Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 4, 2026

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly to us and limited technical information needed to operate the site.

When you create or use an account, we may collect:

• Email address for account authentication, password resets, and account-related communication
• Username / display name that may be shown publicly with comments and community activity
• Profile picture if you choose to upload one
• Comments and replies you post on blog stories

We and our service providers may also automatically receive limited technical data such as IP address, browser or device information, approximate location derived from IP, requested pages, and basic server or security logs.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain your account
• Enable comments, profile features, and other community participation features
• Moderate content, investigate abuse, and protect the safety of our community and site
• Respond to questions, support requests, and legal or safety concerns
• Maintain site performance, reliability, and security

3. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect or process your data:

• Firebase (Google) — for authentication, database services, and file storage for account content such as avatars and comments. See Firebase Privacy Policy.
• Cloudflare — for hosting and content delivery. See Cloudflare Privacy Policy.

These providers process data on our behalf or as independent service providers under their own terms and privacy practices.

4. Cookies & Local Storage

Our site uses necessary cookies and browser local storage for functions such as:

• Keeping you signed in through Firebase authentication
• Remembering that you dismissed the site notice banner
• Saving basic site preferences needed for the site to work correctly

Based on the current implementation, we do not use advertising cookies or sell browsing profiles for targeted advertising.

5. Public Content

If you post comments, replies, usernames, profile pictures, or similar community content, that information may be visible to other visitors. Please do not post personal or sensitive information that you do not want others to see.

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell personal information. We may share information:

• With service providers that help us operate the site
• When required by law, legal process, or a good-faith belief that disclosure is necessary
• To investigate abuse, enforce our rules, or protect users, organizers, or the public

7. Data Retention

We keep account and community content for as long as reasonably necessary to operate the site, maintain records, resolve disputes, prevent abuse, and meet legal or operational needs. Public comments may remain visible unless removed by us, by the original poster where supported, or through an approved deletion request.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures, including protections provided through Firebase and Cloudflare, to reduce security risk. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

• Request access to the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your account or other personal data, subject to technical, legal, and safety limitations

You can also update some profile information directly through your account page. You can delete your account at any time from your Account page — this will permanently remove your username, profile picture, and authentication data. Your comments will remain on the site under an anonymized "user deleted" label. Site moderators may also remove comments or issue warnings for violations of our community guidelines. For other privacy or data removal requests, contact us at contact@psma-wa.org. We aim to respond within 14 days.

10. Children's Privacy

Our site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the site.

11. International and Regional Privacy Notice

Our service providers may process or store data in the United States or other jurisdictions. Depending on where you live, you may have additional privacy rights under applicable law. We will consider reasonable requests in light of applicable law and the practical limits of this volunteer-run site.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected on this page by updating the "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the site after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at:

contact@psma-wa.org

This page is provided for general transparency about the site's current practices and is not legal advice.