Privacy Policy

At Digital Citizen, we take your privacy seriously. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable privacy laws.

1. Who We Are

Digital Citizen is a publication focused on EU digital policy, technology news, and practical guides for navigating the digital world. We are the data controller for any personal data collected through this website.

Contact: For privacy-related inquiries, please email us at privacy@digital-citizen.eu.

2. Data We Collect

Newsletter Subscription

When you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect:

• Email address — to send you our newsletter
• Subscription date — for record-keeping
• Confirmation status — to verify your consent (double opt-in)

We use Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), an EU-based email service provider, to manage our newsletter. Brevo processes data in accordance with GDPR.

Website Analytics

We use privacy-friendly analytics that do not use cookies or collect personal data. We only gather anonymous, aggregated statistics about page views and referral sources.

Technical Data

When you visit our website, our hosting provider (Cloudflare) may collect standard server logs including IP addresses for security and performance purposes. This data is retained briefly and not used to identify individuals.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your data only for the following purposes:

• Sending our newsletter (with your consent)
• Improving our website and content
• Ensuring website security and preventing abuse
• Complying with legal obligations

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we process your data based on:

• Consent — for newsletter subscriptions (Article 6(1)(a))
• Legitimate interests — for website security and analytics (Article 6(1)(f))
• Legal obligation — when required by law (Article 6(1)(c))

5. Your Rights

Under GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Access — request a copy of your personal data
• Rectification — correct inaccurate data
• Erasure — request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Restriction — limit how we process your data
• Portability — receive your data in a portable format
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent — unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@digital-citizen.eu.

6. Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary:

• Newsletter subscribers — until you unsubscribe
• Server logs — up to 30 days
• Analytics data — aggregated, no personal data retained

7. Data Transfers

We prioritize EU-based service providers. When data is transferred outside the EU, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (such as Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions).

8. Cookies

This website uses only essential cookies required for basic functionality (such as remembering your dark mode preference). We do not use tracking cookies or third-party advertising cookies.

9. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• Cloudflare (USA) — hosting and CDN, with EU data processing
• Brevo (France) — email newsletter service
• Google Fonts — web fonts (loaded with privacy settings)

10. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Significant changes will be announced on our website. The "last updated" date at the top indicates when changes were made.

12. Contact & Complaints

For privacy concerns, contact us at privacy@digital-citizen.eu.

If you believe we have not addressed your concerns adequately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.