PRIVACY POLICY

We are a youth-led Philippine news organization telling stories that matter now—challenging power, amplifying unheard voices, and reframing the headlines for a new generation. We are not here to echo old narratives, but to question them and push for change.
 

Paraluman brings people together across digital spaces and real-world communities. Through Citizen Academy, our platform for civic engagement and citizen reporting, we collaborate with advocacy groups, schools, and a wide range of sectors in the Philippines and beyond.
 

This Privacy Statement explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and when we may share it. It also explains what to expect if you choose to join community features (such as comments, chatrooms, surveys, events, and programs).

Personal Information Controller: Paraluman News Publication, Inc.

Data Protection Officer/Privacy Contact: Attorney Paula Zayco Aberasturi, reachable at legal@myparaluman.ph

You can read most stories on our sites without providing personal information. If you choose to sign up, register for events, join programs, or participate in community features, we may ask for information needed to deliver the service you requested, communicate with you, and keep our platforms secure.

As a registered user, you may be able to access:

• Access Premium Content

• Comment on Stories 

• Take Part in Surveys 

• Attend Events

• Join Citizen Academy

• Contribute Content through partner sites, or 

• Participate in Community Chatrooms

We share personal data only:

• within Paraluman teams who need it to provide and support our services, and

• with trusted service providers who help us operate (for example, hosting, analytics, communications, security, and moderation), under confidentiality and data protection obligations.

If we plan to share your personal data for a different purpose, or with parties beyond what is needed to operate the service, we will tell you and seek your permission where required.

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We may also disclose personal data when required by law, regulation, or lawful orders, or when necessary to protect the rights, safety, and security of Paraluman, our users, and the public.

1. Cookies and similar technologies (device and usage data)
 

We use cookies and similar technologies (such as pixels and local storage) to help our websites and community features work properly and safely. These tools may collect device and usage data, such as a cookie ID or device identifier, the pages you visit, timestamps, and your interactions on our site.

We use these technologies for the following purposes:

• prevent site abuse and improve security,

• manage advertising,

• ensure optimum site performance,

• deliver personalized experiences, and

• support user-engagement mechanisms (e.g., tracking inputs and sending notifications). 
   

Examples of cookie-based data may include:

• device identifiers,

• timestamps of visits,

• content accessed, and

• other on-site activity.
   

Your choices
 

Some cookies are strictly necessary for the site to function and for security. Other cookies, such as analytics, personalization, and advertising cookies may be used only with your permission where required, and you can change your preferences at any time through our cookie controls (or through your browser settings, though this may affect site functionality).
 

For details on the types of cookies we use and instructions for managing or removing them, please refer to our Cookies Policy.

2.  Registered user account data

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To access certain services (such as commenting, exclusive content, newsletters, and online events), you may be asked to sign in using:

• an email address to create a user account, or

• your preferred social login.

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For registered users, we typically request only:

• Email address

• Name

• City

• Country

• Social login (Facebook, Twitter/X, Google, Apple)

If you use Facebook, Twitter/X, Google, or Apple to log in, we may record the details you have registered on those services, such as:

• First name

• Last name

• Username

• an authentication token

We record and store these details in accordance with the relevant provider’s authentication process and privacy practices.
 

3. Online surveys 
 

Paraluman may occasionally conduct online surveys for internal research or on behalf of trusted partners.  Participation is voluntary and consent-based.
 

Survey information helps us understand our audiences and invite you to participate in surveys that are relevant to you. Survey data is stored securely and used only for research, analysis, and audience engagement.
 

We do not sell personally identifiable information (PII) or share it with third parties. Where results are shared with partners or the public, we share only aggregated and anonymized findings.

4. Paraluman Collective
 

Paraluman uses third-party digital services to help us:

• run Citizen Academy, online events and webinars,

• manage and provide access to volunteering and internship opportunities, and

• collaborate with partner organizations on community-engagement projects.
   

If you choose to join these initiatives, we may request additional details so our civic engagement team can coordinate effectively, such as:

• City/Municipality

• Province

• School/Organization/Affiliation

• Occupation

• Course

• Interests

• Age
   

For programs such as internships and fellowships, we may require additional information such as:

• birthday,

• age,

• social media account URLs, and/or

• your CV.
   

We use this information only for administering the program or initiative you applied for or joined.

5. Payments for paid memberships
 

To reduce risk and protect member payment details, Paraluman does not store credit card payment data in our systems.
 

Instead, we use established third-party payment facilities to process membership payments. These providers maintain their own security infrastructure and consent mechanisms and are governed by their own privacy policies.

6. Community engagement and user-generated content
 

We limit data collection to what is necessary for a specific function. When you participate in comment sections, community chatrooms, community games, and other engagement tools (including partner services), the system may collect relevant data needed to provide that function.
 

This may include:

• text submissions,

• images,

• location (if a feature explicitly requires it), and

• other data associated with your submission.
   

If you submit images, you may need to allow our app access to your device’s photo gallery or files.

Important: Photos (and related submission data) may be processed using third-party automated tools, including AI services, to help moderate content and enforce our Community Guidelines. If content is restricted or removed, you may contact us at legal@myparaluman.ph to request review.

As part of our operations, Paraluman may use third-party services to support data-driven, multimedia online news coverage and to help us understand how our platforms are used.

Analytics and measurement

We use Google Analytics to track web traffic and user engagement data to help us measure performance and improve our services.
 

Video platforms

For video content, we may embed or use third-party video platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo and Dailymotion. These platforms may collect data when you view or interact with embedded video (for example, through cookies or similar technologies), in accordance with their own policies.
 

Audio platforms

For audio content, we may use third-party streaming platforms such as Spotify. These platforms may likewise collect data when you access embedded or linked audio content, based on their own policies.

Sharing aggregated data with partners

To support the sustainability of our operations, we may at times share aggregated web traffic and user engagement information with third parties not specifically listed above—such as business partners, website optimization providers, advertisers, and data analysts—so they can provide their services.
 

Where we share such information:

• we do so in aggregated form (not in a way that identifies you), and

• our partners are bound by confidentiality obligations that prohibit them from using personal information for any purpose other than fulfilling their obligations to Paraluman.

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Links to other websites

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Our sites may include links to third-party websites and services outside of Paraluman’s domains. We are not responsible for the personal information collection practices of these third-party sites and may not be privy to their privacy policies. We encourage users to review the privacy policies of any external sites they visit.

Relevant third-party policies and terms (for your reference):

• Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

• YouTube Terms of Service: https://www.youtube.com/t/terms

• Dailymotion Privacy Policy: https://legal.dailymotion.com/en/privacy-policy/

• Spotify Privacy Policy: https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/privacy-policy/

Paraluman includes community features such as comments, chatrooms, surveys, and other user-generated content spaces. When you participate in these features, please remember that what you post may be visible to others.
 

Name display
 

To encourage intelligent, accountable conversation on relevant issues, we encourage readers to identify themselves. We aim to reduce privacy risks while supporting healthy, accountable discussion:

• We may allow you to use a display name (so you are not required to show your full legal name publicly).

• If you choose to share identifying details in your posts (e.g., your full name, contact details, workplace, location, or photos), that is your choice and may be visible to the public depending on the feature.

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Important reminders

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• By default, comments, messages, and other user-generated contributions may be public and may be viewed, shared, or quoted by other users.

• You are responsible for the content you submit, including anything you choose to disclose about yourself or others.

• Participation in Collective is subject to our Community Guidelines. We may moderate, restrict, or remove content that violates these guidelines or applicable law.

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to deliver the services you request, support platform security and integrity, comply with legal obligations, and resolve disputes. When data is no longer needed, we delete it or de-identify it, where appropriate

Under the Philippine Data Privacy Act, you may have rights over your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, you may request to:

• be informed about how we collect and use your data;

• object to certain processing (including marketing, where applicable);

• access the personal data we hold about you;

• correct or update inaccurate or incomplete data;

• delete, block, or remove your personal data where allowed by law;

• obtain a copy of your data in a usable format (data portability, when applicable); and

• seek damages if you suffer harm due to unlawful processing

Email us at legal@myparaluman.ph with (1) your name, (2) the email address linked to your account (if any), and (3) the details of your request. For your security, we may ask for information to verify your identity before we act on your request.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may also file a complaint with the National Privacy Commission (Philippines).

If you have questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Statement or our data practices, contact us at: legal@myparaluman.ph