The fine print
Privacy notice
What we collect, why we collect it, and when we delete it.
Last updated:
This notice explains what information VeriTaus handles when you read the site, leave a comment or write to us, why we handle it, and how long we keep it. The short version: we collect very little, we do not track you, and most of what we do hold is deleted automatically.
In brief
- Reading VeriTaus requires no account, and readers are given no cookies.
- There is no advertising, no analytics, no tracking pixel and no third-party script.
- Comments ask only for a name and the comment itself; no email address.
- Contact messages are used only to answer you and are deleted after 90 days.
- Web server logs are kept for about two weeks for security and operations.
When you read
You can read every page on VeriTaus without an account. Like almost every website, our web server keeps standard access logs: the IP address of the request, the page requested, your browser’s user agent and the time. We use these logs only to keep the service secure and running, for example to investigate errors or abuse. They are rotated and deleted after about two weeks.
To protect the comment and contact forms from spam, the site checks how often requests arrive from an IP address. This check happens in memory only; IP addresses are not stored in the site’s database.
When you comment
A comment consists of the name you enter and the text you write. We do not ask for an email address. Comments from readers are held for review; once a moderator approves one, it is published beneath the story with your name and the date, where anyone can read it. Comments that are not approved are never shown and are deleted automatically after 30 days. Approved comments remain with the story until they are removed, by a moderator or at your request.
When you write to us
The contact form asks for your name, your email address, a topic and your message. We use them only to read and answer your message and to deal with what you have asked for. Messages are deleted automatically after 90 days.
Columnists
Columnists publish under their own names. The details a columnist adds to their column, such as a portrait, a short biography and a link to a website, are shown publicly on the column page, together with the stories and images they publish. Columnists can ask for any of this to be removed.
Cookies
Readers receive no cookies at all. The only cookie VeriTaus sets is a session cookie for the site’s administrators when they sign in, which keeps them signed in while they work.
Other services your browser contacts
Two outside providers serve files that our pages use. When your browser fetches those files, the provider receives your IP address and the usual browser information, as any web server would:
- Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com) supplies the typefaces used on every page.
- Unsplash (images.unsplash.com) supplies the photographs on the home page.
Their handling of that information is governed by their own privacy policies. The site itself is served over HTTPS, using certificates from Let’s Encrypt, so pages and form submissions are encrypted in transit.
How long we keep information
| Information | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Comments awaiting review or not approved | 30 days, then deleted automatically |
| Approved comments | Until removed by a moderator or on request |
| Contact messages | 90 days, then deleted automatically |
| Web server access logs | About two weeks |
| IP addresses used for spam protection | Held in memory only; not stored |
Your requests
You may ask what we hold about you, or ask us to delete it. Use the contact page and choose Privacy request. Because comments are not linked to an account, tell us the name you used and the story you commented on, so we can find them.
Changes to this notice
If the way VeriTaus handles information changes, we will update this notice and the “last updated” date at the top of the page.