Privacy Policy

The Skanner News operates two web sites: www.TheSkanner.com and www.TheSkannerReport.com. As a visitor to either site, we recognize that you may be concerned about any uses that we may make of any information that you may provide to us or that we may be collecting about you. To address your concerns, we have developed this privacy policy which is intended to inform you of the guidelines that we follow in this sensitive area. Of course, it may be necessary for us to update our policy as changes are made to our web site, and/or as privacy guidelines we follow change over time. Therefore, we recommend that you check the policy periodically.

Private Policy Summary

This is the privacy policy for TheSkanner.com and TheSkannerReport.com, both owned and operated by The Skanner News. This policy covers matters regarding data we collect and control using our web sites. Currently, we count visitors to our web sites in order to gauge traffic to our sites. Analytics software informs us whether visitors are new to our sites or have previously visited our sites. Analytics software does not collect any personal information about visitors, provide any means for our visitors to contact us, or extract information from our visitors' computers or devices for us. The information that we collect is used only to identify web site features of most interest to our visitors, and so that we can understand our web site traffic.

We do not collect from web site visitors information that personally identifies them, unless they provide such information to us voluntarily and knowingly. We do not require that our visitors register with our site or that they provide us with personal information in order for them to view our site or do business with The Skanner News.

Computer tracking of identifiable information or "cookies": Cookies are pieces of information that a web server transfers to your computer or device for administrative purposes. For example, they can enhance your online experience by saving preferences while you are visiting a particular site. Any cookies used on our site do not contain any personally-identifiable information and cannot profile your system or collect information from your hard drive or device. We do not track personal identifying information from guests. However, third-party advertising partners (such as Google) may use cookies when running ads on our site. The Skanner News retains no control or liability over any third party partners' use of cookies or any information gathered by the use of cookies. The Skanner News does not have access to information these third party partners may collect by the use of cookies.

Regarding minors: If you are an individual 17 years of age or under, please obtain your parent's or guardian's consent before submitting any information on this web site. And, if you do send any information to us, please indicate that you are a minor when providing any personal identifying information. No information collected from minors is disclosed to any third parties for any purposes, unless we specifically state otherwise.

Additional Specifics

Who is The Skanner News / The Skanner Report?

The Skanner is a website and newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. Established in 1975, The Skanner News Group has advanced the cause of the Black Press in the North Western United States. Please visit our About Us page for full information.

Our Contact Information

The Skanner News
PO Box 5455
Portland, OR 97228
Tel: 503-285-5555
Fax: 503-285-2900
[email protected]

What data is collected by these two web sites?

• We collect basic contact info (first, last name, and email) from those who voluntarily opt-in to receive our email newsletter.
• We collect contact information from those purchasing tickets to our events.
• We collect contact information from those wishing to run advertisements.
• The site also uses cookies from third-party advertisers and from analytics platforms that track user movement through our site, and possibly also through other sites.

Who is collecting it?

• For our email newsletter, ad inquiries, and events, our site collects this information directly.
• We also run ads from third-party advertisers such as Google and other ad networks. Those advertisers commonly use cookies to track user visits through various web sites. We do not involve ourselves in further access or analysis of any data related to ad networks.
• We have installed Google Analytics, and may also utilize other analytics platforms, which also utilize cookies and possibly other technology to track users.

How are you collecting it?

• For forms appearing on our site, we collect the data via user input (normal web site forms).
• For any cookies needed, those third-party patforms (e.g., Google) collect the information using their technoligy.

Why are you collecting it?

• We collect data for marketing purposes (e.g., email news sign-ups) and business purposes (e.g., accepting advertisements from users for our web site and/or our print editing; or for facilitating the purchase of tickets to our events). None of these are mandatory from our readers / users / visitors. If a user wishes to receive our emails, then the email address is mandatory. But, the other items can also be done via phone or mail if a user does not wish to provide information through our web sites.
• Any cookie-type data collected is done so we can participate in third-party ad platforms (e.g., Google AdSense) and/or so we can obtain analytics to help us understand our visitors and improve our users' experience. As far as our business' use goes, none of any cookie-type data is ever used to personally identify individuals. It's used to facilitate tech needs such as tracking user "sessions" on our site for analytics and/or other tech-specific purposes.

How are you using it?

Do you plan to share it?

• We do not share or sell emails or other collected information.
• We cannot control what Google or other third-party advertisers do, but we also do not actively supply them with any personally identifyable information. They may track user activities and paths through our web sites.
• It is possible that any emails sent to our offices (either directly, or via form data when ads or event tickets are purchased via our web sites) may be seen by other staff, as needed for business purposes, and/or by any IT or office consultants who may be hired to work on our systems. However, user data will only ever be used for the business purpose with which you've supplied it -- not harvested by staff or contractors for other use.

Is the data secure?

• Our site at www.TheSkanner.com uses an SSL certificate, which encrypts your data and is more secure than non-SSL connections. The SSL certificate should normally be in place. But, if a warning appears on any form page that the site is insecure, we do not advise using the form until we can address any issue. The other web site at www.TheSkannerReport.com does not solicit any personal or confidential information via its web form, so we have not to date secured that form.
• We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of security apropriate to any risk of keeping such data, and feel that all data is appropriately secured.

How long will you store it?

• We store emails indefinitely, or until a user unsubscribes via a link at the footer of any emailed newsletter.
• We do not store any other cookie-type info, although we are able to view our analytics presumably indefinitely.

What control do I have over it?

• Email list users may unsubscribe at any time. We keep our email newsletter list at MailChimp.com. We recommend reading their privacy policy as it outlines control available over subscriber emails.
• Web visitors cannot control what ads they see, or the fact that they have visited our sites. However, as far as analytics or advertising goes, we do not have any access to personally identifyable information.

Is this likely to affect me negatively?

• Being on an email list is not likely to affect anyone negatively, especially as anyone can unsubscribe at any time.
• Filling out forms to run ads is not likely to affect anyone negatively, as it is a means to communicate with the newspaper.

Will this cause objections or complaints?

• We do not anticipate any ways in which our privacy policy may cause objections or complaints. However, if anyone has any concerns, we welcome inquiries at the address listed above.