Privacy Policy for MedievalPhilosophy.net
Last Updated: September 30, 2025
We are academics and historians, not data brokers. This website exists to share knowledge about medieval philosophy. We believe your privacy is important, and we want to be transparent about the data we collect and why.
This policy is written in plain English to explain what happens with your information when you visit this site.
The Short Version
We know you’re busy. Here is the summary:
We collect anonymous visitor statistics to understand what articles people find useful.
If you leave a comment, we store your name and email to display the comment and prevent spam.
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we use your email to send you the newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We do not sell your personal data to anyone. Ever.
We use a few trusted third-party services (like an analytics provider and an email service) to make the site work.
That’s it. For a more detailed breakdown, please read on.
The Long Version
1. Who We Are
MedievalPhilosophy.net (referred to as “we” or “us”) is the operator of this website. We are the “data controller” for the information collected here. If you have any questions, you can reach us at contact@medievalphilosophy.net.
2. The Data We Collect and Why
We only collect personal information when you voluntarily provide it for a specific purpose. Here is how that works:
When you browse our website (Analytics):
When you visit our site, we collect anonymous information about your visit. This includes things like which country you’re visiting from, which pages you viewed, and how long you stayed. We cannot use this information to identify you personally. We look at these statistics as a whole to understand which topics are popular and how we can improve the site for everyone.
When you leave a comment:
If you choose to leave a comment on an article, we ask for your name (which can be a pseudonym) and email address. Your name is displayed publicly with your comment. We keep your email address on file but do not display it or share it. We collect this, along with your IP address, to help our system filter out spam and to notify you of replies if you choose.
When you subscribe to our newsletter:
If you sign up for our newsletter, we collect your email address. We use this for one purpose: to send you the newsletter you signed up for. We use a third-party email service to manage our list and send emails. Every newsletter includes a link to unsubscribe immediately.
When you contact us directly:
If you email us or use a contact form, we will have the information you provide (like your name and email address) so we can reply to you. We only use it for the purpose of that conversation.
Embedded Content:
Some of our articles may include embedded content, like a YouTube video or a podcast player. Interacting with this content is like visiting that other website directly. Those services (like YouTube) may collect data about you, use cookies, and monitor your interaction with the content, especially if you have an account and are logged in to their service.
3. Cookies
Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your computer. We use them for a few simple things:
Functionality: If you leave a comment, you can opt-in to save your name and email in a cookie so you don't have to fill in your details again.
Analytics: Our analytics service uses cookies to distinguish between visitors and track how people move through the site. These are anonymous.
You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time, though it may affect how some parts of the website function.
4. Who We Share Data With
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We do, however, use a few trusted third-party services to operate this website. These services have their own robust privacy policies. They include:
An Analytics Provider (e.g., Google Analytics or a privacy-focused alternative) to process anonymous visitor data.
A Web Host that stores the website’s files.
An Email Newsletter Service (e.g., MailChimp, Substack) to manage our mailing list.
These providers are contractually bound to keep your information secure and only use it for the services they provide to us.
5. Your Rights Over Your Data
You have control over your personal information. Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to:
Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification: You can ask us to correct any information you believe is inaccurate.
Erasure (The Right to be Forgotten): You can request that we delete your personal data (for example, your comments).
Object to Processing: You can object to our use of your data for certain purposes (like our newsletter, which you can opt out of).
To exercise any of these rights, please send an email to contact@medievalphilosophy.net. We will respond to your request promptly.
6. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review it periodically.