Privacy notice

This notice explains newsletter subscriptions and optional website analytics.

What is collected

The subscription form sends the email address you provide to Buttondown, the newsletter service used by this site. Buttondown records your address, the date you joined, and your subscription status.

Why it is used

Your email address is used only to send the weekly newsletter with essays and reading recommendations. It is not sold or used for unrelated advertising.

How long it is kept

Your address is kept while you remain subscribed. Every newsletter includes an unsubscribe option, and you may ask to have your address deleted at any time.

Your choice

Subscribing is voluntary. To unsubscribe, or to ask about the information held about you, email editor@theparagraph.uk.

Optional website analytics

If you choose “Accept analytics”, we use Google Analytics to understand visits, popular essays, referral sources and interactions such as scrolling and outbound link clicks. Google receives information about your browser, device and website activity. Analytics cookies help distinguish visits and returning readers. We do not enable advertising personalization or Google signals.

Google Analytics does not load before you accept. You can decline and continue reading, or use “Cookie settings” at the bottom of any page to change your choice. Withdrawing consent stops future collection and removes the Google Analytics cookies accessible to this website; it does not delete data already collected.

Your choice is remembered on this browser for up to six months. Analytics cookies are configured with a six-month lifetime that may renew with activity. We do not send newsletter email addresses as analytics event data. Newsletter subscriptions are handled separately by Buttondown.

See Google’s privacy policy for details of its data processing. For privacy enquiries, contact editor@theparagraph.uk.

Last updated: 17 September 2026.