Privacy and cookies
Last updated: 7 November 2026
This page explains what personal data PhiloCrux collects, why we collect it, who handles it, how long we keep it and what choices you have. It covers our website at philocrux.com, our membership and our newsletters.
Who we are
PhiloCrux is an independent publication. It is the controller of your personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK GDPR. PhiloCrux is run by its publisher as a sole trader and is not yet a registered company.
For any privacy question or request, write to contact@philosopheasy.com. We reply within one month.
What we collect and why
| Data | Why we use it | Legal basis (GDPR Art. 6) | How long we keep it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email address and name (if you give one) when you subscribe or become a member | To send the newsletters you chose and to give you access to member content | Contract (membership) and consent (free newsletter) | While your account or subscription exists. After you delete it or unsubscribe we remove the data within 30 days, except records we must keep by law |
| Payment and billing records when you buy a paid membership | To take payment, issue receipts and keep accounts | Contract and legal obligation | Card details are held by Stripe and never by us. We keep invoices and transaction records for as long as tax and accounting law requires |
| Sign-in and session data | To keep you signed in and protect your account | Legitimate interest, and strictly necessary for the service you asked for | Until the session or cookie expires |
| Email delivery and engagement data (whether a newsletter was delivered, opened or clicked) | To deliver newsletters, keep the list clean and see what readers value | Legitimate interest | While you remain a subscriber |
| Page-view statistics from Ghost's built-in analytics | To count visits and see which pieces are read | Legitimate interest. This tool uses no cookies and does not identify you | Aggregated, kept as long as we run the site |
| Analytics through Microsoft Clarity, only if you accept | To see how visitors scroll and click so we can improve the site | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) | Up to 13 months, then Microsoft deletes it |
| Messages you send to contact@philosopheasy.com | To answer you | Legitimate interest | Until the matter is closed, then up to 12 months |
We do not sell personal data. We run no advertising and no advertising cookies. We make no automated decisions that affect you.
You do not have to give us any of this data to read our free articles. If you do not provide an email address, we cannot send you newsletters or open a membership.
Cookies
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Lasts | Needs consent? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ghost-members-ssr and ghost-members-ssr.sig | PhiloCrux (Ghost) | Keeps members signed in | About 6 months | No, essential |
pc-cookie (kept in your browser's local storage, not a cookie) | PhiloCrux | Remembers your cookie choice | 12 months | No, essential |
__stripe_mid and __stripe_sid | Stripe | Fraud prevention while you pay | 1 year and 30 minutes | No, essential for payment security |
__cf_bm (only if set) | Cloudflare | Tells real visitors from automated attacks | 30 minutes | No, essential for security |
_clck | Microsoft Clarity | Recognises a returning visitor by a random ID | 1 year | Yes |
_clsk | Microsoft Clarity | Links page views within one visit | 1 day | Yes |
Clarity runs only if you press "Accept analytics". It records the pages you view, clicks, scrolling and mouse movement. It masks what you type into forms, and we never record signed-in members. We have switched off Clarity's advertising features.
Change your mind at any time. Use "Cookie settings" in the footer of any page. Choosing "Essential only" stops Clarity and deletes its cookies. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we treat it as "Essential only" until you choose otherwise.
Who else handles your data
| Who | What they do for us | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Our hosting provider | Runs the servers that hold the website and membership data | Under a data processing agreement |
| Cloudflare | Delivers the site quickly and protects it from attacks | Global network |
| Stripe | Processes payments | EU, UK and USA |
| Our email delivery provider | Sends newsletters and sign-in emails | Under a data processing agreement |
| Microsoft (Clarity) | Analytics, only with your consent | USA |
Where data leaves the UK or the European Economic Area, the provider relies on approved safeguards such as the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or standard contractual clauses. We share data with no one else unless the law requires it.
Your rights
You can ask us to give you a copy of your data, correct it, delete it, restrict how we use it or move it to another service. You can object to processing based on legitimate interest and withdraw consent at any time. Email contact@philosopheasy.com.
You can also complain to your data protection authority. In the UK that is the Information Commissioner's Office, and in the EU it is the authority in your country of residence.
Children
PhiloCrux is written for adults. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 16. If you think a child has given us personal data, email us and we will delete it.
Security
Membership and payment pages are served over HTTPS. Card details go directly to Stripe. We limit access to member data to what running the publication requires.
Changes
If we change this page in a way that matters, for example by adding a new tool, we will update the date at the top and ask for your cookie choice again.