Privacy Policy

Who we are

ListenTrueCrime (listentruecrime.com) is a true crime podcast review and discovery site. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why, and what rights you have over it, in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

The data controller is [CONFIRM: controller/company legal name], [CONFIRM: registered address, if applicable]. For any privacy question or request, contact [CONFIRM: privacy contact email] or see our Contact page.

What we collect

• Newsletter sign-ups — your email address and, optionally, first name, plus which form you signed up through and your consent status. Collected via the sign-up forms in the footer and elsewhere on the site.
• Referrals — every subscriber has a personal referral code. If you sign up using someone else's code, we record that link between your two subscriptions and, once you have confirmed yours, count it towards their reward. We never ask for, collect or store the email address of anyone who has not signed up themselves, and we don't tell a referrer who joined.
• Account sign-in — if you sign in to rate or review podcasts, we collect your email address (for passwordless "magic link" sign-in) or, if you choose "Continue with Google", the name, email address, and profile picture Google shares with us.
• Ratings, reviews, and favourites — content you submit, linked to your account if you're signed in. If you rate a podcast without signing in, your rating is stored only in your browser (local storage) and is not sent to us or linked to you personally.
• Usage and analytics data — standard web analytics (pages viewed, approximate location derived from IP address, device and browser type) via Google Analytics.

Affiliate link clicks — when you click an affiliate link (see our affiliate disclosure), we record which link was clicked, on which page, and when. We don't record your IP address, device details or account, so this record can't identify you. The click is also counted in Google Analytics. Once you arrive on the retailer's site (for example Amazon), its own privacy and cookie policies apply, and it may use cookies to attribute your purchase to us.

Why we collect it, and our lawful basis

• Newsletter emails — with your consent (UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)), which you give explicitly when you submit a sign-up form. You can withdraw this consent at any time.
• Account, ratings, and reviews — to provide the functionality you've asked for (Art. 6(1)(b), necessary to perform our end of that relationship).
• Analytics — our legitimate interest in understanding how the site is used and improving it (Art. 6(1)(f)), balanced against your privacy — see "Cookies" below for how to opt out.

Cookies and local storage

We use:

• Essential cookies set by Supabase to keep you signed in.
• Analytics cookies set by Google Analytics to measure site usage. You can opt out using your browser's cookie settings or an extension such as Google's Analytics opt-out add-on.
• Local storage (not a cookie, stays on your device) for a couple of small preferences: whether you've dismissed the "before you go" pop-up, and, if you rate a podcast without signing in, that rating.

Who we share data with

We don't sell your personal data. We use the following processors to run the site:

• Supabase — our database and authentication provider, which stores your account, ratings, and newsletter subscriber records.
• SendGrid (Twilio) — sends our newsletter and account emails.
• Google — provides Google Analytics, and Google Sign-In if you choose to use it.
• Vercel — hosts the website itself.

Some of these providers may process data outside the UK/EEA. [CONFIRM: confirm each provider's data region and, if outside the UK/EEA, the safeguard relied on — e.g. UK IDTA or SCCs.]

How long we keep your data

We keep newsletter subscriber records for as long as you remain subscribed. Newsletter signups use double opt-in, and we keep a record of when and how you consented (timestamp, the wording shown, and a hashed copy of your IP address). We keep account data for as long as your account is active. If you unsubscribe or ask us to delete your data, we'll remove or anonymise it within a reasonable time, except where we need to keep limited records to comply with a legal obligation.

Shop orders

If you buy from our shop, we (Listen True Crime, a trading name of a sole trader) collect and use:

• Order details — your name, email address, phone number (optional), delivery address, what you ordered, and the amount and status of your payment.
• Discount codes — if you use a discount code, we record which code (and so which campaign) was used on your order.
• Payment — handled entirely by Stripe on its own secure page. We never see or store your card number. Stripe tells us whether payment succeeded.

Why, and our lawful basis. To take payment, make and deliver your order and handle returns (contract, Art. 6(1)(b)); to keep accounting and tax records (legal obligation, Art. 6(1)(c)); and to prevent fraud and keep the shop secure (legitimate interests, Art. 6(1)(f)). Order and dispatch emails are service messages about your purchase. We only send marketing, including our newsletter, if you separately subscribe.

Who receives it.

• Stripe — payment processing and fraud prevention.
• Printify, and the print provider and delivery carrier it uses for your order — they need your name, delivery address, email and phone number to make and deliver it. See Printify's privacy policy for how they use it.
• Our existing providers (Supabase, SendGrid/Resend, Vercel) host the order records and send order emails.

Printify and its print providers may be located outside the UK. Your details may therefore be transferred outside the UK so that your order can be made and delivered.

How long. We keep order records for 6 years, to meet UK tax and accounting requirements, then delete or anonymise them.

Your rights are described below. For shop privacy requests, contact info@listentruecrime.com or see Contact.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Ask us to correct inaccurate data
• Ask us to delete your data
• Restrict or object to certain processing
• Receive your data in a portable format
• Withdraw consent at any time (for the newsletter, use the unsubscribe link in any email, or contact us)
• Complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk) if you think we've mishandled your data

To exercise any of these rights, contact [CONFIRM: privacy contact email] or use our Contact page.

Children

ListenTrueCrime is not directed at children, and we don't knowingly collect data from anyone under 13.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the date at the top of this page.