Thank you for choosing to be part of our community at Buffalo’s Fire (“Website,” “Site,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our”). Protecting your personal information is of utmost importance to us. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns after reviewing this Privacy Policy, please contact us via our contact form or by emailing to contact@buffalosfire.com.
This policy describes how we collect, use, and protect information from all visitors to our site, including registered members who create accounts. Buffalo’s Fire is a nonprofit news organization. We collect data solely to improve our platform, personalize your experience, and serve our editorial mission. We do not sell your data.
By using our Website and/or services, or by clicking “Agree” or “Accept” when this option is made available to you, you acknowledge and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy.
What information do we collect?
Personal Information You Disclose to Us
When you use our Website and services, we collect data you provide when you fill out opt-in forms, contact forms, and surveys, when you purchase products and/or services, and when you enter information for giveaways and/or competitions. The personal information you provide may include your name, email address, location, and occupation.
If you are purchasing products, you may also provide payment and address information. Payment information is not stored in our system, as purchases are processed through payment processors. Contact the specific payment processor directly with payment questions.
Information Collected When You Create a Member Account
When you register for a free Buffalo’s Fire member account, we collect:
- Your email address
- Any optional profile information you choose to provide (e.g., display name)
Buffalo’s Fire uses passwordless authentication. We do not ask you to create or store a password. Instead, when you sign in, we send a secure one-time login link to your email address. Clicking that link verifies your identity and logs you in. The link expires shortly after it is sent and can only be used once. We do not store any credentials beyond your email address.
Information We Collect Automatically for Logged-In Members
Once you are logged in to your member account, we collect behavioral data to power personalized features:
- Reading history: articles you open and read
- Saved articles: content you add to your reading list
- Topics and authors you follow
- Session data: login times, device type, browser type, and IP address
This data is associated with your account and used as described in “How We Use Your Information” below. It is not collected from visitors who are not logged in.
Information Collected from Anonymous Visitors
Visitors who are not logged in are subject to standard site analytics (page views, traffic sources, time on page) as described below under Third-Party Sources. This data is not tied to any individual identity. If you later create an account, your pre-registration browsing history is not retroactively attached to your profile.
Outside of the European Union (“EU”)
If you are outside of the EU and enter your information to receive a freebie, make a purchase, respond to a survey, register for a free training, or participate in a webinar, then we will automatically enroll you to receive our newsletter and updates. If you do not wish to receive communications from us, you can opt out by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email.
In the European Union
If you are in the EU and opt to receive a freebie, participate in a free training, register for a webinar or live event, or purchase a product, your email address will not be added to our email list unless you affirmatively consent. To unsubscribe, click the link at the bottom of any email or contact us at contact@buffalosfire.com.
Visitors’ Rights Under GDPR
As a resident of the European Union, you are entitled to exercise certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Any information you provide will be kept until: (1) you ask us to delete it; (2) we stop using existing data processors; or (3) the cost of retaining the data outweighs the value in keeping it.
Your GDPR rights include: the right to access your data; the right to correct inaccurate data; the right to withdraw previously given consent; the right to request erasure (we will comply within 30 days); the right to restrict data processing; and the right to file a complaint with a supervisory authority.
We only collect information that is reasonably necessary. We do not collect unnecessary data, and any information we acquire is used for legitimate purposes.
Children’s Privacy
This Website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13. If you are under 13, do not use or provide any information on this Website. If a parent or guardian believes we have unknowingly collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at contact@buffalosfire.com and we will immediately remove such information.
Information Collected Through Third-Party Sources
During your visit, certain limited data are collected from public databases, marketing partners, social media platforms, and analytics sources. This may include your location, computer system, pages visited, time on each page, IP address, country, and social media referrals.
How Do We Use the Information We Collect?
Information Collected from You
We use the information we collect from you to send you targeted communications relevant to your stated interests. You may opt out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email.
Member Account Data and AI-Powered Personalization
For logged-in members, we use your account data and behavioral data specifically to:
- Power personalized article recommendations through an AI recommendation engine
- Maintain your reading history so you can pick up where you left off
- Surface content from topics and authors you follow
- Restore your saved articles across sessions and devices
Our AI recommendation engine analyzes your reading history, followed topics, followed authors, and saved articles to suggest content we believe will be relevant to you. This system is used solely for editorial personalization. It is not used to serve third-party advertisements or to build a commercial profile about you.
Aggregated, anonymized data from member activity (e.g., “this topic is trending among members”) is used by our editorial and product teams to understand what content resonates and to improve our coverage and platform quality.
Our Commitment: We Will Never Sell Your Data, under Any Circumstances Whatsoever
Buffalo’s Fire is a nonprofit organization. We will never sell, rent, lease, or share your personal data with advertisers, data brokers, or commercial third parties for their own use. This applies to all users, including logged-in members.
Information Collected from Third-Party Apps and Tools
Any information collected from third-party analytics tools is used for statistical and analytical purposes and to make improvements to our Site. This automatically collected information does not include personal data.
Will We Share Your Information with Anyone?
We respect your privacy and the value of your information. We do not share, disclose, sell, lease, or rent your information to anyone without your express consent. We will only share information under the following limited circumstances:
- You gave us express consent to do so
- You entered into a contract for recurring payments, and sharing is necessary to uphold that agreement
- Performance of a contract — if you fail to pay or perform an obligation, we reserve the right to share necessary information with a third party such as a collection agency or attorney
- Mandated by law — if legal proceedings are initiated and there is a valid subpoena
Service Providers for Member Features
We work with third-party service providers to operate member account features, including hosting, email delivery, and our AI recommendation engine. These providers access your data only to perform services on our behalf and are contractually prohibited from using it for their own purposes or sharing it with others. Current categories include:
- Hosting & infrastructure: AWS
- AI / recommendation engine: OpenAI / Google Gemini
- Email delivery: Google
- Analytics: Google
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We may use cookies and other tracking technologies, such as pixels, to collect data on website use and information retention. By agreeing to this Privacy Policy, you also agree to our Cookie Policy.
Cookies for Logged-In Members
In addition to standard functional and analytics cookies, logged-in members have session cookies that keep you authenticated across visits. Your in-session behavior — pages visited, time on page — is recorded and associated with your account to power reading history and recommendations. These are first-party cookies served by Buffalo’s Fire, not third-party advertising or tracking cookies.
You may manage cookie preferences through our cookie consent tool. Note that disabling functional cookies will prevent you from staying logged in.
Your Member Account Rights and Choices
Registered members have the following controls over their account and data:
- Turn off reading history: Disable reading history tracking from Account Settings > Privacy. New activity will not be recorded, and you may also clear your existing history.
- Reset recommendations: Clear the behavioral data informing your personalized feed from Account Settings and start fresh.
- Delete saves and follows: Remove individual saved articles or followed topics/authors at any time from your account dashboard.
- Request your data: Contact us to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Delete your account: Delete your account at any time from Account Settings > Delete Account.
Account Security
Because Buffalo’s Fire uses passwordless authentication, your account security is tied to access to your email inbox. Anyone with access to your email can request a login link and access your account. We recommend:
- Keeping your email account secure with a strong password and two-factor authentication
- Logging out of Buffalo’s Fire on shared or public devices
- Contacting us at contact@buffalosfire.com if you believe someone has accessed your account without your permission — we can invalidate active sessions
Data Retention When You Delete Your Account
If you delete your account:
Your profile, reading history, saved articles, and follow lists will be permanently deleted within 30 days.
Aggregated, anonymized data derived from your activity (e.g., article view counts) may be retained indefinitely, as it contains no information that can identify you.
We may retain your email address for up to 90 days in suppression lists to prevent accidental re-enrollment in mailing lists.
We may retain data required for legal or tax compliance for the minimum period required by applicable law.
Email Communications & Policies
If you contact us by email, we reserve the right to retain the content of your email messages, your email address, and our responses. Your email address will never be shared, sold, or leased to any third parties. In compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act, all communications from our Company will clearly state who the email is from, who it is for, and how to contact the sender. To stop receiving emails, click the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any email.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments regarding our Privacy Policy, please contact us:
Email: contact@buffalosfire.com
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1, Halliday, ND 58636