Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 26, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how The Doe, Inc. (“The Doe,” “we,” “us” or “our”) collects, uses, shares and protects personal information when you visit www.thedoe.com (the “Site”), read our stories, sign up for our newsletter, contact us, donate, or use any other feature that links to this policy. If you pitch, write or are interviewed for a story, our Contributor Privacy Policy also applies.

The Doe publishes anonymous first-person stories. Protecting the identity of the people who write for us is central to what we do, and we bring the same care to the people who read us.

The short version

• We collect what you choose to give us, such as your email address when you subscribe, and basic technical information about your visit.
• Advertising cookies run only if you allow them. Analytics cookies are on by default in the United States and off until you allow them in places such as the European Union, and you can change your choice at any time through Cookie Preferences.
• We do not sell your name, email address or donation details.
• Donations are received by Narratives Inc. and processed by its payment platform, Zeffy. We never see your full card number.
• You can ask us to access, correct or delete your information by writing to admin@thedoe.com.

1. Who we are

The Doe, Inc. operates the Site. The Doe works alongside Narratives, a nonprofit media network run by Narratives Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization. Narratives Inc. receives and processes donations and other payments made through the Site.

For the purposes of European and UK data protection law, The Doe, Inc. is the controller of the personal information described in this policy, except for donation and payment information, which Narratives Inc. controls under the Narratives Privacy Policy.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us

• Newsletter. Your email address, and your name if you choose to provide it.
• Messages. Your name, email address and anything you include when you write to us.
• Donations. When you donate, Narratives Inc. receives your name, email address, the amount and frequency of your gift and the billing details you enter in the donation form. Zeffy and its payment processors handle your card or bank details.
• Accounts and memberships. If you create an account once accounts are available, your email address, the name or alias you choose, sign-in details and reading preferences. For paid memberships, your plan and billing history.
• Story pitches and submissions. Described in the Contributor Privacy Policy.
• Other features. Anything you submit through surveys, events or similar features we may offer.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, our hosting provider and the tools we use receive technical information such as your IP address, browser and device type, operating system, the page that referred you, the pages you view, how long you stay and an approximate location (such as city or region) derived from your IP address. Analytics and advertising tools collect this information only after you allow them where consent is required. Our Cookie Policy lists these tools.

Information from other sources

We may receive information from social media platforms when you interact with our accounts there, subject to your settings on those platforms, and from service providers that help us understand how the Site is used.

3. How we use information

• To run, secure and improve the Site, including understanding which stories people read so we can publish more of what matters to them.
• To send the newsletters and updates you asked for. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.
• To answer your messages and requests.
• To receive donations, send receipts and keep donation records, through Narratives Inc.
• To provide accounts and memberships when we offer them.
• To show advertising when we run ads, with personalized ads only where you have allowed marketing cookies.
• To measure our audience, our fundraising and the reach of our stories.
• To prevent fraud, spam and abuse, and to protect our contributors, readers and staff.
• To comply with the law and enforce our Terms of Use.
• For any other purpose with your consent.

4. How we share information

• Narratives Inc. For donations, payments, memberships and reader services that The Doe and Narratives share, such as accounts.
• Service providers. Companies that work on our behalf, including website hosting and forms (Webflow), donation processing (Zeffy and its payment processors), analytics (Google Analytics), consent and accessibility tools (ComplyMo), email delivery, customer support and IT services. They may use your information only to provide their services to us.
• Advertising partners. When we run ads and you have allowed marketing cookies, Google and its partners receive device and usage information to show and measure ads.
• Legal and safety. When we believe in good faith that the law requires it, or to protect the rights, safety or property of our readers, contributors, staff or the public.
• Business transfers. If The Doe is involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganization or sale of assets, information may transfer as part of that transaction, subject to this policy.
• With your consent. In any other case, only when you ask us to or agree.

We do not sell your name, email address or donation information. Under some state laws, allowing advertising partners to collect device information through cookies can count as a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. You can opt out of that at any time through Cookie Preferences, and we treat a Global Privacy Control signal from your browser as an opt-out.

5. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to run the Site, remember your choices, understand how the Site is used and, when we run ads, to show and measure them. Strictly necessary cookies are always on. Marketing cookies run only if you allow them. Where the law requires consent first, such as in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, preference and analytics cookies also stay off until you allow them. Elsewhere they are on by default, and you can turn them off. You can review or change your choice at any time through Cookie Preferences. The Cookie Policy has the details.

6. Your choices

• Emails. Use the unsubscribe link in any email, or write to us. We may still send messages about a donation or an account you hold.
• Cookies. Use Cookie Preferences or your browser settings.
• Global Privacy Control. If your browser sends a GPC signal, we treat it as a request to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for that browser.
• Interest-based ads. You can also manage ads through Google’s ad settings, the Network Advertising Initiative and the Digital Advertising Alliance.
• Do Not Track. Browsers send Do Not Track signals inconsistently, so we respond to Global Privacy Control instead.

7. Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and other states with privacy laws, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, you may have the right to:

• know what personal information we hold about you and receive a copy;
• correct inaccurate information;
• delete your information;
• receive your information in a portable format;
• opt out of the sale or sharing of your information and of targeted advertising;
• limit or object to certain uses, and withdraw consent you have given; and
• not be treated differently for exercising these rights.

To make a request, email admin@thedoe.com with the subject line “Privacy request.” We will confirm your request by matching it to information we hold, such as the email address you used with us, and we will respond within the time the law allows, generally 45 days. You may use an authorized agent, and we may ask the agent for proof of your permission. If we decline your request, you may appeal by replying to our decision. If your appeal is denied, you may contact your state attorney general.

California notice

In the past 12 months we have collected the following categories of personal information: identifiers (such as name, email address, IP address and cookie identifiers); customer records (such as donation and billing records, held by Narratives Inc.); commercial information (such as donations and memberships); internet activity (such as pages viewed and interactions with the Site); approximate geolocation; and limited inferences about the topics you read. We collect this information from you, from your device and from the service providers described above, for the purposes described in section 3, and we disclose it to the categories of recipients described in section 4. When we run ads, identifiers and internet activity may be shared with advertising partners for cross-context behavioral advertising, which you can stop through Cookie Preferences. We do not use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics about you, and we do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of anyone under 16. California residents may also ask whether we share personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing. We do not.

European Union, United Kingdom and Switzerland

We rely on these legal bases: your consent (for analytics and marketing cookies and, where required, marketing emails); the performance of a contract with you (for newsletters, accounts and memberships you request); our legitimate interests in running, securing and improving the Site and in understanding our audience in ways that do not override your rights; and compliance with legal obligations. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting earlier processing, and you may lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

We are based in the United States, and our service providers may process information in the United States and other countries. When we transfer personal information from the EU, UK or Switzerland, we rely on safeguards such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses or a recipient’s certification under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and its UK and Swiss extensions.

8. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy. Newsletter information is kept until you unsubscribe. Messages are kept as long as needed to respond and to keep a record of our correspondence. Donation and payment records are kept by Narratives Inc. for as long as tax and accounting laws require. When we no longer need information, we delete it or remove anything that identifies you.

9. Security

We use administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information, and we limit access to the people who need it. No website or online service can be completely secure, so we cannot guarantee the security of information you send us.

10. Children

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. Many of our stories deal with mature subjects. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Links and embedded content

Stories may link to other websites or include content from services such as YouTube, Instagram or TikTok. Those services may collect information about you under their own policies, which we do not control.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the new version here with a new “Last updated” date, and if a change is significant we will give you additional notice, such as an email to subscribers or a notice on the Site.

13. Contact us

Questions or requests about this policy or your information can go to admin@thedoe.com or to:

The Doe, Inc.
Attn: Privacy
5318 E. 2nd Street, PMB 42540
Long Beach, California 90803