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Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 10, 2026.

Disclosure Diaries is a free newsletter and website run by one person (Mo). This page says what information the site collects, why, which services handle it, and what you can do about it. It's written to be read, not to cover every possibility. If something here is unclear or you think it's wrong, reach out.

The short version

  • If you only read the site, the only data involved is standard web analytics and the technical logs any website produces.
  • If you subscribe, I hold your email address and your newsletter preferences, and I can see whether you open the emails and which links you click.
  • If you become a paid supporter, Stripe handles your payment. I never see your card number.
  • I don't sell data, share lists, or run advertising.

Reading the site

Hosting. The site runs on Ghost(Pro), a hosting service operated by the Ghost Foundation. Like any web host, it keeps technical logs (IP address, browser type, pages requested, time of request) for security and to keep the service running. Ghost's own policy is at ghost.org/privacy.

Analytics. The site uses Google Analytics to count visits and see which pages are read. Google sets cookies for this and receives your IP address and browser details. I see aggregate numbers (visits, pages, countries), not individuals. You can block this with a browser setting or an ad blocker, and the site works the same without it. Google's description of what it collects is at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

Embedded content. Some posts and pages embed videos or posts from YouTube, X or other platforms. When an embed loads, that platform may set its own cookies and record that you viewed it, under its own policy.

Cookies. Beyond analytics and embeds, the site sets a cookie only when you sign in as a member, so that you stay signed in.

Subscribing

When you subscribe I store:

  • your email address, and a name if you choose to give one
  • which newsletter you're subscribed to and whether you've unsubscribed
  • how you arrived (for example, from a link in a post or from the signup form), which Ghost records to show me where readers come from
  • the date you joined and, if you sign in, the time of your last sign-in

Email. Newsletters are sent through Ghost(Pro) using Mailgun, an email delivery service. Each email contains a tracking image and tracked links, so I can see open rates and which links readers click. I use this to judge what's useful and what isn't. It isn't shared with anyone. If you'd rather not be tracked, most email clients let you block remote images, which stops open tracking, and you can copy a link's destination rather than clicking the tracked version.

Unsubscribing is one click at the bottom of any email, or through your account page on the site. Unsubscribing stops the emails but keeps your account, so you can resubscribe. If you want your record deleted entirely, email me and I'll delete it.

Paying

If you become a paid supporter, the payment is processed by Stripe. Stripe collects and stores your card details under its own policy (stripe.com/privacy). What I can see is your email address, the plan you're on, its status (active, cancelled), the dates of charges, and a Stripe customer reference. I can't see your card number.

I use that information to run the subscription, to issue refunds, and for the accounting any business has to do. If you cancel, your payment record stays in Stripe for as long as accounting and tax rules require. The newsletter itself is free, so cancelling never removes your access to anything.

Who else handles your data

  • Ghost(Pro) (Ghost Foundation): hosts the site and the member database and sends the email. Holds member records and technical logs.
  • Mailgun: delivers the newsletter emails for Ghost. Holds email addresses and delivery and engagement events.
  • Stripe: processes supporter payments. Holds payment details and customer and subscription records.
  • Google Analytics: website traffic statistics. Sets analytics cookies and receives IP address and browser details.

Each of these is a processor acting on the site's behalf, except Google Analytics and embedded platforms, which also use data for their own purposes under their own policies. I don't use any other advertising, tracking or data broker services.

What I don't do

  • I don't sell, rent or trade your information.
  • I don't share subscriber lists with anyone.
  • I don't send anything other than the newsletter and occasional account or support emails.
  • I don't run ads.
  • I don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 16. If you think a child has subscribed, tell me and I'll remove the record.

Your rights

Wherever you live, you can ask me to show you the data I hold about you, correct it, export it, or delete it. Most of this you can do yourself from your account page on the site. For anything else, email me at the address on the contact page and I'll handle it within a month.

If you're in the UK, the EU or the EEA, the legal basis for processing is consent for the newsletter (you signed up) and legitimate interest for site analytics and security. You can withdraw consent at any time by unsubscribing, and you have the right to complain to your local data protection authority. If you're in California or another US state with a privacy law, the rights above cover what those laws provide, and I don't sell or share personal information as those laws define it.

Where data is stored

Ghost(Pro), Mailgun, Stripe and Google operate internationally, so your data may be stored or processed outside the country you live in. Each of them maintains the safeguards their own policies describe for international transfers.

How long I keep things

Member records: until you ask for deletion, or until an account has been unsubscribed and inactive for a long period, at which point I may remove it. Payment records: as long as accounting rules require. Analytics: Google's default retention. Technical logs: Ghost's default retention.

Changes

If this policy changes in a way that matters, I'll say so in the newsletter and update the date at the top. Small wording changes will just update the date.

Contact

Through the contact page, or by replying to any newsletter email.