Privacy Policy
1. Information We Collect
Story Submissions : When you submit a dating horror story, we collect whatever details you choose to share. This might include your email address (so we can follow up if needed), general location info (like “somewhere in Brooklyn” rather than your exact address), and the juicy details of your dating disaster.
Website Usage : Like most websites that aren’t stuck in 2003, we use cookies and analytics to understand how people use our site. We track things like which stories are most popular (spoiler: it’s usually the ones involving food poisoning or unexpected pets), how long people stay on the site, and what devices they’re using.
Email Communications : If you sign up for our newsletter or submit a story, we’ll have your email address. We use this to send updates, respond to submissions, and occasionally share particularly unbelievable stories that land in our inbox.
2. How We Use Your Information
Publishing Stories : We use the stories you submit to entertain our readers and document the wild landscape of modern dating. All stories are published anonymously unless you specifically request credit (and honestly, most people prefer to remain anonymous when discussing their worst dates).
Site Improvement : We analyze website usage data to make the site better. If everyone’s bouncing off our homepage immediately, we know something’s wrong (probably our choice in header font).
Communication: We might email you about your submission, send newsletter updates, or reach out if we need clarification on whether that story about the person who brought their mother to a Tinder date was actually real.
3. Information We Don't Collect
We don’t ask for your social security number, your mother’s maiden name, or a detailed analysis of your dating history. We’re not building a comprehensive profile of your romantic failures – we’re just here for the good stories.
We also don’t track your dating app activity (we’re not that invasive) or try to match stories with real dating profiles (we’re not detectives, just storytellers).
4. How We Protect Your Information
Anonymization: All published stories are scrubbed of identifying information. Names become “Brad” or “Jessica,” specific locations become general areas, and that oddly specific detail about your date’s collection of vintage lunch boxes gets changed to something equally weird but less identifiable.
Data Security :We use standard security measures to protect your information. Our servers are more secure than most people’s dating app passwords (please stop using “password123”).
Limited Access: Only our core team has access to submission emails and user data. We’re a small group, and we’ve all signed agreements not to gossip about submissions at parties (though the temptation is real).
5. Sharing Your Information
What We Share: We share anonymized, edited versions of your stories with our readers. That’s literally why you submitted them.
What We Don’t Share: We don’t sell your email addresses to spam companies, share your personal information with advertisers, or provide your data to dating apps trying to improve their algorithms. Your information stays with us unless required by law or if you specifically ask us to share it.
Third-Party Services : We use some third-party services like Google Analytics, email management tools, and web hosting. These companies have their own privacy policies, and we choose vendors that align with our commitment to user privacy.
6. Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies to remember your preferences and track site usage. These aren’t the good kind of cookies (unfortunately), but they help us understand what content resonates with readers and improve the site experience.
You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though some site features might not work as smoothly. It’s like trying to navigate dating apps without notifications – technically possible, but not ideal.
7. Your Rights
Access and Correction : Want to know what information we have about you? Just ask. Want to correct something in a story you submitted? We can probably work with that, depending on whether it’s already published.
Deletion: If you want us to delete your information, we’ll do our best to comply. Keep in mind that if your story is already published anonymously, removing it might be tricky (and might disappoint the readers who loved it).
Opt-Out : You can unsubscribe from our emails anytime. Unlike some dating apps, we won’t make you jump through seventeen hoops or guilt you into staying.
8. International Users
9. Changes to This Policy
10. Contact Information
Questions about this privacy policy? Concerns about how we handle your information? Want to submit a story about someone who violated your privacy on a dating app? Reach out to us.
Email: newsletter@mekanismmag.com
Subject Line Suggestion: “Privacy Question (Not a Dating Horror Story)”
We actually read and respond to these emails, unlike that person who matched with you three months ago and still hasn’t replied to your opener.
A Final Note : We know privacy policies are about as exciting as reading someone’s dating app bio that just says “ask me,” but we take your privacy seriously. Your trust means everything to us, and we’re committed to protecting your information while sharing the stories that make us all feel a little less alone in the dating world.
After all, your dating disasters are safe with us – we’ve probably heard worse.