Privacy policy

Who we are

Commons Healthcare, a narrative journalism podcast, and the newsletter Healthcare People are published by Commons Media (“we,” “us”). This policy explains what personal information we collect on commonshealthcare.com and through our newsletter and podcast, why we collect it, and the choices available to you.

If you have questions, write to hey@commonshealthcare.com.

What we collect and why

Newsletter sign-ups. When you subscribe, we collect your first name, last name, and email address, plus whether you checked the optional box to be contacted about partnership or sponsorship opportunities, and which page you signed up from. We use this to send you Healthcare People and updates about new episodes and, if you opted in, to contact you about partnerships or sponsorships. Subscriptions are handled by beehiiv, our newsletter platform.

Email activity. When we send Healthcare People, beehiiv records whether each email is opened, which links are clicked, and technical details such as your approximate location and device. We use this to see what readers find useful. We can see it for individual subscribers as well as in totals.

Contact forms. If you write to us through the story tip, pitch, press, or partnership forms, we collect your name, email address, organization (if you give one), the topic you choose, and your message. We use that data to respond to you, and we may also use tips and pitches to report and decide on stories. Messages reach us by email and aren’t stored in our website’s database. Note: Email isn't a secure channel for sensitive tips. 

Listening to episodes. Our audio files are hosted by beehiiv and played through Podtrac, which counts downloads. When you press play, Podtrac and beehiiv receive technical information such as your IP address and the device or app you use. Audio isn’t loaded when you simply visit a page.

Security and site logs. Our web host and its network provider, Cloudflare, log technical information such as IP addresses, browser type, and the pages requested, to keep the site secure and running. Our forms also keep a scrambled version of your IP address for about ten minutes to limit spam.

Website analytics. If you click Accept on our cookie notice, we use Google Analytics to see which pages people visit, how they found us (for example, from a social post), and what they click or play. It records your approximate location, your device and browser, and the pages you view, using cookies. If you click Decline, we don’t load Google Analytics. We’ve turned off Google’s advertising features.

How we use data

We use personal information to run the site, the podcast, and the newsletter: to send you Healthcare People and updates about new episodes, to answer your messages, to see how people use the site and what readers find useful, to keep the site secure and prevent spam and fraud, and to comply with the law. We only use it for other purposes with your consent.

Our legal bases (EU and UK)

If you are in the EU or UK, we rely on your consent for our newsletter and for analytics cookies, which you can withdraw at any time. We rely on our legitimate interests in running and securing the site, understanding how it is used, and answering your messages, as long as those interests are not outweighed by your rights. We also process information when the law requires it.

Cookies and similar technologies

With your permission, Google Analytics sets cookies that help us tell new visitors from returning ones. If you decline, no analytics cookies are set. Cloudflare may set a short-lived cookie to protect the site from automated traffic, and the site stores small items in your browser, such as your cookie choice, your accessibility preferences, or whether you’ve closed a pop-up. We don’t use advertising cookies.

You can change your choice at any time using the Cookie settings link in the footer. If your browser sends the Global Privacy Control signal, we treat it as a decline. We don’t currently respond to the older “Do Not Track” browser setting, because there is no common standard for it.

Who we share information with

We share information only with the services that help us run the site and the show: beehiiv (newsletter sending and audio hosting), Podtrac (podcast measurement), Google (Analytics, if you accept), our website host and its network provider, and the email services we use to receive your messages. They may use the information to provide their services to us, subject to their own privacy policies. We don’t sell your personal information or share it for targeted advertising. When you ask us to send your details to a specific sponsor or publication, that’s a disclosure you direct, and we make it only with your agreement.

Newsletter recommendations. We may recommend other newsletters, and other publications may recommend ours, through beehiiv’s Recommendations feature. If you choose to subscribe to a newsletter we recommend, beehiiv shares your email address with that publication, which then handles it under its own privacy policy. If you join Healthcare People through another publication’s recommendation, we receive your email address from beehiiv. We may be paid when readers subscribe to publications we recommend, but your email address is shared with a publication only if you choose to subscribe to it.

Sponsors and advertising

Sponsors can reach you through our podcast, newsletter, and events. By default, they receive only combined totals, such as how many people listened or clicked, and not your name, email address, or other personal details.

Sometimes we offer something with a sponsor, such as a report, webinar, event, or newsletter. When you sign up for one, we’ll tell you on the sign-up form which sponsor will receive your details, what they’ll receive, and why, and we’ll share them only if you agree. After that, the sponsor handles your information under its own privacy policy. Agreeing is never required to subscribe to Healthcare People or listen to the podcast.

If you click a sponsor’s link, the sponsor may measure that click on its own site, and its own privacy policy applies.

Your choices and rights

You can unsubscribe from Healthcare People at any time using the link in every email. To see, correct, or delete the personal information we hold about you, or to opt out of partnership outreach, write to hey@commonshealthcare.com and we’ll respond within 30 days.

If you are in the EU, UK, or Switzerland, you may also have the right to access and get a copy of your information, to have it corrected or erased, to restrict or object to how we use it, and to move it elsewhere. You can withdraw consent at any time, which doesn’t affect what we did before. You can also complain to your local data protection authority, such as the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK or your national authority in the EU.

Your US state privacy rights

We offer these rights to everyone, wherever you live. You can ask to know whether we process your personal information and to access it, to correct it, to delete it, to get a copy of it, and to opt out of its sale, of targeted advertising, and of certain profiling. We won’t treat you differently for using these rights.

What we collect. In the past twelve months we collected identifiers (name, email address, IP address), internet or network activity (pages viewed, links clicked, email opens and clicks, audio plays), approximate location (from your IP address), professional information (the organization you tell us about in a contact form), and the content of the messages you send us. We don’t collect biometric, financial, or purchase information. Our contact forms are open text, so please don’t send sensitive personal information, such as your own medical or financial details, unless you want us to have it.

Selling and sharing. We don’t sell your personal information, and we don’t share it for targeted advertising. Google’s advertising features are turned off in our analytics, and analytics data goes to Google only if you click Accept. If you’d rather not send it, click Decline or use the Cookie settings link in the footer.

How to use your rights. Write to hey@commonshealthcare.com or use commonshealthcare.com/contact. To protect you, we may need to confirm it is you by matching details you give us with what we hold. An authorized agent can make a request for you with your written permission. If we decline a request, you can appeal by replying to our decision, and we’ll answer in writing within the time the law allows. If your appeal is denied, you can contact your state attorney general.

Global Privacy Control. If your browser sends the Global Privacy Control signal, we treat it as a request to opt out: we won’t load analytics, and we won’t sell or share your information.

How long we keep data

We keep newsletter subscriber information, including your email activity, while you’re subscribed. If you unsubscribe, we keep your email address on a do-not-contact list so we don’t email you again; you can ask us to delete the rest. We keep contact messages for as long as needed to respond and keep a reasonable record, generally no more than 24 months. Google Analytics deletes visitor-level data after 14 months; we keep only combined totals after that. Security logs kept by our web host and Cloudflare are retained for limited periods set by those providers.

Security

We use HTTPS to protect information as it travels between your browser and our site. Our newsletter connection key is stored on the server and never shown on a page, and form messages aren’t kept in the website’s database. No online service is perfectly secure, so we can’t guarantee absolute security.

Where information is processed

Our service providers may process information in the United States and other countries. We use well-known providers, and each explains in its own privacy policy how it handles transfers between countries.

Children

Our site and newsletter are for a general adult audience and aren’t directed to children under 16. If you believe a child has given us personal information, write to us and we’ll delete it.

Links to other sites

Our pages link to podcast apps, social networks, and other sites, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Those sites have their own privacy practices, and this policy doesn’t cover them.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the site or the law changes. We’ll post the new version here with a new “last updated” date, and if a change is significant, we’ll say so on this page or in the newsletter.

Contact us

Commons Media
hey@commonshealthcare.com