Privacy Policy
We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how your data is used.
Introduction & Who We Are
WikiMess Magazine (“we”, “us”, “our”) is an independent online publication accessible at wikimess.com. We publish news, features, opinion, entertainment, technology, travel, lifestyle, and sport content for a global readership.
We take privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains in plain language:
- What personal information we collect and why
- How we use, store, and protect that information
- Who we share it with, and under what circumstances
- Your rights and how to exercise them
- How cookies and advertising technologies work on our site
This policy applies to all personal data collected through our website, newsletter, contact forms, comment sections, and any other digital touchpoints operated by WikiMess Magazine.
Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
We only collect information you voluntarily give us through specific interactions:
- Newsletter subscriptions: Your email address, and optionally your first name, when you subscribe to our editorial newsletter.
- Contact form: Your name, email address, and the content of your message when you reach out to us.
- Comments: Your display name, email address (not shown publicly), website URL (optional), and the text of your comment when you engage with our articles.
- Reader submissions: Any content, photos, or information you voluntarily send us for potential publication.
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit WikiMess Magazine, certain technical information is collected automatically through industry-standard log files, cookies, and analytics tools:
- Server log data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, date and time of access, and time spent on each page.
- Device information: Screen resolution, device type (desktop, mobile, tablet), and mobile network information.
- Interaction data: Scroll depth, links clicked, content engaged with, and session duration — collected in anonymised, aggregated form via analytics tools.
2.3 Information from Third-Party Services
Our website integrates several third-party services that may collect data independently under their own privacy policies:
- Google Analytics 4: Collects aggregated, anonymised traffic data to help us understand how our content performs. IP anonymisation is enabled.
- Google AdSense: Serves contextual and personalised advertisements using cookies and browsing behaviour signals.
- Social media share buttons: If you interact with share buttons (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn), those platforms may collect data per their own policies — even if you do not click.
- Embedded content: Articles may contain embedded YouTube videos or other media. These providers may set cookies when you interact with embedded content.
How We Use Your Information
We process your personal data only for specific, lawful purposes. We never use your data for purposes incompatible with those stated at the time of collection.
| Purpose | Data Used | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Delivering and improving our content | Analytics data, log files | Legitimate interests |
| Sending the newsletter you subscribed to | Email, name | Consent (opt-in) |
| Responding to contact form enquiries | Name, email, message | Legitimate interests |
| Moderating and displaying approved comments | Name, email, comment text | Legitimate interests |
| Serving relevant advertisements | Cookie data, browsing behaviour | Consent (cookie consent) |
| Detecting and preventing fraud or abuse | IP address, log files | Legitimate interests |
| Complying with legal obligations | As required by law | Legal obligation |
Google AdSense & Advertising
WikiMess Magazine uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to serve ads based on your prior browsing activity — a practice known as interest-based or personalised advertising.
Specifically, Google may use the DoubleClick cookie to serve ads to you based on your visits to this website and other websites across the internet. This allows advertisers to show you ads that may be more relevant to your interests.
Your Advertising Choices
You can opt out of personalised advertising at any time through the following official resources:
- Google Ad Settings — manage and opt out of personalised ads
- Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) Opt-Out
- Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) Opt-Out
- DAAC (Canada) Opt-Out
Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, comply with legal obligations, and resolve disputes. Our standard retention periods are:
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Newsletter subscriber records | Until unsubscription, plus 30 days for processing |
| Contact form submissions | 12 months from last communication |
| Approved comment data | Duration of article’s publication, or until deletion request |
| Analytics data | Aggregated after 14 months; anonymised logs after 26 months |
| Server access logs | 90 days (security purposes) |
| Legal compliance records | 7 years (applicable legal requirements) |
When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or irreversibly anonymised.
Data Sharing & Disclosure
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:
- Service providers: Trusted third-party companies that help us operate WikiMess Magazine — including web hosting, email delivery (e.g. Mailchimp), analytics (Google Analytics), and content delivery networks. These providers are contractually bound to process data only on our instructions and to maintain appropriate security standards.
- Advertising partners: Google AdSense and its affiliated network. See Section 4 for full details.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose data when required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect the safety of our users, the public, or WikiMess Magazine.
- Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of WikiMess Magazine’s assets, user data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify affected users prominently before any such transfer and before personal data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
- With your consent: In any other circumstances, only where you have given explicit consent.
Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location, you have specific legal rights regarding the personal data we hold about you. We honour all valid requests within 30 days.
Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, in a portable format.
Ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”), where applicable.
Ask us to limit how we process your data while a dispute is resolved.
Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format for transfer elsewhere.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
Withdraw any consent given at any time — e.g. unsubscribe from our newsletter.
Request human review of any decisions made about you solely by automated means.
How to Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any right, contact us at privacy@wikimess.com with your name, email, and a clear description of your request. We will verify your identity before processing.
EU/EEA residents (GDPR): You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your national Data Protection Authority (DPA) if you believe your rights have been violated.
UK residents: You may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
California residents (CCPA): You have the right to know what personal information is collected, to request deletion, and to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.
Children’s Privacy
WikiMess Magazine is a general interest publication not directed at children under the age of 13 (or 16 in certain EU jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
If we become aware that personal data has been collected from a child without verified parental consent, we will take immediate steps to delete that information. If you believe a child has submitted personal data to us, please contact privacy@wikimess.com and we will act promptly.
International Data Transfers
WikiMess Magazine serves a global readership. Your data may be processed in countries outside your own jurisdiction, including countries whose data protection laws may differ from those in your home country.
Where personal data is transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:
- EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
- UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs)
- Transfers to countries recognised as providing adequate data protection
- Reliance on service providers certified under approved frameworks
Security Measures
We implement a range of industry-standard technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction:
- SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers
- Access controls limiting who within our team can access personal data
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
- Secure server infrastructure hosted with reputable providers operating ISO 27001-certified environments
- Data minimisation — we only collect what is genuinely needed
While we strive to protect your data, no system is entirely impervious to breach. In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in risk to your rights, we will notify affected individuals and relevant supervisory authorities as required by applicable law (within 72 hours under GDPR).
Third-Party Websites & Links
WikiMess Magazine articles and pages may contain links to third-party websites, including news sources, research organisations, and partner sites. These links are provided for informational purposes only.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of external websites. We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policy of any site you visit through links found on WikiMess Magazine. Our Privacy Policy applies only to wikimess.com.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. All changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date at the top.
For material changes — those that significantly affect how your data is used or your rights — we will provide prominent notice on our homepage and, where possible, notify newsletter subscribers by email at least 14 days before the change takes effect.
Your continued use of WikiMess Magazine after the effective date of a revised policy constitutes your acceptance of that revision.
Contact Us
For any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact our team:
WikiMess Magazine — Privacy Team