Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 10, 2026

1. Introduction

Marlin’s Journal (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at marlinsjournal.com or interact with our content and services. This policy complies with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation, including Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act where relevant.

By accessing or using Marlin’s Journal, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our website.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

Subscribe to our newsletter (email address, name if provided)
Contact us via email or our contact form (name, email address, message content)
Submit a story pitch or freelance inquiry (name, email address, writing samples, pitch content)
Apply for a position (resume, cover letter, contact information)
Make a donation or support contribution (payment information processed by third-party payment processors)

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information through standard web technologies:

Log data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URLs, pages visited, time and date of visit, time spent on pages
Device information: Device type, screen resolution, language preferences
Usage patterns: Which articles you read, how long you spend reading, which links you click

2.3 Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies as described in our Cookie Policy. In summary:

Essential cookies: Required for core website functionality (session management, security)
Analytics cookies: We use a privacy-focused, self-hosted analytics platform (Plausible) that does not use cookies for tracking. We do not use Google Analytics.
Functional cookies: Remember your preferences (e.g., dark mode setting)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Please see our Cookie Policy for detailed information.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

To operate and maintain our website: Ensuring the site functions correctly, diagnosing technical issues, and improving performance
To communicate with you: Responding to inquiries, sending newsletters (only with your explicit consent), and notifying you about changes to our policies
To improve our content: Understanding which topics resonate with readers, identifying coverage gaps, and making editorial decisions based on aggregate reader interest
To protect our rights: Preventing fraud, enforcing our Terms and Conditions, and complying with legal obligations
To process contributions: Handling donations or support payments through secure third-party processors

We do not use any automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects concerning you.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. Period.

We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

Service providers: We work with trusted third-party vendors who help us operate our website (hosting, email delivery, payment processing). These vendors are contractually bound to use your information only for the services they provide to us and to maintain confidentiality.
Legal obligations: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
Business transfers: In the unlikely event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our website before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

Newsletter subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe (with an immediate unsubscribe link in every email)
Contact form submissions: Up to 24 months for customer service records
Server logs: 30 days, then automatically deleted
Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized after 12 months

6. Your Rights Under PIPEDA

Under Canadian privacy law, you have the following rights:

Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Withdrawal of consent: You may withdraw your consent to our collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions
Complaint: You may file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe we have violated PIPEDA

To exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days as required by PIPEDA.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
Regular security audits and vulnerability scanning
Access controls limiting personal data to authorized personnel only
Secure, encrypted data storage

However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. International Data Transfers

Marlin’s Journal is based in Canada and our servers are located in Canada. However, some of our service providers may process data in the United States or other jurisdictions. When we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including contractual clauses that provide a comparable level of protection to Canadian law.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will delete that information promptly.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via a notice on our website and, where appropriate, via email to newsletter subscribers. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision.