Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 1, 2026
Last Updated: January 1, 2026

Occupied Souls (www.occupiedsouls.com) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.

If you have questions about this policy, contact us at hello@occupiedsouls.com.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

Newsletter Subscriptions

When you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect:

Your email address
Date of subscription
IP address (collected automatically by our hosting platform)

Contact Form Submissions

When you contact us via our website form, we collect:

Your name
Your email address
Your message content
Date and time of submission

Automatic Information

When you visit our website, we automatically collect:

IP address
Browser type and version
Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
Pages visited and time spent on site
Referring website (how you found us)
Date and time of visit

This information is collected through standard web server logs and cookies.

2. How We Use Your Information

Newsletter Emails

We use your email address to:

Send you updates when new stories are published
Communicate about Occupied Souls projects and content
Respond to your inquiries if you contact us

We do NOT:

Sell or rent your email to third parties
Share your email with advertisers or marketers
Send you promotional content from other companies
Use your email for purposes unrelated to Occupied Souls

Contact Form Data

We use information from contact forms solely to:

Respond to your inquiry or message
Follow up on story submissions or interview requests
Maintain records of correspondence if ongoing communication is needed

Analytics Data

We use automatically collected information to:

Understand how visitors use our website
Improve website performance and user experience
Identify popular content and navigation patterns
Monitor website security and prevent abuse

3. Cookies

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser. They help websites remember your preferences and improve your experience.

How We Use Cookies

Occupied Souls uses cookies to:

Remember your preferences (e.g., if you've dismissed notices)
Track basic analytics (page views, visit duration)
Enable website functionality through our hosting platform (Squarespace)

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings:

Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies
Blocking cookies may affect website functionality
For more information, visit www.allaboutcookies.org

4. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect information:

Squarespace (Website Hosting)

Our website is hosted on Squarespace, which collects basic analytics and provides our newsletter functionality. Squarespace's privacy policy: www.squarespace.com/privacy

Analytics Services

We may use analytics services (such as Google Analytics or Squarespace Analytics) to understand website traffic. These services collect anonymized data about visitor behavior.

Important: We do not share your personal contact information with any third-party analytics services.

5. Data Retention

Newsletter Subscriptions

We retain your email address until:

You unsubscribe from our newsletter
We cease newsletter operations
You request deletion of your data

Contact Form Submissions

We retain contact form data for:

60 days for general inquiries
Longer periods if ongoing correspondence or business relationship exists
You may request deletion at any time

Analytics Data

Anonymized analytics data is retained indefinitely for statistical purposes and does not contain personally identifiable information.

6. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access

You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Correction

You may request correction of inaccurate personal information.

Deletion

You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to:

Legal obligations to retain certain records
Legitimate business purposes (e.g., ongoing correspondence)

Unsubscribe

You may unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email.

Objection

You may object to processing of your personal information for specific purposes.

To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@occupiedsouls.com

7. Interview Subjects

If you are featured in an Occupied Souls story:

You have provided consent for your name, photo, and quotes to be published
You have reviewed and approved your story before publication
Your consent and approval are documented separately from this general privacy policy
You may request changes or removal by contacting hello@occupiedsouls.com

8. Children's Privacy

Occupied Souls does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at hello@occupiedsouls.com and we will delete such information.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information:

Secure hosting through Squarespace
SSL/HTTPS encryption for data transmission
Access controls limiting who can view personal data
Regular security updates and monitoring

However, no internet transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

10. Data Breaches

In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will:

Notify affected individuals via email within a reasonable timeframe
Take immediate steps to secure the breach and prevent further unauthorized access
Comply with all applicable data breach notification laws

11. International Visitors

Occupied Souls is based in Australia. If you access our website from outside Australia:

Your information may be transferred to and processed in Australia
By using this website, you consent to this transfer
Australian privacy laws will govern the handling of your information

12. Australian Privacy Principles

Occupied Souls complies with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). We handle personal information in accordance with these principles.

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 "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Significant changes will be communicated via:

Notice on our homepage
Email to newsletter subscribers (if applicable)

Continued use of the website after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information:

Email: hello@occupiedsouls.com
Website: www.occupiedsouls.com
Location: Sydney, Australia

15. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

By using this website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to the collection and use of your information as described.