Privacy Policy

Quiet the Machine ("we," "us," or "the site") is an independent editorial publication and research directory examining the effects of artificial intelligence on human cognition, psychology, relationships, and culture. This policy explains what information we collect when you visit quietthemachine.com, how we use it, and what choices you have.

We have tried to write this in plain language. If anything here is unclear, email us at joe@clikt.com.

The short version

• You can read everything on this site without an account and without giving us any personal information.
• We do not use advertising trackers, and we do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with anyone for their own marketing purposes.
• We collect your email address only if you choose to give it to us — by subscribing to our newsletter, submitting a pitch, or creating an account.
• You can unsubscribe or ask us to delete your information at any time.

Who we are

Quiet the Machine is published by Joe Jurczyk. The site is designed and managed by CLIKT (clikt.com).

For any privacy questions or requests, contact:
Email: joe@clikt.com
General inquiries: info@clikt.com
Web: CLIKT contact page

Information you give us

We only receive the personal information you choose to provide:

Newsletter subscription. If you sign up for our newsletter (The Dispatch), we collect your email address and the date you subscribed.

Pitches and submissions. If you use the submission form on our About page, we collect the name, email address, and message you enter. A copy is emailed to the editor so we can read and reply to it.

Accounts. If you create an account to sign in to the site, we receive your name, email address, and (if you sign in with a third-party provider such as Google) a profile image and an account identifier from that provider. We never receive or store your password for those providers. Accounts are optional — all published content on this site remains free to read without one.

Information collected automatically

Server logs. Like nearly all websites, our servers record basic technical information about requests — IP address, browser type and version, the pages requested, referring page, and timestamps. We use these logs to keep the site running, diagnose errors, and protect against abuse. They are not used to build profiles of individual readers.

Local storage. We store a small amount of information in your own browser to remember your preferences — for example, whether you have chosen light or dark mode. This stays on your device and is not transmitted to us.

Session cookies. If you sign in to an account, we set a cookie so the site can keep you signed in. A separate cookie is used by site administrators to access the editorial dashboard. These are strictly functional; we do not use cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking.

What we do not do

• We do not run third-party analytics or advertising scripts on this site.
• We do not use tracking pixels, fingerprinting, or cross-site tracking.
• We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.
• We do not share your email address with other publications, sponsors, or data brokers.

If we ever add analytics — for example, a privacy-respecting page-view counter — we will update this policy before doing so.

How we use your information

We use the information described above only to:

• send you the newsletter you asked for, and confirm your subscription;
• read and respond to pitches, questions, and other messages you send us;
• create and maintain your account, if you choose to make one;
• operate, secure, maintain, and improve the site;
• comply with legal obligations.

We do not use your information to make automated decisions about you, and we do not use it to train machine learning models.

Service providers

We rely on a small number of third-party providers to operate the site. Each receives only what it needs to perform its function.

These providers process data on our behalf and are not permitted to use it for their own purposes. Our servers and database are located in the United States.

If you would prefer that your browser not request fonts from Google, most browsers and content-blocking extensions allow you to block third-party font requests; the site remains fully readable without them.

Email and unsubscribing

Every newsletter email we send includes an unsubscribe link. Clicking it removes you from the mailing list; we will stop sending you the newsletter and will not add you back unless you resubscribe.

We may still send you transactional messages related to something you initiated — for example, a reply to a pitch you submitted or a confirmation related to your account.

Data retention

• Newsletter subscribers: retained until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete your record.
• Pitches and submissions: retained while we are considering them and for a reasonable period afterward as an editorial record, then deleted on request.
• Accounts: retained while your account is active. If you delete your account, we remove your profile information.
• Server logs: retained for a limited period for security and troubleshooting, then rotated out.

Your rights and choices

Wherever you live, you may ask us to:

• tell you what personal information we hold about you;
• correct information that is inaccurate;
• delete your information;
• stop sending you email.

To make any of these requests, email joe@clikt.com. We will respond within a reasonable period, and within any timeframe required by law that applies to you. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom. You have rights under the GDPR including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection. Our legal bases for processing are your consent (for the newsletter), the performance of a contract or steps taken at your request (for accounts and submissions), and our legitimate interests in operating and securing the site (for server logs). You may withdraw consent at any time, and you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

If you are a California resident. Under the CCPA/CPRA you have the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it, to request deletion or correction, and to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined, and we do not use or disclose sensitive personal information for purposes requiring an opt-out.

Children's privacy

This site is intended for a general adult audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact joe@clikt.com and we will delete it.

Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the information we hold, including encrypted connections (HTTPS) across the site, hashed and provider-managed credentials for sign-in, and access controls on the editorial dashboard. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Links to other sites

Our Directory and Events pages link to research, reporting, and events published elsewhere. Those sites have their own privacy practices, and this policy does not apply to them.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the site changes. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above. If the changes are significant — for example, if we begin collecting a new category of information — we will make that clear on the site.

Contact

Questions, requests, or concerns about privacy:

Joe Jurczyk
Quiet the Machine
joe@clikt.com | info@clikt.com
CLIKT contact page