Privacy policy

Who we are

Column & Margin is the data controller for personal data collected through this website, subject to applicable law. Our postal address is City Walk, Al Safa St, Al Wasl, Dubai, UAE. For privacy inquiries, email support@factstream.info with “Privacy” in the subject line.

What data we collect

Server and technical data. Like most websites, our hosting environment may log IP addresses, timestamps, requested URLs, user-agent strings, and HTTP status codes. These logs help us maintain security, diagnose errors, and understand aggregate traffic patterns.

Communications. If you email us, we process your address, message content, and any attachments you send. We may retain correspondence to handle your request, improve our services, or meet legal obligations.

Local storage. We may store a minimal preference in your browser using local storage under the key cmr_ck_v1 when you acknowledge our cookie notice. This value indicates that you have seen the banner; it is not used for advertising profiling.

We do not intentionally collect special categories of data (such as health information) through this site. Please do not send such information unless we explicitly request it for a defined purpose.

Purposes and legal bases

We process data to: (1) provide and secure the website (legitimate interests in operating a public publication and protecting systems); (2) respond to your messages and correction requests (contractual necessity or legitimate interests, depending on context); (3) comply with legal obligations, such as responding to lawful requests from authorities; and (4) establish, exercise, or defend legal claims where necessary. Where consent is required for specific processing, we will request it separately.

Cookies and similar technologies

We use essential functionality associated with serving pages and remembering your acknowledgement of our notice. For more detail, see our Cookies page. We do not deploy third-party advertising cookies on this standalone site as described here; if that changes, we will update this policy and banner.

Sharing and processors

We may share data with service providers who host our servers, provide email delivery, or assist with security monitoring, strictly under contracts that require appropriate safeguards. We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Column & Margin, our readers, or the public. We do not sell personal data as that term is commonly understood in privacy statutes.

International transfers

Our operations are based in the United Arab Emirates. If you access the site from another country, your data may be processed in the UAE and potentially in other countries where our processors maintain facilities. We take steps consistent with applicable law to ensure appropriate protection, including contractual clauses where required.

Retention

Server logs are retained for a limited period necessary for security and troubleshooting, then deleted or anonymised unless longer retention is required for investigations. Email correspondence is kept as long as needed to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, plus any additional period required by law or legitimate interest in documenting editorial matters.

Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict, or object to certain processing of your personal data, and to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. To exercise rights, contact support@factstream.info. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling requests. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may escalate according to local procedures.

Children

This site is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have received such data, contact us so we can delete it.

Changes

We may update this policy to reflect operational, legal, or regulatory changes. Material changes will be highlighted on factstream.info or communicated where appropriate. Continued use after updates constitutes acceptance unless applicable law requires explicit consent.