Last updated: April 2026
Steno.News is a political intelligence service. We analyse publicly available recordings and publish editorial briefs for professionals who need to follow what political figures actually say. This page explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, and what your rights are.
The data controller is the publisher of Steno.News, reachable at privacy@steno.news.
What we collect
When you create an account or subscribe
- Email address. Required to create your membership, deliver briefs to your inbox, and manage your account. Without it there is no account.
- Name. Optional. If you provide it, it is stored on your profile and used to address you in account communications.
- Payment information. We do not store payment card details. All payment processing is handled directly by Stripe, Inc. Steno.News receives only a confirmation that the transaction succeeded and a Stripe customer identifier. Stripe's privacy policy applies to payment data: stripe.com/privacy.
When you read content
- Basic analytics. Ghost, the platform that runs this site, collects anonymous aggregate data — page views, referrer source, browser language. No individual reader is identified by name or persistent identifier in this data.
- Cookies. Two types are used. A session cookie manages your logged-in state; it is deleted when you close the browser. A persistent cookie remembers that you are a member across sessions. Neither is used for advertising or cross-site tracking. You can disable cookies in your browser, but the site will not work correctly for members if you do.
- Server logs. Standard web server logs record your IP address and the pages you request. These are retained for up to 30 days for security and diagnostic purposes, then deleted. They are not analysed for editorial or marketing purposes.
What we do not collect
- We use no advertising networks, tracking pixels, or behavioural analytics tools.
- We do not collect data from social media platforms.
- We do not build profiles of your reading behaviour for any purpose beyond delivering the service.
Why we use it and on what legal basis
| Purpose | Data used | Legal basis (GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Delivering your subscription and managing account access | Email, Stripe ID | Contract performance (Art. 6.1.b) |
| Sending newsletters and new-brief notifications | Contract performance / consent (Art. 6.1.b / 6.1.a) | |
| Processing payments | Delegated to Stripe | Contract performance (Art. 6.1.b) |
| Site security and abuse prevention | IP address, server logs | Legitimate interest (Art. 6.1.f) |
| Understanding aggregate readership (improving the service) | Anonymous analytics | Legitimate interest (Art. 6.1.f) |
Who has access to your data
Your data is not sold, rented, or shared with third parties for marketing purposes. The only parties who handle your personal data are:
- Ghost.org — the membership and publishing platform that hosts this site. Ghost processes member data on our behalf under a data processing agreement. Ghost's privacy policy: ghost.org/privacy.
- Stripe, Inc. — payment processor. Handles all payment card data directly. Steno.News does not receive or store your card details.
- Editorial team. The people producing Steno.News briefs can see your email address and subscription status. They do not have access to your payment information.
We may disclose data if required by law or to protect the security of the service, but only to the minimum extent necessary and after legal review where time permits.
How long we keep it
- Active member data (email, name, subscription status) is kept for as long as your account is active.
- After cancellation or deletion, account data is removed within 90 days, except where we are required by law to retain payment records.
- Server logs are deleted after 30 days.
- Anonymous analytics have no individual retention period — they contain no personal data.
Your rights
If you are in the EU or UK, you have the following rights under the GDPR and UK GDPR:
- Access. You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Correction. You can correct inaccurate data from your account settings, or by writing to us.
- Deletion. You can delete your account at any time from your account settings. We will remove your personal data within 90 days, subject to legal retention obligations.
- Portability. You can request a machine-readable export of the data you have provided to us.
- Objection. You can object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interest. We will stop unless we have compelling grounds that override your interests.
- Withdraw consent. Where processing is based on consent (e.g. newsletter delivery), you can withdraw consent at any time by clicking "Unsubscribe" in any email or by contacting us.
- Complaint. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection supervisory authority in your country of residence.
To exercise any of these rights, write to privacy@steno.news. We will respond within 30 days.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes — changes that affect how we use your data or the rights available to you — we will notify active members by email at least 14 days before the change takes effect. Minor corrections or clarifications may be made without notice. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page always reflects the most recent revision.
Steno.News — Political intelligence. No filter.
privacy@steno.news