1. Who we are

Grounded Publications Ltd operates Grounded Magazine, an online editorial publication covering lifestyle, wellness, fashion, food, and travel. Our platform offers editorial content, member accounts, a weekly newsletter, and the ability to submit guest editor applications and article or brand pitches.

2. Information we collect

We collect the following types of information:

Account and profile information

• Email address (required to create an account or subscribe to our newsletter)
• Display name, avatar, and bio (provided by you when setting up your profile)
• Interests, such as selected categories, followed authors, and followed tags

Usage data

• Saved articles and read history
• Notification preferences

Technical data

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device and operating system information
• Pages viewed and time spent on the site
• Referring website

Submission content

• Guest editor applications, article pitches, and brand submissions, including any text, images, or supporting materials you provide

3. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we process your data on the following bases:

• Consent— when you subscribe to our newsletter or create an account, you give us consent to process your data for those purposes. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legitimate interests— to operate and improve our website, personalise your experience, analyse site performance, and maintain security.
• Contractual necessity— to provide you with the member services you have signed up for.

4. How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your member account
• Personalise your experience, including your feed, recommendations, and notifications
• Deliver our weekly newsletter to subscribers
• Review and respond to editorial submissions, pitches, and guest editor applications
• Analyse website traffic and improve our content and platform
• Maintain the security and functionality of our website

5. Cookies

Our website uses cookies for the following purposes:

• Authentication— session cookies are used to keep you signed in after authenticating via magic link email. These are essential for member functionality.
• Analytics— we use cookies to understand how visitors interact with our website so we can improve the experience.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect your ability to sign in and use member features.

6. Third-party services

We work with the following third-party service providers to operate our platform. These providers process data on our behalf and in accordance with their own privacy policies:

• Vercel— website hosting and infrastructure
• Resend— email delivery for magic link authentication and newsletter distribution
• Content delivery networks (CDNs)— for serving images and static assets efficiently

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

7. Affiliate links and advertising disclosure

Some articles on our website may include affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Affiliate links help support the operation of Grounded Publications Ltd and allow us to continue producing independent editorial content. We only feature products, services, or brands that align with our editorial values.

Affiliate partnerships do not influence our opinions, reviews, or recommendations.

8. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. Our authentication system uses magic link emails rather than passwords, reducing the risk associated with credential storage.

9. Your rights under UK GDPR

You have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Access— request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectification— request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data. You can also update your profile information directly from your member dashboard.
• Erasure— request deletion of your personal data. You can delete your account at any time, which will remove your profile and associated data.
• Withdraw consent— unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time using the link provided in every email, or manage your preferences from your account settings.
• Restriction and objection— request that we restrict or stop processing your data in certain circumstances.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

10. Data retention

We retain your data as follows:

• Newsletter subscribers— your email address is retained until you unsubscribe, after which it is deleted.
• Member accounts— your account data is retained until you choose to delete your account.
• Submission content— pitches and applications are retained for as long as necessary for editorial review and any subsequent publication.
• Technical data— retained in aggregated or anonymised form for analytics purposes.

11. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact:

Grounded Publications Ltd
Email: hello@groundedmag.co.uk