Privacy & Cookies
This page explains what The Counterweight does with information about you, and what you can do about it. We have tried to write it in plain English rather than the usual fog.
Who we are
The Counterweight is an independent news and opinion website published from ADD YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS HERE. We are the data controller for information collected through this site. For anything on this page, including requests about your own data, write to editor@thecounterweight.uk.
What we collect, and why
If you register to comment. We store your email address, a display name of your choosing, and the comments you post. Comments are public and shown next to your display name. Your email address is never shown to other readers.
If you subscribe to updates. We store your email address so we can tell you when we publish something. Nothing else. You can leave at any time.
If you accept cookies. We may use Google and its advertising partners to show advertisements, and they may set cookies to serve and measure those adverts, including personalised ones based on your wider browsing. If you decline, none of that loads and the site works exactly the same.
Automatically. Our hosting provider keeps basic server logs, including IP addresses, for security and to keep the site running. These are routine and short-lived.
What we do not do
We do not sell your data. We do not share your email address with anybody. We do not build profiles of readers, and we do not track which articles individual readers open.
Our legal basis
We rely on your consent for advertising cookies and for update emails, and on legitimate interests for running member accounts, moderating discussion and keeping the site secure. You can withdraw consent at any time — see below.
Who else is involved
Our website hosting and our database are provided by third-party suppliers who process data on our behalf under contract. If advertising is switched on, Google acts as an independent controller for advertising data, and its own privacy policy applies to that.
How long we keep things
Account details and comments: for as long as your account is open, and for twelve months after you close it. Email addresses on the update list: until you unsubscribe. Server logs: a matter of weeks.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you can ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, ask us to delete it, object to what we are doing with it, or withdraw your consent. Write to editor@thecounterweight.uk and we will reply within one month. You will not be charged and you do not need to give a reason.
To withdraw cookie consent, clear this site’s stored data in your browser settings and the choice will be offered again on your next visit.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your request, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk.
Comments and moderation
We moderate the discussion under our articles. We remove comments that are abusive, that threaten or harass anyone, that are unlawful, or that make serious factual allegations about identifiable people without evidence. Disagreeing with us robustly is not a reason for removal and never will be.
Corrections
We publish criticism of powerful institutions, and we would far rather be corrected than be wrong. If you believe something we have published is factually inaccurate, write to editor@thecounterweight.uk setting out what is wrong and, if you can, what the correct position is. We will look into it properly, and where we have got something wrong we will correct it openly rather than quietly.
Changes to this page
If we change how any of this works, we will update this page and change the date at the top.