This site and your privacy

We take your privacy very seriously. Here's what we do with your details.

*Updated Jul 2023 removing Google Analytics*

Webservers and automatically-captured information

media.info's main website is on heavily-cached infrastructure, which handles all the site traffic. When it needs a new page, Amazon Cloudfront asks our own webserver for it, and every visitor who isn't logged-in looks almost identical to our own webserver. We collect logfiles, but they hold no personally-identifiable information. We do not use Google Analytics or a similar package.

Cloudfront gives us country-level geotargeting information - "this user is in the UK" - to enable us to modify the website for your country's media. If you're logged in, Cloudfront passes us your logged-in user token, which enables us to know who you are.

Cookies

This site uses cookies. If you do not accept cookies, you can still passively use the site. This cookie is essential, however, if you want to log in. Our cookies page details what cookies we use and what they contain.

Email addresses and personal details

To passively use our site, we do not need any personal information.

To get email alerts, you must supply us with a valid e-mail address: we check this is valid before using it. When logging in to our site via a third party like Google, if you grant permission we get personal information from your account provider with your name, email address, and other basic information, including a photograph where you have this set. We copy this information using a secure link between our website and theirs; and update it every time you log in. We don't store your password.

When creating a media.info Account, we require a valid email address, and we also ask for your real name and a password. We store the password encrypted in our database, using a relatively slow encrypting mechanism.

In all of the above cases, we may use the e-mail address you have given us to e-mail you important information regarding your account and new services by media.info, not exceeding one e-mail a calendar month. These messages have a clear unsubscribe link where appropriate. We never share your details with any third party.

When giving us feedback, in order for us to give you a reply we need your e-mail address. We also ask your name. Both of these pieces of information are not required. Your full e-mail address will not be seen by our staff: only the site administrator has access.

Email lists, unsubscribing, and measures against spam

We never send spam.

Our media.info Accounts require a valid email address. You will be asked to check your email address and click on a URL we send you to ensure you're posting from a valid email address and that you have access to that email address - or you'll need to log in using a third party (like Google) which has already verified your email address. This is called confirmed opt-in, and universally recognised as best practice.

To protect the health and reputation of our service, and ensure that all user details are correct, we monitor and aggressively remove bouncing email addresses. If your email address bounces, your account or alerts may cease without warning or notification.

We are an Australian company, and uphold the Australian Privacy Principles and the Australian Spam Act 2003. We abide by the principles of the US 'CAN-SPAM' laws, comply fully with the EU Privacy Directive 2002/58/EC, and aim to comply with the GDPR as far as, frankly, we understand our obligations. We do not give any of your information to any third party without your consent.

Release of personal details

We do not give your details to any third party without your consent. However, by posting messages which could be considered as defamatory or libellous, you are putting both yourselves and this website at risk. We reserve the right to release all available details to aid identification in case of legal action. We will not disclose them at any other time, and you will be notified if we wish to release them, and given every reasonable opportunity to settle the matter without recourse to release of information.

Advertising

Our advertising is supplied by Google AdSense. It uses third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit this website, and use cookies. We do not serve personalised ads to visitors within the EEA. You can read more about this, and opt-out of personalised ads outside the EEA, by visiting Google's privacy policy, or by using incognito mode.

Information held, and EU regulations

The origin website and database is hosted in the EU (in Dublin, Ireland) by Amazon Web Services. Public media.info pages are hosted in Amazon Cloudfront's infrastructure, both within and outside the EU. Email to @media.info, and some feedback from the website, is held on Google's email servers, which are both inside and outside the EU.

cloudfront.net

These servers are Amazon Cloudfront servers, used to store static files. This uses no cookies. We collect logfiles, but they hold no personally-identifiable information.

Agreement

By using this site, you signify your assent to this policy, and also to our copyright restrictions. If you do not agree, please do not use the site. We reserve the right, at our discretion, to change, modify, add, or remove portions of this policy at any time. Please check this page periodically for changes.