Privacy Policy
Effective October 1, 2026
Cape Ann Current (capeanncurrent.com and the Morning Current email) is published by K2 Business Strategies LLC, doing business as Cape Ann Current, 82 Wendell Ave, Ste 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why, who we share it with, and the choices you have. Questions go to [email protected].
The short version
- You can read everything on the site without giving us any information.
- We collect only what you give us: your email if you sign up for the Morning Current, payment details through Stripe if you become a member, and whatever you send through our forms.
- We do not sell or rent your personal information, and we do not share it for targeted advertising.
- You can unsubscribe, cancel, or ask us to delete your information at any time.
What we collect and why
| What | When you give it | Why we use it |
|---|---|---|
| Email address and the towns you pick | Signing up for the Morning Current | To send the email you asked for |
| Name, email and billing details | Becoming a member | To process payments, send receipts and the monthly editor's note, and list you as a supporter only if you ask |
| Name, email, town and what you write | Crosscurrents, news tips, event listings, game reports, candidate questionnaires | To review, verify and publish what you sent |
| IP address, browser type, pages viewed, referring site | Any visit | To run and secure the site and count readership in total |
We never see or store your full card number. Stripe collects and processes payment card data under its own privacy policy.
What we publish from you
- Crosscurrents: we publish your entry with your name and town, or anonymous with town only, as you choose. We never publish your email address.
- Tips: we treat tips as confidential and do not publish your name without your permission.
- Events and game reports: the details you submit may be published, edited for length and style.
- Candidate questionnaires: we publish the candidate's answers, name, party, hometown, website and headshot. We never publish the contact name, email or phone of the person who submitted the form.
- Supporters list: your name appears only if you ask for it.
This policy covers information we collect from people who use the site. It does not limit our news reporting, which covers public meetings, public records and community events and may name people involved in them.
Cookies and analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how readers use the site, such as which stories are read and how people find us. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technology to collect information like the pages you view, the time you spend, your general location, your device and browser, and the site that referred you. Google processes this information for us under its own terms. You can learn how Google uses it at How Google uses information from sites that use its services, and you can opt out with the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on or by blocking cookies in your browser. The site works without them.
We do not use Google Analytics advertising features, and we do not use advertising cookies or ad trackers. Stripe sets cookies on its payment pages to prevent fraud. Sponsor messages on our site and in our email are hosted by us and do not track you.
Do Not Track: our site does not change its behavior in response to a browser's Do Not Track signal. Google Analytics, described above, is the only third party that collects information about your visits through our site, and you can opt out of it at any time.
Who we share it with
We share personal information only with companies that help us run the Current, and only so they can do that work:
- Cloudflare: hosting, security, storage of form submissions, and sending the Morning Current and member emails
- Stripe: membership payments
- Google: site analytics through Google Analytics
- Anthropic, Google (Gemini) and OpenAI: artificial intelligence services that help us review and edit reader submissions and prepare stories. We use their business services, whose terms say they do not use our data to train their models. We do not send payment information to these services, and we remove email addresses before sending them reader submissions.
We may also disclose information if the law requires it, for example a valid subpoena or court order. As a news organization, we will resist demands to identify confidential sources or anonymous contributors to the full extent the law allows. If the Current is sold or merged, reader information may transfer to the new owner under this policy.
How long we keep it
- Email list: until you unsubscribe. We keep your address on a do not email list so we honor your choice.
- Membership records: while you are a member, and up to 7 years after for tax and accounting.
- Unpublished submissions: up to 2 years. Published submissions remain part of the published record.
- Server logs: up to 30 days.
How we protect it
We use encrypted connections, limit access to the people who run the Current, and keep reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards. If a security breach affects your personal information, we will notify you as Massachusetts law requires.
Your choices
- Unsubscribe with the link at the bottom of any email.
- Cancel or change your membership at capeanncurrent.com/membership/manage/.
- See, correct or delete your information by emailing [email protected]. We will reply within 30 days and may need to confirm your identity. Deleting your information does not remove published news stories. If you want your name removed from a Crosscurrents entry or other submission you sent, ask and we will review it.
- If a privacy law in your state gives you more rights than this policy describes, we will honor them.
Children
The Current is for a general audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Our forms are for people 13 and older, or for a parent, guardian or coach submitting on a child's behalf. If we learn we collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it. Contact [email protected].
Changes to this policy
We will post any update here with a new effective date. If a change is significant, we will also note it in the Morning Current or on the home page.
Contact
K2 Business Strategies LLC, doing business as Cape Ann Current
82 Wendell Ave, Ste 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201
[email protected]