Privacy Policy
Effective June 23, 2026.
This Privacy Policy explains what information Recognizing The Bay ("RTB," "we," "us") collects when you use recognizingthebay.com, why, and your choices. Questions: [email protected].
What we collect
- Newsletter signup: your email address, when you choose to subscribe.
- Reader tips: whatever you submit through our tip form (for example a place or event and any notes). For abuse prevention we store a one-way salted hash of your IP address, not your raw IP.
- Automatic / analytics data: through Google Analytics (GA4) we collect usage data such as pages viewed, approximate (city-level) location, device and browser type, referring source, and cookie identifiers. Through Cloudflare (our security and delivery layer) we process your IP address and a human-verification check (Cloudflare Turnstile) on our forms.
- We do not collect payment information on this site. Any tickets, bookings, or purchases happen on third-party sites we link to, under their policies.
How we use it
- To send you the newsletter you signed up for.
- To review and, where useful, publish reader tips.
- To operate, secure, and improve the site and understand how it is used.
Cookies
We use cookies and similar identifiers, mainly for analytics (Google Analytics) and security (Cloudflare). You can control or block cookies through your browser settings, and you can opt out of Google Analytics with Google's opt-out add-on. Blocking cookies will not break the core site.
How it is shared
We do not sell your personal information. We share data only with the service providers that run the site: Google Analytics (analytics), Cloudflare (security and delivery), Resend (newsletter delivery), and our Ghost-based hosting. We may also disclose information if required by law. Some outbound links may be affiliate or referral links; clicking them shares standard referral information with the destination site.
Your choices and rights
- Unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the one-click link in any email.
- Access or delete the personal data we hold about you (such as your email) by emailing [email protected].
- If you are in California (CCPA/CPRA) or the EU/UK (GDPR), you have rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out of any "sale" of your data. We do not sell data, and we honor these requests at the email above.
Data retention and security
We keep your email until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete it, and reader tips for as long as they are useful. The site runs over HTTPS, stores only the minimum data we need, and stores IP data as a salted hash rather than in raw form.
Children
The site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.
Changes
We may update this policy; we will revise the effective date above when we do.
Contact: [email protected]