Atlas News is committed to protecting the privacy and security of our readers, members, contributors, and partners. This policy outlines what information we collect, how we use it, and the limited ways we may share or store it. We believe in transparency and respect for our users’ data—and we do not collect more than is necessary to operate and improve our platform.

By using theatlasnews.com, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

Live Timestamp

Current Time:

1. How We Handle Accounts and Login

We do not use passwords or store sensitive login credentials.

All account authentication is handled via magic link email login. When you sign up or sign in, you receive a one-time link sent to your email. Clicking that link grants you access. We never see or store your password—because you don’t create one.

This approach minimizes data risk and simplifies your experience while maintaining account security.

2. What We Collect

We collect only the minimal amount of personal information required to operate the site, provide services, and respond to user requests. This includes:

  • Email Address – Used for account login, magic link authentication, and communication.
  • Name or Contributor Alias – If voluntarily provided during submissions or contact.
  • Form Submissions – Content and metadata submitted via contact forms (e.g., contributor inquiries, bug reports).
  • Membership Metadata – Subscription tier, renewal status, and transaction history (we do not store credit card data).
  • Site Usage Data – We may collect anonymized data such as IP address, browser type, and usage patterns via privacy-respecting analytics tools.

We do not collect or store passwords. All account access is handled via secure, one-time email login links (magic links). When a user signs up or signs in, they are sent a unique, time-limited authentication link via email. Clicking this link authenticates the session and grants access to the account—without requiring a password at any point.

This login system is designed to eliminate the risks associated with password reuse, phishing attacks, and credential breaches. Because no password is ever stored or transmitted, there is no password database to protect—and no password to compromise. This approach reduces attack surfaces and aligns with modern, low-friction authentication best practices.

It also simplifies the user experience. Users can securely access their account from any device with access to their registered email, without the need to remember or manage login credentials. Session security is maintained using authentication tokens, and users can log out or revoke sessions at any time.

This method helps us meet high standards for both usability and privacy protection.

We do not accept, handle, or process classified or sensitive government information.

3. Payments and Financial Data

All subscription and membership payments are securely handled by trusted third-party payment processors, such as Stripe. Atlas News does not directly collect, process, or store any sensitive financial information, including credit card numbers, billing addresses, CVV codes, or bank account details. All payment information is entered by users on secure, PCI-compliant checkout forms provided by the processor.

When you subscribe to a plan or complete a transaction, the financial data is encrypted and transmitted directly to the payment provider, bypassing our servers entirely. We do not see or retain any part of your full credit card number or other payment credentials at any point during the transaction.

What we do receive from the payment processor is limited, non-sensitive metadata related to your subscription. This may include:

  • The status of your most recent payment (e.g., successful, failed, refunded)
  • Your selected subscription tier or plan type
  • A unique customer ID associated with your payment profile
  • Timestamps of billing events (e.g., date of last payment or renewal)
  • Subscription status (active, trialing, canceled)

This data allows us to verify your account access level, manage subscription features, send relevant billing notifications, and maintain proper records for support and compliance.

If you wish to manage, update, or cancel your payment information, you may do so securely through the Stripe-hosted customer portal, which we link to in your account settings. Because Atlas does not store or access your billing data, any updates must be made directly through Stripe.

This approach ensures that your financial information is handled with the highest level of security and compliance while reducing risk across our systems.

4. Cookies and Tracking

Atlas News uses a minimal set of privacy-conscious cookies and local storage mechanisms to ensure site functionality, enhance user experience, and support essential analytics. These are purpose-built for utility, not for surveillance.

We use cookies or browser storage to:

  • Maintain your session after logging in via email-based magic links, so you don’t have to re-authenticate every time you visit
  • Store your interface preferences, such as dark mode settings, layout choices, or navigation states
  • Monitor basic, anonymized metrics to help us understand aggregate site performance (e.g., page visits, referrer source, time on page)

We do not use:

  • Third-party ad networks. We are ad free.
  • Behavioral profiling
  • Cross-site tracking pixels for data collection purposes
  • Fingerprinting or device-level surveillance tools

For site analytics, we may use privacy-forward tools such as Plausible or, in some cases, Google Analytics. These platforms help us measure general trends in content engagement and navigation flow but do not collect personally identifiable information (PII). Data collected is aggregated, anonymized, and used solely to improve the site’s design, performance, and user experience.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time, but this may affect login persistence and visual customization across sessions. We strive to offer full transparency in how limited data is stored locally, and no personal tracking is performed beyond what's necessary for the core functionality of the site.

5. How We Use Your Information

Atlas News collects only the minimal personal data necessary to operate our platform and deliver services to you. Your information is used strictly for operational, editorial, and user experience purposes.

Specifically, we may use your information to:

  • Authenticate your identity through our secure, passwordless login system via magic links delivered to your email
  • Manage your subscription tier, renewal status, or account settings through our membership infrastructure
  • Send you transactional communications, such as login confirmations, membership notices, editorial bulletins, or security alerts
  • Review and respond to content you submit, including article pitches, bug reports, or feedback through our contact forms
  • Improve overall functionality and user experience on the site by monitoring aggregated engagement trends and system performance

We do not sell, rent, license, or share your personal information with advertisers, data brokers, or marketing firms. You will never receive third-party marketing from us, nor will your information be used to profile or target you for advertising purposes.

Any data shared with trusted vendors (e.g., Stripe for payments or Brevo for email delivery) is strictly limited to the operational scope of their service and governed by secure, contractually bound data use agreements. We maintain full control over how and why your data is used—and always with privacy as the default setting.

6. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We only share limited data with third-party providers for essential functions:

  • Email services (e.g., Brevo or Mailgun) to send magic links or notifications
  • Payment processors (e.g., Stripe) to manage memberships
  • Site analytics tools to help us understand usage trends

These partners are required to handle your data securely and are not permitted to use it for their own marketing or resale purposes.

7. Contributor and Analyst Submissions

If you submit an article, pitch, or research product, your name and content may be published on Atlas News, along with a contributor profile (if you provide one). We retain submission data for editorial and record-keeping purposes.

We do not handle, publish, or store classified information under any circumstance. Submissions should only include publicly accessible information or expert analysis that complies with applicable laws and restrictions.

8. Data Retention and Deletion

You may request to delete your account or data at any time by contacting contact@theatlasnews.com.

We retain data only as long as it is necessary for operational, legal, or analytical purposes. Contributor and membership history may be retained in anonymized form after deletion for record-keeping and platform continuity.

9. Security Practices

We use modern security standards to safeguard our platform and user data, including:

  • Encrypted communications (HTTPS)
  • Secure authentication tokens
  • No password storage
  • Minimal data footprint architecture
  • Regular review of third-party tools for compliance

However, no system is ever completely immune from risk. We encourage users to report any suspicious activity or concerns to security@theatlasnews.com.

10. Compliance

Atlas News complies with applicable data privacy laws, including:

  • GDPR (for users in the European Union)
  • CCPA (for users in California)
  • CAN-SPAM Act (for email communications)

You have the right to access, modify, or delete your personal data at any time by contacting us.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. When we do, we will revise the "Effective Date" at the top of this page and notify users via email or site banner if the changes are significant.