Privacy at After Asr
After Asr exists to serve readers with clarity and integrity. That includes how we handle data. We aim to collect the minimum information needed to operate the site safely and responsibly, and to explain what we collect, why we collect it, and what choices you have.
1) Scope
This Privacy Policy explains how After Asr (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects information when you visit or interact with AfterAsr.com (the “Site”).
This policy applies to information collected through the Site. It does not apply to third-party websites or services that may be linked from the Site.
2) Our Principles
- Minimize: collect only what we need to operate and improve the Site.
- Be transparent: explain what we collect, why, and what choices you have.
- Protect: use reasonable security measures and restrict access to sensitive data.
- No “sell your data” business model: we do not sell your personal information.
3) Information We Collect
A) Information you provide
You may choose to provide information when you interact with us, such as when you email us or submit a form. This may include your name, email address, message content, and any other information you choose to share.
B) Information collected automatically
Like most websites, our servers and security tools may automatically log limited technical information to help the Site function, prevent abuse, and troubleshoot problems. This may include:
- IP address, often stored in server logs.
- Browser type and device information.
- Pages visited and basic request details.
- Timestamps, referrer URLs, and error logs.
C) Comments, if enabled
If comments are enabled, we may collect the information shown in the comment form, your IP address, and browser user agent string to help with spam detection and moderation.
D) Email subscriptions, if enabled
If you subscribe to a newsletter, we collect your email address and subscription preferences so we can send updates you requested. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails.
4) How We Use Information
We use information to:
- Operate and maintain the Site.
- Respond to messages, requests, tips, or submissions.
- Protect the Site from spam, abuse, and attacks.
- Understand what content is helpful in aggregate so we can improve.
- Comply with legal obligations when required.
| Category | Contact and form submissions |
|---|---|
| Used for | Responding, editorial review, and operational communication |
| Category | Server logs and security logs |
| Used for | Security, abuse prevention, performance, and troubleshooting |
5) AI, Authorship & Bylines
After Asr publishes on a daily cadence. A publication that keeps that pace owes its readers an account of how the writing is made, so here it is without euphemism.
A) How the essays are produced
Essays on this Site are produced with substantial assistance from artificial intelligence and are reviewed by the editorial desk before publication. Editorial judgement about what runs, what is corrected, and what is withdrawn rests with people.
B) What the bylines mean
The names on our articles are section bylines used by the editorial desk. They mark the subject area and editorial voice a piece belongs to, in the way a newspaper masthead assigns a desk. They are not the biographies of separate individual journalists, and you should not read them as such.
C) What AI is never used for here
- Your information is not sent to an AI service. Letters to the editor, form submissions, membership details, and the contents of your email are not fed into any external AI system.
- The Site makes no AI calls. Nothing you type into a page here is passed to a model.
- No decision about a person is automated. Correspondence, membership questions, and corrections are handled by people.
D) Corrections still apply
AI assistance does not lower the standard. Our corrections policy covers every piece on this Site regardless of how it was drafted. If something is wrong, tell us and it gets fixed and marked.
6) Cookies & Similar Technologies
Cookies are small text files stored on your device. Some cookies are necessary for the Site to function properly. Others are optional and used for analytics or personalization.
A) Essential cookies
We may use essential cookies for basic site functions such as security, session integrity, and preferences, for example remembering whether you are logged in if accounts exist.
B) Analytics cookies
We do not set any. After Asr runs no analytics platform, no advertising network and no marketing pixel. There is no Google Analytics here and no equivalent. Nothing on this Site is measuring you as you read.
C) Managing cookies
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling some cookies may impact certain site features.
7) When We Share Information
We do not sell your personal information. We only share information in limited situations:
- Legal requirements: if required to comply with law, legal process, or enforceable governmental request.
- Protection and safety: to protect rights, safety, and security of the Site, our users, or the public.
- Business changes: if the Site is reorganized or transferred, data may be transferred as part of that process.
- Service providers: the ones named below, and no others.
“Service providers” is the phrase every policy hides behind, so here is the actual list and what each one can see. Each is limited to providing its service to us.
| Namecheap | Hosts the Site and carries our mail. Can see everything stored here. |
|---|---|
| Stripe | Processes membership and support payments. Sees your card details, which we never do. |
| Fluent Forms | Runs every form on the Site, including Letters to the Editor. Submissions are stored on our own server, not a vendor cloud. |
| FluentCRM | Holds the newsletter list. Sees name, email, and which issues you opened. |
| FluentSMTP | Sends our mail through our own mail server. No outside email service handles it. |
| Loginizer | Blocks repeated failed sign-in attempts. Sees the IP addresses that make them. |
| WPVivid | Takes backups. They stay on our own hosting account and are blocked from public download. |
| Ameen Systems | Built and maintains the Site over a cryptographically signed connection. Reaches what an administrator reaches, for maintenance we have asked for. |
8) Membership, Payments & Renewals
After Asr offers reader-supported membership tiers. If you never take one, none of this section applies to you and no payment information about you exists.
A) These are recurring
Membership tiers bill every month, automatically, until you cancel. There is no fixed end date and no set number of payments. That is the whole arrangement, stated up front rather than in a footnote.
| Reader Supporter | 9 USD per month, recurring until cancelled |
|---|---|
| Sustaining Member | 22 USD per month, recurring until cancelled |
| Patron Circle | 65 USD per month, recurring until cancelled |
| Institutional Supporter | 125 USD per month, recurring until cancelled |
| Community Partner | 645 USD per month, recurring until cancelled |
B) Who handles the card
Payments are processed by Stripe. Your card number is entered on Stripe’s systems and is never seen or stored by After Asr. We receive confirmation that a payment succeeded, the amount, the tier, and the contact details you gave us.
C) Cancelling
You can cancel at any time and the cancellation takes effect at the end of the period you have already paid for. Email [email protected] or [email protected] and we will action it. We will not require a phone call, make you argue with anyone, or add steps designed to wear you down.
D) One-time support
One-time contributions are exactly that. They do not create a subscription and nothing recurs.
9) Data Retention
We keep information only as long as necessary to operate the Site, respond to requests, and meet legal or security needs. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information:
- Emails and form messages: 24 months after the matter is closed, then deleted.
- Letters to the Editor: kept as part of the editorial record, since a published letter is part of the archive.
- Newsletter subscription: until you unsubscribe, then removed.
- Membership and payment records: for as long as tax and accounting rules require, which is generally seven years.
- Security logs and failed sign-in records: a short rolling window, then discarded.
- Backups: rotated, with older copies removed as new ones are made, so a deletion can take one backup cycle to become final.
10) Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect information. No website can guarantee perfect security, but we take security seriously and work to reduce risk.
If you believe you have discovered a security vulnerability, please report it to [email protected] with the subject line Security.
11) Your Choices & Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including access, correction, deletion, and objection to certain processing.
You can request help by emailing [email protected]. To protect privacy, we may need to verify your request.
12) Children’s Privacy
The Site is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us at [email protected] and we will take appropriate steps.
13) International Visitors
If you access the Site from outside the United States, your information may be processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your location.
14) Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top. If changes are significant, we will make reasonable efforts to provide a more prominent notice.
15) Contact
Questions or concerns about privacy? Email us at [email protected].
Important note
This page is provided for transparency and communication and is not legal advice. If you need formal compliance guidance for your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.