Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to ThePinkPulse.com. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with transparency and care. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your information when you visit our website, subscribe to our newsletters, or interact with our services.

By using ThePinkPulse.com, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our services.

1. Who We Are

ThePinkPulse.com is a digital LGBTQ+ media company covering news, culture, nightlife, travel, health, and community content across 77+ cities worldwide.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

• Newsletter signup: name, email address, city preference
• Account creation: username, email, password (hashed and never stored in plain text)
• Form submissions: contact forms, advertiser inquiries, contributor applications
• Comments and forum posts: content you submit publicly
• Payment information: processed securely by Stripe — we never store card numbers

Information Collected Automatically

• Cookies and similar tracking technologies
• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, operating system, and device information
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
• Search queries made on our site
• Click patterns and interaction data

Information from Third Parties

• Social media platforms (if you connect your account or share our content)
• Advertising partners and networks
• Analytics providers (Google Analytics)
• Payment processors (Stripe)

3. How We Use Your Information

• To deliver our newsletter and content to your inbox
• To personalize content by city, interests, and preferences
• To process advertising, sponsorships, and business transactions
• To improve the site, user experience, and content quality
• To communicate with you about your account, events, and community updates
• To analyze traffic patterns and audience behavior
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms
• To prevent fraud, spam, and abuse of our platform
• To send transactional emails (account confirmations, password resets)

4. How We Share Your Information

We share data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: Hosting (Vercel/Supabase), email delivery (Resend), payment processing (Stripe), analytics (Google Analytics)
• Advertising Partners: Aggregated, anonymized data for ad targeting — never individual identifiable data
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, with notice to users
• With Your Consent: For any other purpose with your explicit permission

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the site to function. Cannot be disabled.
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences (city, language, theme).
• Analytics Cookies: Google Analytics — help us understand how visitors use the site.
• Advertising Cookies: Google AdSense and advertising partners — used to serve relevant ads.

Third-Party Cookies: Google Analytics, Google AdSense, and our advertising partners may set their own cookies. These are governed by their respective privacy policies.

You can manage cookie preferences through our cookie consent banner or your browser settings. Note that disabling non-essential cookies may affect site functionality.

6. Your Rights and Choices

All Users

• Unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time via the link in any email
• Request access to the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data
• Opt out of targeted advertising

California Residents (CCPA)

• Right to know what personal information is collected and how it is used
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell data)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

European Residents (GDPR)

• Right of access (Article 15)
• Right to rectification (Article 16)
• Right to erasure / "right to be forgotten" (Article 17)
• Right to restriction of processing (Article 18)
• Right to data portability (Article 20)
• Right to object (Article 21)
• Right to withdraw consent at any time
• Right to lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority

To exercise any of these rights, visit our Data Deletion Request page or email privacy@thepinkpulse.com. We respond within 30 days.

7. Data Retention

• Account data: Retained until you request deletion
• Newsletter subscription data: Retained until you unsubscribe
• Published articles and content: 3 years from publication date
• Payment records: 7 years (required by law)
• Analytics data: 26 months
• Email logs: 12 months
• Server logs: 90 days

8. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit, encrypted storage for sensitive data, access controls limiting who can view personal data, regular security audits, and PCI-DSS compliant payment processing through Stripe.

While we take security seriously, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but commit to promptly notifying affected users in the event of a data breach.

9. Children's Privacy

ThePinkPulse.com is intended for users 18 years of age and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at privacy@thepinkpulse.com and we will promptly delete such information.

10. Links to Third-Party Sites

Our website contains links to third-party websites, including event listings, business directories, and partner sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email or through a prominent notice on our website.

Your continued use of ThePinkPulse.com after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Accessibility Statement

Relevant Media Properties, LLC is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We continually improve the user experience for everyone and apply relevant accessibility standards. If you experience accessibility barriers on ThePinkPulse.com, please contact us at privacy@thepinkpulse.com.

13. Terms of Use

By accessing and using ThePinkPulse.com, you agree to use the site for lawful purposes only. You may not use our platform to distribute spam, harmful content, or content that violates the rights of others. Relevant Media Properties, LLC reserves the right to terminate access for users who violate these terms. All content on ThePinkPulse.com is the intellectual property of Relevant Media Properties, LLC or its contributors and may not be reproduced without permission.

14. Contact Information