Last Updated: April 22, 2025
Grist Magazine, Inc. (“Grist,” “we” or “us”), respects your privacy and has adopted policies and procedures to ensure that information collected on our website about visitors (“you”) is handled responsibly. This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes the privacy practices of www.grist.org (“website”). Use of this website is also subject to our Terms of Use.
This Policy outlines:
- Does Grist collect information from children?
- What personal information does Grist collect?
- Does Grist collect anonymous website user information?
- Does Grist disclose information to third parties?
- How do I update my communications preferences or update the information Grist has about me?
- Are there any data rights I may be entitled to?
- What other information should I know about Grist’s data practices?
- How can I contact Grist?
1. Information from Children
This website is a general audience website that is not targeted to children under the age of 13. The website does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. In order to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, we ask that you not provide personal information to us if you are under the age of 13. We urge parents and guardians to supervise their children’s website browsing.
2. Information Collection and Use – Personal Information
The website only collects the personal information that you provide to us. Personal information includes data such as your name, street address, email address, or telephone number.
If you want to learn more about the personal information that Grist has about you, or you would like to update, change, or delete that information by clicking here, please email us at privacy@grist.org.
Registration
Visitors must register in order to use certain features of our website. During registration, a visitor is required to provide contact information such as name, email address, and mailing address. We use this information to contact you about features and services that we believe may interest you. Registration data may also include demographic information such as your gender or age, and subject matter preferences, so that we can effectively tailor editorial content according to our visitors’ interests.
Requests, Orders and Customer Service
When a visitor asks us to provide information or a service, we request information to enable us to respond to the visitor. This information could include contact information such as name, email address, and mailing address and, if applicable, financial, payment, or billing information.
Email Addresses
If a visitor wishes to subscribe to an e-newsletter or make a donation, we collect registration information including the visitor’s name and email address. We occasionally send registered visitors email messages about features on our website, promotions, events, donation appeals, sponsored emails from other organizations, or other information that may be of interest to them. You may change your email preferences or unsubscribe from email communications at any time (please see the “Updating Your Communication Preferences and Personally Identifiable Information” section below).
3. Information Collection and Use – Automatically Collected Data
We also automatically collect certain information about you and your computer, smartphone, or other device when you use, access, or interact with our website. For more information on some of the topics below, please see our Cookie Policy.
Profile
Each time you visit our website, our web server receives information from your computer such as your Internet protocol (IP) address, domain name, referral data (e.g., the address of the website you visited before clicking through to our website), and browser and platform type. We store this information using cookies, log files, or user profiles. A profile consists of information we store about individual visitors that details their viewing preferences. We automatically combine this collected log information with other user-provided information. We keep copies of this data in a secure data environment that allows us to analyze and improve services for our readers. Grist may use profile information to offer promotions to visitors, improve or customize the content of the site for a visitor, or direct certain types of information to a visitor. We may share aggregate profile information (without individually identifying information) with third parties.
Cookies
A cookie is a small data file stored on a visitor’s computer that contains information about the visitor. We use both session ID cookies and persistent cookies. A session ID cookie terminates once a visitor closes his or her browser. A persistent cookie is a small text file stored on the visitor’s hard drive for an extended period of time. Persistent cookies enable us to track and target the interests of our visitors so we can enhance the visitor experience on our site.
We use cookies to count the number of visitors to our website; the cookie enables us to distinguish repeat visitors from new visitors. Persistent cookies can be removed by following your browser help file directions. If visitors decline cookies, some portions of our site that depend on cookies may be inaccessible or slower to access.
We, or a data provider we have engaged, may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser to enable you to receive customized ads, content or services. No personally identifiable information is placed into these cookies. The cookies may reflect de-identified demographic or other data linked to data you voluntarily have submitted to us, e.g., your email address, in hashed, non-human readable form. To learn more about these cookies or learn how to opt out, please go to our Cookie Policy.
Web Beacons
We may employ software technology called “web beacons” (also known as a “clear gif” or “web bug”) that help us better manage content on our site by informing us what content is most popular and most effective. Clear gifs are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, and are used to track the online movements of website visitors. Clear gifs are invisible on the page and can be embedded in a web page or in an email to transmit information, which could include personal information..
Emails we send may also contain web beacons in the form of a bit of code that allows us to understand the time and date of when a user has opened an email and when he/she has utilized a link within the email to visit a website. Our web beacons do not collect personally identifiable information. Users wishing to disable our web beacons should do so by turning images “off” in their email client (e.g., Outlook, Outlook Express). Please see your email client for more information.”
Log Files
Like most websites, we use log files to track visitors’ access to our website. This log file includes IP addresses, browser type, Internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, and number of clicks. We use this information to analyze trends, administer the site, track visitor movement in the aggregate, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use.
4. Information Disclosure to Third Parties
We do not disclose information from or about you except as described in this Policy.
Legal Requirements
We may need to disclose information collected from or about you as required by law, if we have a good-faith belief that disclosure is necessary to comply with a judicial proceeding request, court order or legal process, to assert or defend our legal rights, to enforce our Terms of Use, to protect us or others from violation of legal rights, or to prevent harm to persons or property.
Non-Personal Aggregated and De-identified Information
Sometimes we aggregate or de-identify information so that it can no longer identify you, as defined under applicable laws. We can use and disclose this aggregated or de-identified information for any purpose, unless an applicable law says otherwise. We will maintain and use such information in deidentified form and not attempt to reidentify the information, except where reidentification is allowed by law for particular purposes. In those situations, we will use the re-identified data in a manner consistent with this policy and applicable law. We may share aggregated demographic information with third parties such as foundations providing funding, charitable donors, or third parties with whom we have marketing alliances.
Service Providers
We share personally identifiable information on an as-needed basis with companies that provide services for us. For example, the companies that operate our website, maintain our computers, and prepare our postal mailings need access to the information necessary to perform their tasks. Likewise, the companies that administer features on our website, or that provide professional or logistics services to us may receive information about visitors in order to perform their work for us.
Business Transitions
Your personally identifiable information and anonymized data collected about you may be transferred in connection with a business transition — for example, if Grist merges with another entity, is acquired by another entity, or sells a portion of its assets.
Public Postings
Our website provides numerous opportunities for visitors to express their opinions and views, which are subject to the standards of conduct in our Terms of Use. Content you submit to these forums will be made publicly available. For example, letters to the editor, letters to Grist’s advice columnist, statements made in an online discussion forum or comment thread will be made publicly available and attributed to you, subject to Grist’s sole discretion. You should be careful not to post anything that you do not wish to be publicly available, such as your personal contact information or sensitive information. Once information is made publicly available on our website (no matter how long it may remain available), it may be copied or downloaded by other persons, and Grist has no control over who may obtain the information or what they may do with it.
Surveys & Polls
We occasionally conduct surveys and polls. Participation in these is completely voluntary. Non-personal demographic information collected in surveys or polls will be used to monitor and improve the website. If a survey or poll requests personally identifiable information, that information will only be used for the purpose disclosed at the point of collection.
Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting
We partner with certain third parties to obtain the automatically collected information discussed above and to engage in analysis, auditing, research, and reporting. These third parties may use web logs or web beacons, and they may set and access cookies on your computer or other device. In particular, this website collects data about you and your visits via Google advertising cookies and anonymous identifiers, in addition to data collected through a standard Google Analytics implementation. This non-personally identifiable data includes information about your demographics and general interests. We do not facilitate the merging of personally-identifiable information with non-personally identifiable information collected through these means. You may opt out of the collecting of this information.
Interest-based Advertising and AdWords Remarketing
The website also enables third-party tracking mechanisms to collect information about you and your computing devices for use in online interest-based advertising. For example, third parties may use the fact that you visited our Site to target online ads to you. In addition, our third-party advertising networks might use information about your use of our Site to help target advertisements based on your online activity in general. The use of online tracking mechanisms by third parties is subject to those third parties’ privacy policies, and not this Policy. For information about interest-based advertising practices, including privacy and confidentiality, visit the Network Advertising Initiative website or the Digital Advertising Alliance website.
In particular, this website uses the Google AdWords remarketing service to advertise on third party websites (including Google) to previous visitors to our site. This could be in the form of an advertisement on the Google search results page, or a site in the Google Display Network. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on someone’s past visits to Grist. Of course, any data collected will be used in accordance with our own privacy policy and Google’s privacy policy.
You can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Preferences page, or you can opt out of interest-based advertising entirely by cookie settings. If you prefer to prevent third parties from setting and accessing cookies on your computer or other device, you may set your browser to block cookies. Additionally, you may remove yourself from the targeted advertising of companies within the Network Advertising Initiative by opting out here, or of companies participating in the Digital Advertising Alliance by opting out here. Our website does not currently respond to “do not track” browser headers. More information can also be found in our Cookie Policy.
5. Updating Your Communications Preferences and Personal Information
For personal information inquiries and requests please email us at privacy@grist.org.
6. Your Privacy Rights
If you want to learn more about the personal information that Grist has about you, or you would like to update, change, or delete that information, please contact us by email at privacy@grist.org.
You may opt out of receiving marketing emails from us by clicking here following the instructions in those emails or by emailing us at privacy@grist.org.
If you are a resident of a jurisdiction with an applicable data privacy law, you may have certain rights available to you in relation to your personal information. These rights may include:
- The right to access your personal information (including a data portability request);
- The right to correct or amend any personal information we have on file about you;
- The right to delete your personal information;
- The right to limit the use of your “sensitive” personal information;
- The right to opt-out of the sale or “sharing” of your personal information;
- The right to opt-out of the use of your personal information for targeted advertising purposes;
- The right to restrict or object to the processing of your personal information (such as for direct marketing purposes);
- The right to restrict or opt-out of the use of your personal information for certain automated decision-making (including profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects);
- The right to revoke your consent (to the extent applicable);
- The right to confirm whether personal information about you is being processed;
- The right to obtain a list of specific third parties (or categories of third parties) to which we have disclosed your personal information or any personal information.
To exercise any of the rights listed above, please contact us via email at privacy@grist.org. Additionally, you may exercise your privacy rights by clicking on this link.
We will respond to your request as soon as reasonably possible and within the timeframe required under applicable law. We will allow you to appeal any decision we make in response to such request in accordance with applicable law. Appeals may be submitted to [insert email address] with the subject line “Appeal of Decision Related to Privacy Rights Request.”
Prior to complying with your request, we will first verify your identity by comparing the information you provide with the information we have on file for you.
You may authorize an agent to make a request on your behalf. To designate an agent, please provide a written and signed document by both you and the agent that authorizes the agent to act on your behalf. You may also use a power of attorney. We will still require you to provide information to allow us to reasonably verify that you are the person about whom we collected personal information.
7. Other Information
Security
We take physical, technical and administrative precautions to protect our visitors’ information from unauthorized access or use. Notwithstanding these measures, no transmission of data over the Internet or any other public network, or any online service, can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.
Data Retention
We retain personal information about you necessary to fulfill the purpose for which that information was collected or as required or permitted by law. We do not retain personal information longer than is necessary for us to achieve the purposes for which we collected it. When we destroy your personal information, we do so in a way that prevents that information from being restored or reconstructed.
Links to Third Party Websites
This website contains links to third party websites that offer products, services, and features that may be of interest to Grist visitors. User-created content such as comments or profile pages also may include links to or addresses for third-party websites. Grist is not responsible for the privacy and security practices of those third-party sites; this Policy does not govern those websites. We encourage our visitors to be aware when they leave our website and to read the privacy policies and terms of use of each website that they visit.
Third-Party or Co-branded Features
Grist periodically collaborates with other companies to offer special features through our website, such as our comment forums or jobs board. Because these offerings are not provided by Grist, they are subject to the third party’s privacy policies and procedures.
Notification of Changes
If we update our Privacy Policy, we will post those changes to this web page and revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage our visitors to review this Policy each time they visit our website.
International Users and Jurisdiction
This website is published in the United States. Information collected on this website is subject to the laws of the United States, and US law shall govern in any and all disputes, including privacy or defamation issues. Grist may subcontract the processing of your data to, or otherwise share your data with, affiliates or third parties in the United States or countries other than your country of residence. The data protection laws in these countries may be different from, and less stringent than, those in your country of residence. By using the website or by providing any personal or other information to us, you expressly consent to such transfer and processing.
8. Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns regarding this Policy, please contact us or send them to Webmaster c/o Grist, PO Box 12710, Seattle WA 98111.
