articles, or behavioral data;
• Your IP address or device identifiers;
• Any other personally identifiable information.

3.2 AI Provider

The Perspective Analysis feature is currently powered by Anthropic, PBC ("Anthropic"), the maker of the Claude AI model. Article text submitted for Perspective Analysis is processed by Anthropic in accordance with Anthropic's API usage policies. Simatom News has configured this integration such that submitted content is not used by Anthropic for AI model training. Users who wish to review Anthropic's data handling practices may consult Anthropic's privacy policy at anthropic.com.

Simatom News reserves the right to change AI providers at any time. If a material change in AI provider occurs, this Policy will be updated to reflect the new provider's identity.

3.3 Nature of AI Outputs

Perspective Analysis outputs are AI-generated assessments and do not reflect the views or editorial judgment of Simatom News or its staff. These outputs are probabilistic and may be inaccurate. They are provided for informational and analytical purposes only. See Section 7 of the Terms of Service for the full legal disclaimer governing AI-generated content.

3.4 No User Profiling via AI

Simatom News does not use Perspective Analysis outputs or any other AI-generated content to build profiles of individual users, to infer personal characteristics, or to make automated decisions about users that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Deliver, personalize, and improve the Services and your news experience;
• Send newsletters and editorial alerts you have subscribed to;
• Process subscriptions and manage your account;
• Analyze usage patterns to improve site performance, content strategy, and feature development;
• Operate AI-powered features, including Perspective Analysis, using article text only (no personal data; see Section 3);
• If advertising is introduced: measure ad performance and, with your consent where required, deliver relevant advertisements;
• If paid tiers are introduced: process payments, manage subscriptions, and communicate billing-related information;
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats;
• Comply with applicable legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal data. We will never sell or rent your personal information to advertisers, data brokers, or other third parties for their own marketing purposes.

5. Sharing Your Information

We share personal data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: Trusted vendors who help us operate the Services (hosting, analytics, email delivery, payment processing), bound by data processing agreements;
• AI provider: Article text (not personal user data) is transmitted to our AI provider (currently Anthropic) for Perspective Analysis processing, as described in Section 3;
• Advertising partners (future): If advertising is introduced, we may share limited data with advertising partners, subject to your consent where required by law;
• Legal requirements: When required by law, valid legal process, regulation, or government request;
• Business transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, with appropriate prior notice to you;
• With your consent: For any other purpose with your explicit approval.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Simatom News uses cookies and similar technologies to remember your preferences, authenticate your session, and understand how you interact with the Services.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential cookies: Required for the Services to function (login sessions, security tokens);
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand traffic patterns and content performance;
• Preference cookies: Remember your display settings, reading preferences, and notification choices;
• Advertising cookies: Currently not in use. If advertising is introduced, advertising cookies may be deployed to deliver relevant ads and measure campaign performance, subject to your prior consent where required by applicable law.

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Where required by law, we will obtain your consent before setting non-essential cookies.

7. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data: access, correction, deletion, portability, opt-out of marketing, objection to processing, and restriction of processing. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@simatomnews.com. We will respond within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).

EU / EEA Residents (GDPR)
If you are located in the EU or EEA, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our legal bases for processing include: performance of a contract (account services), legitimate interests (analytics, security, AI feature operation), legal obligation, and consent (where required). You may lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion, to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information (we do not currently sell or share personal information), and to non-discrimination for exercising your rights. To submit a request, contact us at contact@simatomnews.com.

8. Data Retention & Security

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy or as required by law. We employ industry-standard security measures including TLS encryption in transit, access controls, and regular security reviews. No internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Age Requirement

Simatom News is intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18. If we learn that we have collected information from a minor, we will delete it promptly. Contact us immediately at contact@simatomnews.com if you believe a minor has provided us with personal data.

10. Third-Party Links

The Services may contain links to third-party websites. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those sites. Simatom News is not responsible for third-party privacy practices, including those of our AI provider, Anthropic. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any site or service you use.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our data practices, legal requirements, or the introduction of new Services features (including advertising, paid memberships, or new AI capabilities). When we make material changes, we will notify you via a prominent notice on the website and, where appropriate, by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.

12. Contact

For privacy-related questions, data requests, or concerns, contact us at contact@simatomnews.com.