Effective Date: January 1, 2026 | Last Updated: April 1, 2026
The Metro ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit our website themetro.site and interact with our services, including our newsletter and contact forms. Please read this policy carefully. If you disagree with its terms, please discontinue use of our site.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information you provide directly to us, including when you:
- Subscribe to our newsletter (name, email address)
- Submit our contact form (name, email, message content)
- Submit a news tip (contact details you choose to provide)
- Comment or interact with content on our platform
We also collect certain information automatically when you visit our site, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, device identifiers, and pages viewed. This information is collected via cookies and similar tracking technologies.
2. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate our website, understand usage patterns, and improve your experience. Cookies are small data files stored on your device. We use the following types:
- Essential cookies: Required for the site to function (e.g., session management, security). These cannot be disabled.
- Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our content (e.g., page views, traffic sources). We use anonymized analytics data only.
- Preference cookies: Remember your settings, such as your cookie consent choice.
You may control non-essential cookies via the cookie consent banner displayed on your first visit, or through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect site functionality. We do not sell data to advertisers or use third-party behavioral advertising cookies.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Deliver and improve our journalism and services
- Send our newsletter to subscribers who have opted in
- Respond to contact form submissions and news tips
- Analyze site performance and reader engagement
- Comply with legal obligations and protect our rights
- Prevent fraud and ensure platform security
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for their independent marketing purposes.
4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR / CalOPPA)
For users in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or California, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:
- Consent: When you subscribe to our newsletter or submit a form
- Legitimate interests: For website analytics and security
- Legal obligation: When required by applicable law
5. Data Retention
We retain newsletter subscriber data for as long as you remain subscribed, plus 30 days after unsubscription. Contact form submissions are retained for up to 12 months. Analytics data is retained in anonymized form. You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 7).
6. Data Security
We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include encrypted data transmission (TLS/SSL), access controls, and regular security reviews. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data
- Deletion: Request erasure of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
- Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Opt-out: Unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via the link in any email
- Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent
To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@themetro.site. We will respond within 30 days.
8. Third-Party Services
Our site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their policies. We use limited third-party services to operate our platform (e.g., hosting, analytics), and we require these providers to handle your data in compliance with applicable privacy laws.
9. Children's Privacy
Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us immediately at privacy@themetro.site.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. We will post the revised policy on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy regularly. Continued use of our site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy, please contact our Privacy Team:
- Email: privacy@themetro.site
- Mail: The Metro Privacy Team, 1250 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 3400, New York, NY 10020