Last updated: April 10, 2026
The Mountain Messenger (“we,” “us,” “our”) operates the website themountainmessenger.org (the “Site”). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you use the Site, create an account, subscribe, or interact with our features.
By using the Site, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.
Account and authentication: If you register or sign in, we use Firebase Authentication (Google). Depending on how you sign in, we may process your email address, display name, profile photo URL, and authentication provider (for example email/password, Google, or Facebook). For new social sign-ins, we may create a user profile record in our database with email, display name, and photo URL.
Subscriptions and payments: If you purchase or manage a subscription, Stripe processes payment and billing details. We associate subscription status with your account as needed to provide access.
Newsletter: If you are signed in, we may use your account email to register you for our mailing list through our email service (see Mailchimp below).
Communications: If you contact us (for example via email links on the Site), we receive whatever information you choose to send.
Usage and analytics: We use Google Analytics (Google tag / gtag) and Vercel Analytics to understand how the Site is used (for example pages viewed, device and browser characteristics, and general traffic patterns). We also send custom analytics events related to features such as article reading, subscription steps, and sign-in flows. Google’s services may use cookies or similar technologies; see Google’s policies for how they process data.
Paywall and free article limits: To enforce limits on free article views, we set a first-party, HTTP-only cookie (tmm_reader_id) containing a random identifier (not your name or email). We store counts and timing of article access in our server-side cache (Upstash Redis) keyed to that identifier. If the cookie is not available, we may associate a new identifier with your IP address temporarily in cache so that disabling cookies does not reset your limit on every request.
Reading history (on your device): The Site may store recent article titles and slugs in your browser’s local storage to power a “reading history” feature. This stays on your device unless you clear it.
Server logs and hosting: Our hosting provider (Vercel) and related infrastructure may log IP addresses, request metadata, and similar technical data for security and operations.
Location and weather (approximate): Weather features use fixed regional locations (for example named towns) with OpenWeather on the server. If you use features that resolve a map position to a place name, our servers may call Google Maps services with coordinates you or the page supplies; results may be cached server-side.
News articles and pages are managed with Sanity. Content you view is delivered from Sanity’s systems according to their terms.
We use the information above to:
Provide and improve the Site, including articles, search, weather, events, and account features
Authenticate users and maintain sessions
Operate paywalls and subscription access
Process payments and manage subscriptions (Stripe)
Send transactional or service emails (for example through Firebase-related auth flows) and, where applicable, newsletter messages (Mailchimp)
Measure audience and product usage (Google Analytics, Vercel Analytics, custom events)
Secure the Site, debug issues, and comply with law
We may share information with:
Service providers who assist us under contract, including: Google (Firebase, Analytics, Maps), Stripe, Vercel, Sanity, Mailchimp, Upstash, and OpenWeather, each according to their roles and our configuration.
Professional advisers where permitted by law.
Authorities when required by law or to protect rights and safety.
We do not sell your personal information for money as commonly understood in U.S. state privacy laws. Analytics and advertising partners may use data as described in their own policies (notably Google).
Social sharing: Share buttons link to third-party sites (for example Facebook, X, LinkedIn). If you use those links, those platforms’ privacy policies apply.
Donations: Donation flows may redirect to a Stripe-hosted donation page; Stripe’s privacy notice applies there.
We use cookies (including our paywall cookie), local storage, and analytics scripts as described above. You can control cookies through your browser; blocking some cookies may limit paywall metering accuracy or certain features.
We retain information as long as needed for the purposes above, including legal, accounting, and subscription obligations. Server-side access counts and caches are subject to TTL/expiry in our Redis configuration. Account and billing records follow normal business and legal retention periods.
We use industry-standard measures appropriate to the nature of the Site. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export personal information, or to opt out of certain processing (for example targeted advertising, where applicable). To exercise rights, contact us using the information below. You may also use controls in your Google, Facebook, or email accounts for SSO, and browser or device settings for cookies and local storage.
Newsletter: You can unsubscribe using links in marketing emails where provided, or by contacting us.
The Site is not directed at children under 13 (or the age required in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
If you access the Site from outside the United States, your information may be processed in the United States and other countries where our providers operate.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the revised policy on the Site and update the “Last updated” date.
For privacy questions or requests, contact The Mountain Messenger at team@themountainmessenger.org or (530) 289-3262.