Your data.
Your business.

1. Who We Are

DeafMonitor ("we," "us," "our") operates deafmonitor.com — a community platform and news aggregator for the global Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you use our Platform.

Contact us about privacy matters at [email protected] or through our contact form.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information — Name, email address, password, and account type (Free, Pro, or Organization).
• Profile Information — Phone number (optional), ZIP code (optional), persona/role, interests, communication preferences, and accessibility preferences (such as captions, larger text, and reduced motion).
• Member Profile (optional) — Signed-in members can complete an optional member profile: a display name, pronouns, how you identify within the Deaf community, the sign languages you use, your approximate location (country, region, and city — never a street address), topics you are interested in, what you are hoping to find on DeafMonitor, and a short introduction. Every field is optional, and you can edit or remove any of it at any time from your dashboard.
• User-Generated Content — Shop listings, content creator profiles, job postings, library resource submissions, Deaf Perspectives posts, AI Forum posts, Wish List suggestions, community directory listings, event suggestions, news tips, and any other content you submit.
• Referral Information — If you join through a referral link, we record the referral code and the referring account so we can credit referrals.
• Payment Information — For paid subscriptions, payment details are collected and processed by our payment processor (Stripe). We do not store your full credit card number on our servers.
• Communications — Messages sent through our contact form, support inquiries, tip submissions, and partner inquiries.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data — Pages visited, features used, time spent on pages, search queries, and navigation patterns.
• Click and Scroll Data — Where on a page you click or tap and how far you scroll, collected by our own heatmap tool. See Section 4.3.
• Device Information — Browser type and version, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Log Data — IP address, access times, referring URLs, and server logs. Retained for 30 days.
• Cookie Data — See Section 4 (Cookie Policy) below for details.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Provide and operate the Platform — Maintain your account, process subscriptions, and deliver the services you request.
• Personalization — Tailor content, recommendations, and your experience based on your persona, interests, and usage patterns. If you complete a member profile, we use it to personalize the order of stories in your feeds and to suggest members you may have things in common with. Your privacy settings control who can see your profile, who can message you, and whether you appear in the member directory; the defaults limit visibility to signed-in members. This information is stored with our existing database provider alongside the rest of your account data and is never shared with advertisers.
• Communications — Respond to your inquiries, send service-related notifications, and (with your consent) send newsletters or updates about the Platform.
• Analytics and improvement — Understand how users interact with the Platform so we can improve features, fix bugs, and develop new services.
• Safety and security — Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
• Legal compliance — Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

We do not sell your personal information. We never have and we never will.

4. Cookie Policy

4.1 Essential Cookies (Always Active)

These cookies are required for the Platform to function and cannot be disabled. They include session management, authentication, and security tokens. Theme preference (light/dark mode) is stored in browser localStorage — not a cookie.

4.2 Analytics — No Cookies Used

DeafMonitor uses Plausible Analytics to measure aggregate Platform usage. Plausible is fully cookieless: it places no cookies on your device, does not track you individually across sessions or sites, and collects no personally identifiable information. It measures aggregate page view counts, referral sources, and general device types only. No consent is required for Plausible because no personal data or cookies are involved.

4.3 Click and Scroll Heatmap (Our Own)

To see which parts of our pages are useful, we run our own heatmap tool. It is built by us and the data stays in our own database — it is not shared with any analytics or ad company.

When you click or tap on a page, it records which part of the page you clicked (a short code describing the button or link, not any words on it) and roughly where on the page the click was. It also records how far down the page you scrolled. Along with that, it saves the page address (without anything after a "?"), whether you are on a phone, tablet, or computer, and your screen width.

To group clicks from the same visit, your browser keeps a random visit code that is deleted when you close the tab. It is not a cookie and is not connected to your account. We also save a scrambled code made from your IP address using a secret salt that changes every day, and we use your IP address for a short time to stop abuse of the tool. We do not record what you type, your name or account, your browser type, or a video of your visit.

If your browser has Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control turned on, the heatmap does not run.

Heatmap records are deleted automatically after 90 days.

4.4 No Third-Party Advertising Cookies

DeafMonitor does not use third-party advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or retargeting tools. We do not serve ads and do not share data with advertising networks.

4.5 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect Platform functionality. Because analytics on this Platform are handled without cookies, there are no analytics cookies to manage or disable.

5. Data Sharing

We share your personal information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Payment Processors — We use Stripe to process subscription payments, organization plans, marketplace purchases, and one-time placements (such as sponsored ticker, event, and brief boosts). Stripe receives the payment information necessary to complete transactions. We do not store full card numbers on our servers. Stripe's privacy policy governs their use of your data.
• Hosting & Database — Our application data is stored with Supabase, our database and authentication provider, on secure cloud infrastructure. Supabase processes the account and content data necessary to operate the Platform on our behalf.
• Email Delivery — We use Loops to send transactional emails (such as sign-up verification, password resets, and account notifications) and, where you have opted in, occasional product updates. Loops receives your email address and display name for this purpose.
• AI Assistant Provider — When you use Moni, our AI assistant, your questions are sent to a third-party AI provider that operates the underlying model and generates the responses, subject to that provider's privacy terms. The provider processes your questions only to produce an answer; we do not sell Moni conversation data or use it to build advertising profiles.
• Security / Bot Protection — Our sign-in, sign-up, password reset, contact, news tip, submission, and job application forms use Cloudflare Turnstile to block spam and bots. Cloudflare receives your IP address and basic browser information to run this check, under Cloudflare's privacy policy.
• Cloudflare (Network and Web Analytics) — Our site runs through Cloudflare, which helps it load quickly and protects it from attacks. Cloudflare sees your IP address and the pages you request. We also use Cloudflare Web Analytics, which counts page views and measures page speed without cookies and without tracking you across sites.
• Fonts — Some of our text styles are loaded from Google Fonts. When a page loads, your browser asks Google for the font files, so Google receives your IP address and browser information. Google says it does not use this to build ad profiles.
• Story Translation — When a news story we collect is not in English, we may send its headline and a short excerpt to OpenAI so it can be translated. Only the news text is sent — never information about you.
• Phone Number and Text Alerts — If you add a phone number in your dashboard, we store it with your account. We do not currently send text messages and we do not share your phone number with any texting company. If we start sending text alerts, we will ask you to opt in first and update this policy to name the provider.
• Analytics — We use Plausible Analytics for privacy-respecting usage measurement. Plausible is cookieless and collects no personally identifiable information. No personal data is shared with Plausible — only anonymous, aggregate page view counts reach their infrastructure.
• Legal Requirements — We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of DeafMonitor, our users, or the public.
• Business Transfers — If DeafMonitor is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes.

6. User-Generated Content

Certain content you submit to the Platform may be publicly visible, including:

• Shop listings and seller profiles
• Content creator profiles
• Job postings (for organization accounts)
• Library resource submissions
• Deaf Perspectives posts and AI Forum posts
• Community directory listings and business claims
• Wish List feature suggestions
• Event listings

Some submissions can be made without an account. A few features — such as Library resource submissions and Wish List suggestions — can be submitted anonymously. When you submit without an account, we still collect the name, email address, and IP address you provide so we can review the submission and prevent abuse.

You control what you share. Information you include in public-facing submissions will be visible to all Platform visitors. Do not include personal information in public submissions that you do not wish to be publicly available. You can edit or request removal of your submissions at any time.

7. Data Retention

• Account data — Retained for as long as your account is active. If you request account deletion, your personal data will be deleted within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.
• Server logs — Retained for 30 days, then automatically deleted.
• Heatmap data — Deleted automatically after 90 days. The IP address is stored only as a scrambled code made with a secret salt that changes daily. The heatmap does not run when Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control is on.
• Payment records — Retained as required for tax and accounting obligations.
• User-generated content — Public submissions (shop listings, creator profiles, etc.) will be removed upon account deletion or upon your request.

To request deletion of your account and associated data, email [email protected] or use the account deletion feature in your account settings.

8. Your Rights

8.1 Rights for EU/EEA Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

• Right of Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification — Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure — Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements).
• Right to Data Portability — Receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Right to Object — Object to processing of your personal data based on legitimate interests.
• Right to Restrict Processing — Request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to Withdraw Consent — Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

To exercise these rights, contact [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

8.2 Rights for California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act:

• Right to Know — Request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to Delete — Request deletion of your personal information.
• Right to Opt-Out — Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. (Note: We do not sell personal information.)
• Right to Non-Discrimination — You will not receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your privacy rights.

To exercise these rights, contact [email protected]. We will respond within 45 days.

9. Children's Privacy

DeafMonitor is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at [email protected].

This is in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

10. International Users

DeafMonitor is operated from the United States. If you are accessing the Platform from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

By using the Platform, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States. We take appropriate measures to ensure your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

11. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• HTTPS encryption for all data in transit.
• Encrypted storage of sensitive data at rest.
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal data.
• Secure payment processing through PCI-compliant providers (Stripe).

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. If you believe your data has been compromised, contact us immediately at [email protected].

12. Moni AI Assistant Data

When you use Moni, DeafMonitor's AI assistant, your questions and Moni's answers are logged with your account and retained for up to 120 days, after which they are deleted. We review these conversations to improve Moni's quality and safety. Questions Moni could not answer are also analyzed separately in anonymized form (with no account identifier) to improve DeafMonitor's content.

Your Moni questions are processed by a third-party AI provider that operates the AI model behind Moni, in accordance with that provider's privacy terms. DeafMonitor does not sell Moni conversation data, and Moni conversations are not used to build advertising profiles.

Using DeafMonitor without Moni is fully supported; if you prefer not to have Moni conversations processed as described, simply do not use the assistant.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. For material changes, we will notify registered users by email or through a prominent notice on the Platform. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your data rights, contact us at:

• Email: [email protected]
• Contact form: /contact

We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 30 days.