PRIVACY POLICY
Last Updated: December 15, 2025
Introduction
MASCULINEUS.com (“Site,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is operated as an independent creative practice showcasing documentary photography, artistic work, creative writing, field notes, and research-based reflections. The Site is maintained by an artist and documentarian working from the perspective of an African diaspora woman in urban spaces.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect information about visitors to our Site. We are committed to transparency and respecting your privacy while operating a small, independent creative platform.
By using MASCULINEUS.com, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
Information We Collect
We collect information in two ways: information you provide directly to us, and information collected automatically when you visit our Site.
Information You Provide Directly
When you interact with our Site, you may choose to provide:
Contact and Inquiry Forms: When you submit a contact form or project inquiry, we collect your name, email address, organization name (if applicable), and any message or project details you provide.
Newsletter Subscriptions: If you sign up for our newsletter or email updates, we collect your email address and any optional interest preferences you select.
Other Communications: Any information you include when communicating with us via email or other channels.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our Site, certain information is collected automatically:
Log Data: Our web hosting provider collects standard server log information, including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, pages you visit, date and time stamps, referring URLs, and other technical data.
Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to analyze Site traffic, understand visitor behavior, and improve the user experience. See the “Cookies and Similar Technologies” section below for more details.
Analytics Data: We use privacy-focused analytics tools (such as Google Analytics or similar services) to understand how visitors interact with our Site.
This includes information about pages viewed, time spent on the Site, geographic location (at the city or regional level), device type, and engagement patterns. This data is typically aggregated and anonymized.
Information from Third-Party Platforms
Embedded Media: Our Site may include embedded content from third-party platforms such as Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube, or similar services. When you view pages containing this embedded content, those third-party platforms may collect information about your visit as if you had visited their sites directly. We do not control their data collection practices.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
Responding to Inquiries: To communicate with you about collaboration opportunities, assignment requests, licensing inquiries, or general questions you submit through our contact forms.
Newsletter and Updates: To send you newsletters, updates about new work, exhibitions, or other communications you have requested. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Site Operation and Security: To operate, maintain, and secure the Site, including troubleshooting technical issues, preventing fraud or abuse, and protecting our intellectual property.
Analytics and Improvement: To understand how visitors use our Site, which content resonates with audiences, and how we can improve the user experience and presentation of our work.
Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or enforceable governmental requests.
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes.
Legal Bases for Processing (EU/EEA and Similar Jurisdictions)
For visitors in the European Union, European Economic Area, United Kingdom, and similar jurisdictions with comprehensive data protection laws, we process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:
Consent: When you provide your email address for our newsletter or submit a contact form, you consent to our use of that information for the specified purpose.
Legitimate Interests: We process certain data based on our legitimate interests in operating an artist portfolio and documentary platform, understanding our audience, improving our Site, and protecting our creative work and intellectual property. We balance these interests against your privacy rights and do not process your data in ways you would not reasonably expect.
Legal Obligations: When necessary to comply with applicable laws or respond to valid legal requests.
You have the right to withdraw consent at any time (for example, by unsubscribing from our newsletter), though this will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal.
Cookies and Similar Technologies
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help websites remember your preferences and understand how you interact with the site.
Types of Cookies We Use
Strictly Necessary Cookies: Essential for the Site to function properly and provide basic features. These cannot be disabled.
Analytics Cookies: Used to collect aggregated information about how visitors use our Site, such as which pages are most popular and how visitors navigate the Site. This helps us improve content and user experience. We may use Google Analytics or similar privacy-focused analytics services, which may be configured to anonymize IP addresses and respect Do Not Track signals where feasible.
Preference Cookies: May remember your choices or settings to improve your experience on return visits.
We do not use cookies for advertising or tracking you across other websites.
Managing Cookies
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or delete existing cookies. Please note that disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of the Site. Instructions for managing cookies can typically be found in your browser’s help section.
Third-Party Services
We work with third-party service providers to help operate our Site and communicate with visitors. These may include:
Web Hosting Provider: Hosts the Site and may process server log data.
Analytics Services: Such as Google Analytics or similar tools that help us understand Site usage. These services have their own privacy policies governing how they collect and use data.
Email Service Providers: Services such as Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Substack, or similar platforms used to manage and send newsletters. Your email address and any preferences you provide are stored with these services according to their privacy policies.
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): May be used to deliver Site content efficiently and securely.
Embedded Media Platforms: When we embed content from Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube, or similar platforms, those platforms may collect information about your visit, set cookies, or track your interaction with embedded content according to their own privacy policies. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of these platforms.
We select service providers that demonstrate reasonable privacy and security practices, but we are not responsible for their data handling. Each third-party service has its own privacy policy, and we encourage you to review those policies.
How We Store and Protect Your Information
Security Measures
We implement reasonable technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures include secure hosting, encryption of data in transit (using HTTPS/TLS protocols), access controls, and regular security reviews.
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy:
Contact Form Submissions: We retain your contact information and message content as long as needed to respond to your inquiry and maintain a record of our communication, typically for a reasonable period after our last interaction.
Newsletter Subscriptions: We retain your email address and preferences until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
Analytics Data: Analytics data is typically retained in aggregated, anonymized form according to the retention settings of our analytics provider (often 14-26 months).
Server Logs: Standard web server logs are typically retained for a limited period (e.g., 30-90 days) for security and troubleshooting purposes.
If you request deletion of your information, we will comply within a reasonable timeframe, subject to any legal obligations to retain certain records.
Your Rights and Choices
General Rights
You have certain rights regarding your personal information:
Access: You may request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you and request a copy of that information.
Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information we hold about you.
Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions (such as legal obligations to retain records).
Unsubscribe: You may unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any email we send you or by contacting us directly.
Opt-Out of Certain Communications: You can choose not to receive certain communications from us, though we may still need to send you service-related messages.
Additional Rights for EU/EEA and Similar Jurisdictions
If you are located in the European Union, European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or a jurisdiction with similar data protection laws, you have additional rights:
Right to Restriction: You may request that we restrict processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Right to Object: You may object to processing of your personal information based on legitimate interests. We will cease processing unless we have compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests.
Right to Data Portability: You may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and have it transmitted to another controller.
Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe we have violated your privacy rights.
California Residents
If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):
Right to Know: You may request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected, the sources of that information, the purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share information.
Right to Delete: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.
Do Not Sell My Personal Information: We do not sell personal information and have not sold personal information in the past 12 months.
Exercising Your Rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@masculineus.com. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law (typically 30 days, or 45 days for California requests with a possible extension). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
Copyright and Content Ownership
All content on MASCULINEUS.com—including but not limited to photographs, videos, text, audio recordings, graphic designs, essays, field notes, and creative works—is original content protected by copyright law and belongs to the artist or other designated rights holders.
This Privacy Policy addresses how we handle information about you as a visitor. It does not grant you any rights to use, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from the creative content displayed on this Site. Accessing or viewing the Site does not constitute permission to use, download, copy, or redistribute any content without explicit written permission.
If you are interested in licensing, collaborating on, or using any content from MASCULINEUS.com, please contact us to discuss permissions and terms.
Children’s Privacy
MASCULINEUS.com is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or under 16 for visitors in the EU/EEA, or the applicable age of digital consent in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without appropriate parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately at contact@masculineus.com.
International Data Transfers
MASCULINEUS.com is operated from the United States. If you access our Site from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate.
Privacy laws in the United States and other countries may not provide the same level of protection as those in your home country. By using our Site, you acknowledge and consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other jurisdictions as necessary to provide our services. We take reasonable steps to ensure that your information is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy, regardless of where it is processed.
For visitors in the EU/EEA, we rely on applicable legal mechanisms for international data transfers, such as Standard Contractual Clauses, and work with service providers that demonstrate adequate data protection practices.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. If we make material changes that significantly affect your privacy rights, we will provide notice through a prominent announcement on the Site or via email (if we have your email address).
Your continued use of MASCULINEUS.com after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Information
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
Email: contact@masculineus.com
For data subject rights requests (access, deletion, correction, etc.), please include “Privacy Request” in the subject line and provide sufficient information for us to verify your identity and process your request.
We will respond to privacy inquiries and requests within the timeframes required by applicable law.
This Privacy Policy is effective as of the “Last Updated” date above and applies to all visitors of MASCULINEUS.com.