Privacy Policy

Terms of Use & Privacy Statement

This online privacy policy applies only to information collected through our website and not to information collected offline. By using our site, you consent to our online privacy policy and terms of use statement as presented here. If we decide to change our policies, because our site and other products are under constant development, we will post those changes on this page, which will always be directly accessible through our website’s homepage and other pages across our digital network.

Comment Policy

Pacific Standard’s comment sections are reserved for respectful and thoughtful discourse. Though the magazine appreciates feedback and may even publish some of it, we do not endorse any of the views expressed in our comment sections.

Our small editorial team does not have the time or resources to moderate comments on a daily basis. This means we count on our readers to keep these conversations civil. Any comment that is flagged by our users or editors as inappropriate—due to libel; profane, violent, or discriminatory language; inflammatory content; spam; off-topic discussion; or any other reason—may be deleted at any time without notice and without cause. Comment sections on stories that deal with sensitive subject matter may also be restricted, suspended, or closed at any time.

Our fluid and reactive process means that readers may occasionally encounter comments on our website that they find offensive, but we feel our energies are best spent on producing stories that matter.

Corrections Policy

At Pacific Standard, we believe an important step in service of truth is acknowledging when we’ve missed the mark. If you believe you’ve found an error in our reporting, email feedback@psmag.com, and someone in our fact-checking department will review your comment. If we decide to update any language after our review, we’ll note what changed at the end of the article.

Terms of Use

By accessing this website, you are agreeing to be bound by these terms of use, all applicable laws and regulations, and agree that you are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site. The materials contained on this website are protected by applicable copyright and trademark law.

Content & Non-Endorsement

Opinions and other statements expressed by users and third parties are theirs alone, not opinions of Pacific Standard or its parent non-profit, The Social Justice Foundation. Content created by users and third parties is the sole responsibility of the third parties and its accuracy and completeness are not endorsed or guaranteed.

Pacific Standard has not reviewed all of the sites linked to its website, has no control over the information accessed via such links, and is not responsible for the contents of any such linked site. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Pacific Standard of the site. Use of any such linked website is at the user’s own risk.

Use License

Permission is granted to temporarily download one copy of the materials (information or software) on Pacific Standard’s website for personal, non-commercial transitory viewing only. This is the grant of a license, not a transfer of title, and under this license you may not: (1) modify or copy the materials; (2) use the materials for any commercial purpose, or for any public display (commercial or non-commercial); (3) attempt to decompile or reverse engineer any software contained on Pacific Standard’s website; (4) remove any copyright or other proprietary notations from the materials; or (5) transfer the materials to another person or “mirror” the materials on any other server.

Images, photography, and other graphic and visual elements licensed from Getty Images may not be downloaded, re-produced, re-published, or otherwise transmitted without express written permission.

This license shall automatically terminate if you violate any of these restrictions and may be terminated by Pacific Standard at any time. Upon terminating your viewing of these materials or upon the termination of this license, you must destroy any downloaded materials in your possession whether in electronic or printed format.

Acceptable Use Policy

You are solely responsible for any and all acts and omissions that occur during or relating to your use of Pacific Standard’s site, and you agree not to engage in unacceptable use of said site, which includes, without limitation, use of the Pacific Standard site to (I) harm, threaten to harm, stalk, or otherwise harass users or members of the general public in any way; (II) post or transmit any content that is unlawful, false or misleading, grossly offensive, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortuous, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, pornographic, libelous, invasive of another’s privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable; (III) disseminate or transmit spam, unsolicited messages, chain letters, and advertisements, solicitations, pyramid schemes, investment opportunities, or other unsolicited commercial communication; (IV) collect, use, or store any personally identifiable information about other users, or otherwise violate the personal privacy rights of others; (V) impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity; (VI) disseminate or transmit any content that infringes or violates any party’s copyright, trademark, trade secret, patent, or other proprietary right; or use or distribute third-party information in violation of a duty of confidentiality, fiduciary duty, or similar duty; (VII) violate any law, whether or not intentionally; (VIII) or express or imply that any statements you make are endorsed by us.

You acknowledge and agree that unless otherwise stated, all materials and information you provide to Pacific Standard, through its site or other means, will be deemed to be provided to us on a non-confidential and non-proprietary basis.

Disclaimer of Warranties

The materials on Pacific Standard’s website are provided “as is.” Pacific Standard makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and hereby disclaims and negates all other warranties, including without limitation, implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property or other violation of rights. Further, Pacific Standard does not warrant or make any representations concerning the accuracy, likely results, or reliability of the use of the materials on its website or otherwise relating to such materials or on any sites linked to this site.

The materials appearing on Pacific Standard’s website could contain content—produced by Pacific Standard staff, contractors, agents, or visitors—that is offensive or otherwise objectionable to certain users, as well as material containing technical inaccuracies, typographical mistakes, and other errors. We disclaim any responsibility for any harm resulting from access or use of PSmag.com. Pacific Standard does not warrant that any of the materials on its website are (I) accurate, complete, or current; (II) fit for any particular purpose; (III) uninterrupted or error-free; or (IV) free of defamatory, offensive, or illegal material or defects such as viruses, malfunctions, or harmful components that could damage or allow unauthorized access to your computer, computer network, or mobile device. Pacific Standard may make changes to the materials contained on its website at any time without notice. Pacific Standard does not, however, make any commitment to update the materials.

Limitations

In no event shall Pacific Standard or its suppliers be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, damages for loss of data or profit, or due to business interruption) arising out of the use or inability to use the materials on Pacific Standard’s website, even if Pacific Standard or a Pacific Standard authorized representative has been notified orally or in writing of the possibility of such damage. Because some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on implied warranties, or limitations of liability for consequential or incidental damages, these limitations may not apply to you.

Site Terms of Use Modifications

Pacific Standard may revise these terms of use for its website at any time without notice. By using this website you are agreeing to be bound by the then current version of these terms of use.

Governing Law

Any claim relating to Pacific Standard’s website shall be governed by the laws of the State of California without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

DMCA Copyright Infringement Claim Policy

Pacific Standard respects the intellectual property of others, and requires that our users do the same. You may not upload, embed, post, email, transmit, or otherwise make available any material that infringes any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, or other proprietary rights of any person or entity.

If you believe you work has been copied and posted on or through our website in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, please send Pacific Standard a notification of claimed infringement with all of the following information: (1) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works; (2) identification of the claimed infringing material and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material (providing the URL/s of the claimed infringing materials satisfies this requirement; (3) information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact you, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an email address; (4) a statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law, including the law of copyright fair use; (5) a statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your notification is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf; and (6) your physical or electronic signature.

Pacific Standard’s Copyright Agent for notification of claimed infringement can be reached as follows: Copyright Agent, Nicholas Jackson, The Social Justice Foundation, P.O. Box 1590, Santa Barbara, California, 93102, 805.899.8620, fax: 805.899.8141, njackson@psmag.com.

Upon receipt of a Notification of Copyright Infringement from a copyright owner that contains the required information described above, Pacific Standard will notify the user, if known, of the alleged infringement and remove or disable access to the material that is alleged to be infringing if hosted by Pacific Standard. No personal user information is shared with the copyright owner unless required by law.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold Pacific Standard, its affiliates, licensors, suppliers, advertisers, and sponsors, and its and their directors, officers, employees, consultants, agents, and other representatives, harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) and other expenses that arise directly or indirectly out of or from your breach of this agreement, including any violation of the terms of use; any allegation that any materials you submit to us or transmit infringe or otherwise violate the copyright, trademark, trade secret, or other intellectual property or other rights of any third party; and/or your activities in connection with our website.

Statute of Limitations

You agree that regardless of any statute or law to the contrary, any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to use of our terms of use or privacy policy must be filed within one year after such claim or cause of action arose or be forever barred.

Privacy Statement

What Information Do We Collect?

Pacific Standard and PSmag.com respect each individual’s right to personal privacy, and there is no need to identify yourself in order to view anything posted on our site. We do, however, collect information directly from you when you subscribe to our newsletter, including your name and/or email address. But we will collect and use information through our website only in the ways disclosed in this statement.

Like most website operators, PSmag.com collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that Web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. PSmag.com’s purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how our visitors use our website. From time to time, PSmag.com may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.

Aggregated Statistics

PSmag.com may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its website. For instance, PSmag.com may monitor the most popular pages on the site or use screening services to help identify spam. However, PSmag.com does not disclose personally identifying information other than as described in this policy.

What Do We Use Your Information For?

Any of the information we collect from you may be used in one of the following ways: to improve our website (we continually strive to improve our website offerings based on the information and feedback we receive from you); to administer a contest, promotion, survey, or other site feature; and to send periodic emails. The email address you provide may be used to send you information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions.

Do We Use Cookies?

Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computers hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the sites or service providers to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information.

We use cookies to understand and save your preferences for future visits, keep track of advertisements, and compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We may contract with third-party service providers to assist us in better understanding our site visitors. These service providers are not permitted to use the information collected on our behalf except to help us conduct and improve our business.

Advertising

Ads appearing on our website may be delivered to users by advertising partners, who may set cookies. These cookies allow the ad server to recognize your computer each time they send you an online advertisement to compile information about you or others who use your computer. This information allows ad networks to, among other things, deliver targeted advertisements that they believe will be of most interest to you. This privacy statement covers the use of cookies by PSmag.com and does not cover the use of cookies by any advertisers.

Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on our site. Google’s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to visitors based on their visit to both this site and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad content network privacy policy.

Do We Disclose Any Information to Outside Parties?

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. This does not include trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect rights, property, or safety. However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.

Third-Party Links

Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third-party products or services on our website that users may find of interest, but users should review terms of use and privacy policies on all sites visited.

California Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance

Because we value your privacy we have taken the necessary precautions to be in compliance with the California Online Privacy Protection Act. We therefore will not distribute your personal information to outside parties without your consent.

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance

We are in compliance with the requirements of COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act). We do not knowingly collect any information from anyone under 13 years of age. Our website, products, and services are all directed to people who are at least 13 years old or older.

Responsibility for Security Breaches

Although PSmag.com makes concerted efforts to protect its servers and databases from unauthorized access, we are unable to accept liability for information accessed illegally via our servers, clients, or network. Your personal information is protected by the most advanced security systems available to us. However, no system is entirely secure and, as such, PSmag.com makes no legal guarantees regarding the protection of any data that may reside on our servers.

Privacy Statement Changes

Although most changes are likely to be minor, PSmag.com may change its privacy statement from time to time, and in PSmag.com’s sole discretion. PSmag.com encourages visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to our privacy statement. Your continued use of this site after any change in this privacy statement will constitute your acceptance of such change.