Privacy Policy for Flame of the West

Effective Date: February 11, 2026

Introduction

At Flame of the West, we are committed to protecting your privacy as a fundamental aspect of individual liberty and personal responsibility—values deeply rooted in conservative principles that emphasize limited interference in personal affairs and respect for self-determination. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you interact with our website, including through purchases, donations, email subscriptions, and other subscription services. By using our site, you consent to the practices described herein.

This policy is designed to comply with applicable laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for users in the European Union, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other relevant U.S. federal and state regulations. We believe in transparency, not just as a legal requirement but as a moral imperative to empower users to make informed decisions about their data, fostering trust in a digital world often dominated by overreaching entities.

To help you learn: Privacy policies like this one serve as a contract between you and the website operator. They explain data practices to avoid surprises and provide legal protection for both parties. Understanding these helps you exercise your rights as a consumer, aligning with conservative ideals of personal accountability and skepticism toward unchecked data collection by big tech or government.

Information We Collect

We collect personal data only when necessary to provide our services, such as delivering podcast content, processing transactions, and communicating with you. We minimize collection to what is essential, rejecting the invasive surveillance models that erode individual freedoms.

1. Personal Data from Purchases and Donations

When you make a purchase (e.g., merchandise, premium content access) or a donation via our website, we collect:

Contact Information: Name, email address, and billing address.
Payment Information: Credit card details, bank account information, or other payment method data (processed securely through third-party payment processors like Stripe or PayPal; we do not store full payment details on our servers).
Transaction Details: Amount, date, and items purchased or donated toward.

This data is collected to fulfill your transaction, issue receipts, and comply with tax obligations. For instance, if you donate to support our podcast on conservative topics like fiscal responsibility or traditional values, we use this to acknowledge your contribution and ensure funds are allocated properly.

To help you learn: Collecting payment data is standard for e-commerce but must be handled with care under laws like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). We prioritize security to prevent breaches that could undermine trust in free-market transactions.

2. Personal Data from Email Subscriptions

If you subscribe to our email newsletter for updates on new episodes, exclusive content, or conservative commentary, we collect:

Contact Information: Email address and, optionally, your name or preferences (e.g., topics of interest like limited government or Second Amendment rights).

This allows us to send you relevant communications, such as episode notifications or calls to action on issues aligned with conservative principles.

To help you learn: Email subscriptions fall under anti-spam laws like the CAN-SPAM Act in the U.S., which requires easy opt-out options. We include unsubscribe links in every email to respect your autonomy.

3. Personal Data from Other Subscriptions

For other subscription services, such as premium memberships, RSS feeds, or app integrations, we may collect:

Account Information: Username, password (hashed and encrypted), and subscription preferences.
Usage Data: Device type, IP address, browser information, and interaction history (e.g., episodes listened to) to personalize content.

If you subscribe via third-party platforms (e.g., Patreon or Substack), we receive data they share, like your subscription status and basic profile info.

To help you learn: Subscriptions often involve "automatically collected" data via cookies or logs, which helps improve services but can raise privacy concerns. We use this sparingly, believing in user control over digital footprints.

4. Automatically Collected Information

Across all interactions, we may collect non-personal data like:

Device and Usage Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, and time spent on site (via tools like Google Analytics, configured to anonymize data where possible).
Cookies and Similar Technologies: To remember preferences, track sessions, and analyze traffic. You can manage these via your browser settings.

We do not collect sensitive data (e.g., race, religion, health) unless voluntarily provided, and we avoid it to uphold principles of non-discrimination and personal privacy.

How We Use Your Information

Your data is used solely for legitimate purposes:

Service Delivery: Processing purchases/donations, sending subscriptions, and providing podcast access.
Communication: Emailing updates, newsletters, or responses to inquiries.
Improvement and Analytics: Analyzing usage to enhance content, such as tailoring episodes on conservative economics or family values.
Legal Compliance: Fulfilling obligations like tax reporting or responding to lawful requests (e.g., subpoenas), while resisting unwarranted government demands to protect user rights.
Marketing: With your consent, promoting related content, but never selling your data to third parties for profit—contrary to the data-broker models we criticize.

To help you learn: Under laws like GDPR, data use must have a "legal basis" (e.g., consent, contract necessity). This section explains that basis, helping you understand why data isn't collected arbitrarily.

Sharing Your Information

We share data only when essential and with safeguards:

Service Providers: With trusted vendors (e.g., payment processors, email services like Mailchimp) bound by confidentiality agreements.
Legal Requirements: If required by law, such as in investigations, but we challenge overbroad requests to defend constitutional protections.
Business Transfers: In mergers or sales, with notice to you.
No Sales: We do not sell your personal data, aligning with conservative opposition to commodifying personal information.

To help you learn: Sharing clauses prevent misuse by requiring data processors to follow similar privacy standards, as mandated by CCPA's "service provider" definitions.

Your Rights and Choices

Empowering you with control over your data is key to our conservative ethos of individual sovereignty:

Access and Correction: Request a copy of your data or corrections.
Deletion: Ask us to delete your information (subject to legal retention requirements).
Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from emails or marketing at any time.
Do Not Sell: Though we don't sell data, California residents can opt-out under CCPA.
Cookies: Opt-out via browser tools or our site settings.

To exercise rights, contact us at info@fotwpod.com. We respond within 30-45 days, as required by law.

To help you learn: These rights stem from privacy laws worldwide, educating users on how to assert them promotes a culture of responsibility rather than reliance on regulators.

Data Security

We employ industry-standard measures like encryption (SSL/TLS for transmissions), firewalls, and access controls to protect your data from unauthorized access. However, no system is infallible, so we encourage personal vigilance, such as using strong passwords.

To help you learn: Security sections address potential liabilities; understanding basics like encryption helps users protect themselves in an era of cyber threats often linked to government or corporate overreach.

Children's Privacy

Our site is not intended for children under 13 (or 16 in some jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If discovered, we delete it promptly.

International Transfers

If you're outside the U.S., data may be transferred to U.S. servers. We use mechanisms like Standard Contractual Clauses for GDPR compliance.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy, posting changes here with the new effective date. Continued use constitutes acceptance. For major changes, we'll notify via email.

To help you learn: Change notifications ensure ongoing consent, a best practice to maintain trust.

Contact Us

Questions? Reach us at info@fotwpod.com.

This policy reflects our dedication to privacy as an extension of freedom—resisting the collectivist tendencies that undermine personal rights.