This Privacy Policy describes how personal information is collected, used, and shared across the websites and services described below. It replaces any earlier privacy policy previously published at this address.
This policy applies to:
Where behavior differs between the Marketing Site and the Publisher Sites, this policy calls out the difference. Where a specific Publisher Site has posted a supplemental policy, that policy governs its site to the extent it addresses matters not covered here or conflicts with anything here for that site.
eType Services, LLC ("eType," "we," "us," "our"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of eMagazines, provides digital publishing software and services to community newspapers and similar publishers. eType is based in Austin, Texas.
On the Marketing Site, eType is the controller (the entity that decides what personal information is collected and why).
On the Publisher Sites, the individual publisher (the newspaper) is the controller of its readers' and subscribers' personal information. eType operates the technology on the publisher's behalf, acting in a service-provider capacity (or, in states that use different terms, a processor or contractor capacity). The specific contractual relationship between eType and each publisher is governed by that publisher's individual agreement with us. Each publisher makes its own decisions about how reader and subscriber information is used, retained, and disclosed — including whether it is sold, rented, shared, or otherwise made available. If you need to know what a specific publisher does with reader data, please contact that publisher directly. Contact details are typically on the publisher's site under "Contact" or "About."
Regardless of which publisher operates a given site, you can direct privacy questions or requests to privacy@etypeservices.com. eType will act on requests it can fulfill in its service-provider role, and route publisher-controlled requests to the applicable publisher.
When anyone visits either the Marketing Site or a Publisher Site, our web servers automatically receive:
utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign);If you submit a Request Demo form, email us, or call us, we collect the information you choose to share — typically your name, work email, phone number, publication name, your role, publication size and frequency, and the content of your message.
The following categories apply where the publisher has enabled them. Not every Publisher Site enables every category.
The advertising, analytics, and social-media tools described in §7–§9 collect their own information about your device and browsing when they run. What each collects is described in that party's own privacy policy.
The following table lists the categories of personal information defined by the California Consumer Privacy Act (Cal. Civ. Code §1798.140) that we collect, whether we have sold or shared each category in the past 12 months (see §13), and the sources and business purposes. This information is intended to satisfy the disclosure requirements of the CCPA/CPRA; residents of other states can rely on it as an accurate description as well.
| CCPA Category | Collected? | Sold? | Shared for cross-context ads? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Identifiers (name, email, phone, IP address, cookie IDs, account name) | Yes | Yes* | Yes — browser cookie/ad ID on Publisher Sites (see §7) |
| B. Cal. Civ. Code §1798.80 identifiers (name, address, phone; overlaps A) | Yes | No | No |
| C. Protected classification characteristics (age, gender, etc.) | No, unless volunteered in a letter to the editor, comment, or subscription form | No | No |
| D. Commercial information (subscription records, purchase history) | Yes, for subscribers | Yes* | No |
| E. Biometric information | No | No | No |
| F. Internet or other network activity (browsing history on our sites, referrer, page-view logs) | Yes | Yes* | Yes — browsing information shared with ad bidders on Publisher Sites (see §7) |
| G. Geolocation data (approximate location derived from IP address only, not precise GPS) | Yes (approximate only) | No | No |
| H. Sensory data (audio, visual) | No | No | No |
| I. Professional or employment information (job title, publication name — from Marketing Site demo requests) | Yes, from Marketing Site only | No | No |
| J. Education information | No | No | No |
| K. Inferences drawn from the above (e.g., interest categories inferred by ad partners) | Yes, by ad partners on Publisher Sites | Yes* | Yes — via ad partners on Publisher Sites (see §7) |
| L. Sensitive personal information (see §11) | No | No | No |
* "Sold" and "shared" here are used as broadly as CCPA/CPRA defines those terms. eType does not receive money in exchange for personal information in the everyday sense. However, because sharing a browser identifier with real-time advertising bidders on Publisher Sites (see §7) can qualify as both a "sale" and a "share" under CCPA/CPRA, we treat that activity as both throughout this policy and provide the opt-out described in §13 accordingly.
We use personal information for the following business purposes:
This section applies only to Publisher Sites. The Marketing Site does not run third-party advertising.
Most Publisher Sites are funded by advertising. When a page loads, our advertising partner (Sellwild) runs a real-time auction in which advertising companies bid to show you an advertisement. To do this:
On the Marketing Site, we use Google Analytics 4 with IP anonymization enabled to understand which pages readers use. You can opt out of Google Analytics using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
On Publisher Sites, Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager load only if you accept them in the cookie banner. If you decline, no analytics cookies and no Google tag are set.
Separately, on Publisher Sites, our advertising partner (Sellwild) operates its own Google Analytics property (G-FVWZ0RM4DH) that runs as part of the advertising described in §7. Because it loads dynamically as part of the ad stack, it is not currently covered by the analytics choice in the consent banner. We are working with the vendor to bring it under consent control.
Approximately twelve Publisher Sites use the Meta (Facebook) pixel, which informs Meta which pages you visited so the publisher can reach readers on Facebook and Instagram. The Meta pixel loads only if you accept it in the consent banner. If you decline, the Meta pixel does not run and no _fbp cookie is set. The Marketing Site does not use the Meta pixel.
A subset of Publisher Sites also use Mailchimp for newsletter delivery and Pushly for push-notification subscription. These operate only for readers who have subscribed to a newsletter or opted in to push notifications.
We share personal information with the following categories of recipients, for the business purposes noted:
| Recipient category | Examples | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising partners (Publisher Sites only) | Sellwild, Audigent, Google Ad Manager, Google AdSense | Real-time bidding and ad delivery (see §7) |
| Analytics providers | Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager | Understanding site usage (see §8) |
| Social media platforms | Meta / Facebook | Retargeting on Facebook and Instagram (opt-in only, §9) |
| Email and messaging providers | Mailchimp, our transactional email vendor | Newsletter and account emails |
| Push notification providers | Pushly | Push notifications if you opt in |
| Payment processors | Stripe, PayPal, Payflow Pro | Subscription billing (payment card data held by the processor, not us) |
| Cloud infrastructure providers | Google Cloud Platform, Azure | Hosting, storage, delivery |
| Support and CRM tools | Zendesk, internal CRM | Handling support tickets and sales inquiries |
| Publishers | The individual newspaper controlling reader data on its site | Publisher's own business purposes (see §2) |
| Legal and safety | Law enforcement, regulators, courts | Where legally required or to protect rights and safety |
| Corporate transactions | Acquirer, successor, professional advisors | In connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or similar transaction |
We do not collect or process sensitive personal information as defined by CPRA (Cal. Civ. Code §1798.140(ae)) — that is, we do not collect government identifiers (SSN, driver's license, passport), account log-in credentials in combination with password/PIN, precise geolocation, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, union membership, contents of your mail or communications, genetic data, biometric identifiers, health information, or information about your sexual orientation or sex life. Where users voluntarily include such information in a comment or submission, we treat it as regular personal information and do not use it to infer or categorize you.
We and third parties use cookies and similar technologies for the purposes described below. Publisher Sites display a cookie consent banner that lets you accept or decline categories of cookies. Your choice can be changed at any time by reopening the banner from the site footer.
| Category | Examples | Requires consent? | Typical expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Session cookies for login, CSRF tokens, load balancing | No — required for the site to function | Session to 1 year |
| Preferences | Consent state, theme, saved reader preferences | No — needed to remember your choices | 1 year |
| Analytics (site-controlled) | Google Analytics 4 (_ga, _ga_<id>), Google Tag Manager | Yes on Publisher Sites | 2 years for _ga |
| Analytics (advertising-partner) | Sellwild GA4 (G-FVWZ0RM4DH) | Not currently gated — see §8 | 2 years |
| Advertising and cross-site ID | Sellwild/Prebid, Google Ad Manager, Google AdSense, Audigent identity cookies | Not currently gated — see §7 | 30 days to 2 years |
| Social media pixels | Meta pixel (_fbp) | Yes, on the ~12 sites that use it | 90 days |
| Do Not Sell or Share opt-out | _dnss (see §13) | No — only set when you use the opt-out | 1 year |
You can also manage or delete cookies using your browser's settings, use your browser's or device's built-in advertising controls (e.g., "Limit Ad Tracking" on iOS, or Advertising ID reset on Android), or install a browser extension that blocks third-party trackers. Blocking essential cookies may cause parts of the sites to malfunction.
Certain state privacy laws (including California's CPRA) treat the sharing of a browser identifier with advertising bidders — described in §7 — as a "sale" or a "share" for cross-context behavioral advertising, even when no money changes hands. You have the right to opt out of that activity.
You can exercise the Do Not Sell or Share right in any of the following ways:
_dnss=1, valid for one year), and causes the advertising and analytics tags on subsequent pages to run in opt-out mode. On the next page load Google's tags respect the opt-out via Consent Mode v2 signals (denied), the Meta pixel is neutralized, and Google AdSense requests are suppressed.Sec-GPC: 1, we treat it as an opt-out preference for that browser and apply the same suppression described in (1). No user action is needed beyond using a GPC-enabled browser.You may use an authorized agent to submit a Do Not Sell or Share request on your behalf. We may require you to verify your identity and to confirm that you gave the agent permission to submit the request, as permitted by law.
Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the following rights, subject to the specific state law's terms:
eType extends the rights described in this section to residents of every U.S. state that has enacted a comprehensive privacy law, regardless of whether eType meets that state's specific statutory thresholds. In other words, if you live in one of the listed states in §16 and you send us a valid privacy request, we will honor it.
If you are a California resident, the disclosures in §4 (categories of PI), §5 (sources), §6 (purposes), §10 (recipients), §11 (sensitive PI), §13 (Do Not Sell or Share), §19 (retention), and this Section 15 are provided in accordance with Cal. Civ. Code §§1798.100 et seq.
Email privacy@etypeservices.com with "California Privacy Request" in the subject line, or submit a request via do-not-sell.html. We will verify your request by matching identifiers you provide against information we have (typically your email address associated with any account or communication). Verification methods vary based on the sensitivity of the request; deletion requests receive additional verification. We do not use verification information for any other purpose.
We will confirm receipt of your request within 10 business days and substantively respond within 45 calendar days, with one 45-day extension where reasonably necessary (we will notify you). Requests submitted under §13 (Do Not Sell or Share) are actioned within 15 business days.
If we deny your request in whole or in part, you may appeal by replying to our denial or emailing privacy@etypeservices.com with "Appeal" in the subject. We will respond to appeals within 60 days.
You may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. We will require the agent to provide proof of your written authorization and may separately verify your identity.
We do not offer financial incentives (such as discounts) in exchange for the collection, retention, sale, or sharing of personal information. If a publisher offers subscription discounts, those are the publisher's programs and are administered by the publisher.
eType extends the rights described in §14 uniformly to residents of the following states with comprehensive privacy laws, regardless of whether we technically meet each state's statutory thresholds: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia. If you reside in a state with a comprehensive privacy law not listed here, contact us and we will treat your request the same way.
To exercise your rights, use the same channels as for California residents (§15). We will respond within the timeframe required by the applicable state law (typically 45 days, extendable). Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and other states additionally provide a right of appeal, which we honor as described above.
Texas residents: This policy, together with the notices on our sites and forms, is intended to satisfy our obligations under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act.
Universal opt-out mechanisms: Where required by state law (including Colorado Rule 5.10), we honor recognized universal opt-out signals, including Global Privacy Control (GPC), as opt-outs of targeted advertising and sale/sharing (§13).
eType is a US-based company. We do not actively market our services to, or target, residents of the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, and we have not designated an EU representative under Article 27 of the GDPR. If you reach out to us from one of those regions, or if you are a reader in one of those regions who visits a Publisher Site, the following applies:
The data controller for the Marketing Site is eType Services, LLC, P.O. Box 11590, Capitol Station, Austin, Texas 78711, USA. Our legal bases for processing are (a) legitimate interest in operating and improving our marketing and support (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR), (b) contract performance where you have engaged us (Art. 6(1)(b)), (c) consent where required (e.g., non-essential cookies) (Art. 6(1)(a)), and (d) legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)).
You have the rights described in §14, plus the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority (e.g., the UK ICO or your country's data protection authority). Personal data is transferred to the United States. Where required, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or other approved transfer mechanisms.
For reader data on Publisher Sites, the applicable publisher is the controller and its own policy governs.
Marketing Site: The Marketing Site is directed at publishing professionals and is not intended for anyone under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16 through the Marketing Site.
Publisher Sites: Publisher Sites are general-audience local newspaper websites and may be visited by readers of any age, including minors. Neither eType nor, to our knowledge, our publisher customers knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 for direct-marketing or profile-building purposes.
Under the CPRA, we do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of consumers under 16 without affirmative authorization (opt-in). Similar rules apply under Colorado (under 13), Connecticut, Virginia, and other state laws.
If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information through one of our sites, please contact privacy@etypeservices.com and we will act to remove it.
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with legal obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements. When retention is no longer necessary, information is deleted or anonymized.
| Data category | Retention |
|---|---|
| Marketing Site demo/contact form submissions | Up to 3 years after last contact, then archived or deleted |
| Server access logs | 30 days for detailed logs; aggregated indefinitely |
| Analytics data (Google Analytics) | 14 months at the event level, then aggregated |
| Cookie preferences | 1 year, then re-prompted |
| Subscriber account data on Publisher Sites | For the duration of the subscription and per the publisher's retention policy |
| Payment and billing records | 7 years, for tax and audit purposes |
| Legal hold / dispute-related records | Until the matter is resolved and any legal hold is lifted |
We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These include access controls, encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+), encryption at rest for databases holding personal information, vendor security assessments, and periodic review of our practices. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
We do not use automated decision-making, including profiling, in a way that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you. The real-time ad bidding described in §7 uses automated processing, but its output is which advertisement is shown to you — not a decision with legal or significant effect.
eType is based in the United States and operates its infrastructure in the United States. When you contact us from outside the United States, or when reader information from a Publisher Site is processed by us, that information is transferred to and processed in the United States, which may have data-protection laws different from your jurisdiction. Where required, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or other approved transfer mechanisms (see §17).
If a security incident involves unauthorized acquisition of personal information we hold, we will notify affected individuals and applicable regulators as required by law. Notification content and timing will comply with the relevant state laws (for example, Cal. Civ. Code §1798.82 for California residents) and any contractual requirements to our publisher customers.
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date at the top. Material changes will be announced through our sites or by other reasonable means, and where required by law we will obtain fresh consent. Your continued use of the Marketing Site or a Publisher Site after the effective date of any update constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
For any question, request, complaint, or exercise of a privacy right under this policy, please contact:
If you are a copyright owner (or authorized agent) and believe that content on the Marketing Site or a Publisher Site infringes your copyright, please send a notification to our Designated Copyright Agent pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. §512(c)(3)) that includes:
If your DMCA notice does not comply with all of the requirements above, it may not be valid. If your content was removed and you believe the removal was in error, you may submit a counter-notification to the Copyright Agent including the required elements under 17 U.S.C. §512(g)(3).