Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 19, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what information The Situational Report collects, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. We keep what we collect to the minimum needed to run the newsletter.

The short version: we collect your email so we can send you the briefs, use a payment processor for paid tiers (we never see your full card number), and use a privacy-first, cookieless analytics tool to understand site traffic in aggregate. We do not sell your personal information.

01 Who We Are

The Situational Report ("SITREP," "we," "us," or "our") operates thesituationalreport.com and the associated newsletter, operated by Simon Peters, an individual doing business as "The Situational Report," a sole proprietorship located in Washington State, United States. You can reach us at terpsimon@gmail.com.

02 Information We Collect

Information you give us

Email address — when you subscribe to any tier, collected through our email provider.
Payment information — for paid tiers, your card details are entered directly with our payment processor, Stripe. We receive confirmation of your subscription and limited billing metadata, but we do not store your full card number.
Correspondence — if you email us, we keep that correspondence to respond and provide support.

Information collected automatically

Aggregate analytics — we use Plausible Analytics, a privacy-focused, cookieless tool that measures site traffic in aggregate (such as page views and referring sources) without building individual profiles or storing personal identifiers.

03 How We Use Information

To deliver the newsletters and reports you subscribe to.
To process and manage paid subscriptions and billing.
To respond to your questions and provide support.
To operate, maintain, and improve the service.
To send service or account messages, and — where permitted — occasional updates about the product, which you can opt out of at any time.

04 Legal Bases (where applicable)

Where laws such as the GDPR apply, we rely on: your consent (for marketing emails), performance of a contract (to deliver a subscription you paid for), and our legitimate interests (to operate and improve the service and understand aggregate traffic).

05 How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with the service providers that make the newsletter run, and only as needed for them to perform their function:

Mailchimp (Intuit) — email list management and delivery.
Stripe — payment processing for paid tiers.
Plausible Analytics — aggregate, cookieless site analytics.
GitHub Pages — website hosting.
Zapier — automation connecting the above services.

Each processes data under its own privacy terms. We may also disclose information where required by law, to protect our rights, or in connection with a business transfer.

06 Cookies & Tracking

Our analytics tool, Plausible, does not use cookies and does not track you across sites. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. Note that our payment processor (Stripe) may set its own cookies on its checkout pages to process payments securely and prevent fraud; those are governed by Stripe's privacy policy.

07 Email Communications

Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can opt out at any time. We honor opt-outs promptly and comply with applicable email laws, including CAN-SPAM. Essential service or billing messages related to an active subscription may still be sent.

08 Data Retention

We keep your information for as long as your subscription is active and as needed to provide the service, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. You can ask us to delete your information, subject to those obligations.

09 Your Rights & Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict the use of your personal information, to opt out of marketing, and to data portability. Residents of certain regions (for example, under the GDPR or California's CCPA/CPRA) have specific rights, including the right not to be discriminated against for exercising them. To make a request, email terpsimon@gmail.com. You can unsubscribe from emails at any time using the link in any message.

10 Data Security

We rely on reputable third-party providers (such as Stripe and Mailchimp) that maintain industry-standard security practices. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11 Children's Privacy

The service is intended for adults and is not directed to anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

12 International Users

We operate from the United States, and your information may be processed there and in other countries where our service providers operate. By using the service, you understand your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States.

13 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date reflects the latest version. Material changes will be communicated where appropriate, and your continued use of the service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

14 Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy or your information can be sent to terpsimon@gmail.com.