Vegans.Social | Where Vegan Culture Lives

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly, information collected automatically when you use our services, and information from third parties where applicable.

Information You Provide

Newsletter subscriptions — When you subscribe to our newsletter we collect your email address, and optionally your first name, zip code, and city. This information is used solely to send you editorial updates from Vegans.Social.

Account registration — If you create an account, we collect your email address and password (stored as a one-way cryptographic hash). You may optionally provide your name and profile information.

Story submissions and contact forms — If you submit a story tip, advertiser inquiry, or business listing, we collect the information included in that submission (name, email, and message content).

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit Vegans.Social, we and our service providers automatically collect certain technical information, including: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, time spent on pages, and general geographic location (country/region level, derived from IP address).

We use this information for analytics, security, and to improve the site. We do not sell this data.

Information from Third Parties

If you sign in using Google or Facebook, we receive basic profile information from those providers — typically your name, email address, and profile photo — as permitted by your settings on those platforms.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To deliver our newsletter and editorial content you have subscribed to
To create and manage your account and authenticate your identity
To respond to inquiries, story submissions, and support requests
To analyze how our content is read and improve editorial quality
To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents
To comply with applicable laws and legal obligations
To send transactional communications (password resets, account notifications)

We do not use your personal information to build advertising profiles, sell or rent your data to third parties, or target you with behavioral advertising.

3. Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We share your information only in the following circumstances:

Service Providers

We use a small number of trusted service providers to operate the site — including database hosting (Neon), email delivery (Resend), file storage, and analytics. These providers process data only on our behalf and are contractually prohibited from using it for their own purposes.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if we are required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Vegans.Social, our users, or the public.

Business Transfers

If Vegans.Social is acquired, merged, or undergoes a significant business transition, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify users via the email address on file or a prominent notice on the site before any such transfer takes effect.

4. Cookies & Tracking

Vegans.Social uses cookies and similar technologies to operate the site and understand how it is used.

Cookies We Use

Essential cookies — Required for authentication and site security. Cannot be disabled without breaking core functionality.
Analytics cookies — Used to understand traffic patterns, popular content, and site performance. We use privacy-respecting analytics that do not track individuals across sites.
Preference cookies — Store your settings such as newsletter preferences or display options.

Your Choices

Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Disabling non-essential cookies will not affect your ability to read content on the site, though some personalization features may not function. We do not respond to Do Not Track signals at this time, as no uniform standard has been adopted.

5. EU, UK & EEA — GDPR Rights

If you are located in the European Union, United Kingdom, or European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable national legislation. Our legal basis for processing your personal data depends on the context:

Consent — For newsletter subscriptions and optional cookies. You may withdraw consent at any time.
Legitimate interests — For analytics, security, and editorial operations, where these interests are not overridden by your rights.
Legal obligation — Where processing is required to comply with applicable law.

Your GDPR Rights

Right of access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification — Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure — Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
Right to restrict processing — Request that we limit how we use your data.
Right to data portability — Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to withdraw consent — Withdraw consent at any time where processing is consent-based.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@vegans.social. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

We do not knowingly transfer personal data outside the EEA without appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.

6. U.S. State Privacy Rights

Several U.S. states have enacted comprehensive consumer privacy laws. If you are a resident of any of these states, you may have specific rights regarding your personal information.

State	Law	Key Rights
California	CCPA / CPRA	Know, delete, correct, opt-out of sale, limit sensitive data use, non-discrimination
Virginia	VCDPA	Access, delete, correct, portability, opt-out of targeted advertising and profiling
Colorado	CPA	Access, delete, correct, portability, opt-out of targeted advertising and profiling
Connecticut	CTDPA	Access, delete, correct, portability, opt-out of targeted advertising
Texas	TDPSA	Access, correct, delete, portability, opt-out of sale and targeted advertising
Florida	FDBR	Access, delete, correct, portability, opt-out of sale and targeted advertising
Oregon	OCPA	Access, delete, correct, portability, opt-out of sale and profiling
Montana	MCDPA	Access, delete, correct, portability, opt-out of sale and targeted advertising

How to Exercise Your U.S. State Rights

To exercise any applicable state privacy rights — including requests to know, delete, correct, or opt out — contact us at privacy@vegans.social with "Privacy Request" in the subject line and your state of residence. We will respond within the timeframe required by your state's law (typically 45 days, with a possible extension of an additional 45 days).

We do not sell personal information as defined under any applicable state law. We do not engage in targeted advertising based on personal information collected on this site.

California residents: You may also submit requests via email with "California Privacy Request" in the subject line. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any CCPA rights.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

Newsletter subscriber data — Retained while your subscription is active and for up to 12 months after unsubscribing, for legal and anti-spam compliance purposes.
Account data — Retained while your account is active. You may request deletion at any time.
Analytics data — Aggregated and anonymized after 26 months.
Legal and compliance records — Retained for the period required by applicable law, typically 5–7 years.

8. Children's Privacy

Vegans.Social is intended for general audiences and is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the EU). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without verified parental consent, we will take steps to delete it promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@vegans.social.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

Vegans.Social

Privacy & Data Protection

privacy@vegans.social

We take all privacy inquiries seriously and will respond within 30 days. For urgent matters relating to data breaches or significant privacy concerns, please mark your email "URGENT — Privacy" and we will prioritize your request.

This policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify subscribers via email.