Effective date: September 7, 2026
Last updated: September 7, 2026

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Joy at the End of the World, created and managed by Melissa Banigan, LLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates this website and related services, including our author content, podcast, newsletter, contact forms, online store, and other features (collectively, the “Website”).

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This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information when you visit or use the Website.

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1. Information We Collect

Depending on how you use the Website, we may collect the following information:

• Information you provide

• Contact information, such as your name and email address.

• Newsletter information, such as your email address and subscription preferences.

• Podcast-related information, such as questions, comments, voice messages, reviews, or other submissions you send to us.

• Purchase information, such as billing and shipping details, if you buy books, merchandise, tickets, or other products. Payment card information is generally processed directly by our payment provider and is not stored by us.

• Account information, if we offer accounts or memberships.

• Communications, including messages sent through contact forms, email, social media, or other channels.

• User submissions, such as comments, reviews, photographs, artwork, stories, or other content you voluntarily submit.

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Please do not provide sensitive personal information unless we specifically request it and explain why it is needed.

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Information collected automatically

When you visit the Website, we or our service providers may automatically collect:

• IP address and approximate location.

• Browser type, device type, operating system, and language.

• Pages viewed, links clicked, referring website, and access dates and times.

• Podcast-player, media, and download information.

• Cookies and similar technologies.

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2. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We may use cookies, pixels, local storage, and similar technologies to:

• Operate and secure the Website.

• Remember preferences.

• Understand how visitors use the Website.

• Measure podcast, newsletter, and marketing performance.

• Personalize content or advertising, where permitted.

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You can control cookies through your browser settings. If we use nonessential analytics or advertising cookies, we may also provide a cookie banner or preference center where required.

Disabling cookies may affect some Website features.

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3. How We Use Information

We may use personal information to:

• Provide, operate, maintain, and improve the Website.

• Deliver newsletters, podcast updates, downloads, and other requested content.

• Respond to questions, comments, and requests.

• Process purchases, registrations, bookings, or event participation.

• Send service-related communications.

• Send promotional communications where permitted by law.

• Understand audience interests and improve our books, podcast, and content.

• Prevent fraud, abuse, unauthorized access, and other harmful activity.

• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our agreements.

• Fulfill any other purpose disclosed when information is collected.

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You may unsubscribe from marketing emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in the message.

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4. How We Share Information

We may disclose personal information to the following categories of recipients:

• Service providers, such as website hosting, email delivery, analytics, customer-support, payment-processing, ecommerce, scheduling, podcast-hosting, and security providers.

• Professional advisers, such as lawyers, accountants, insurers, and auditors.

• Business-transfer parties, if we sell, merge, reorganize, or transfer all or part of our business.

• Government authorities or other parties, when required by law or when reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, property, or the Website.

• Other parties with your direction or consent.

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We do not sell personal information for money unless this policy expressly says otherwise. [If applicable: We may allow advertising or analytics providers to collect information through cookies or similar technologies, which may be considered “sharing” under certain privacy laws.]

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5. Podcast and Third-Party Services

The Website may embed or link to third-party services, including podcast players, video platforms, social-media platforms, retailers, payment processors, newsletter providers, and event services.

Those third parties may collect information under their own privacy policies. We do not control their privacy practices. Before submitting information or making a purchase through a third-party service, please review that service’s privacy policy.

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6. User Submissions and Public Content

If you submit a comment, review, question, testimonial, voice message, photograph, or other content, it may be displayed publicly if you give us permission or if the submission is intended for publication.

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Do not include personal information in a public submission that you do not want others to see. We may retain correspondence and submissions as reasonably necessary for our editorial, business, legal, or recordkeeping purposes.

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7. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to:

• Provide requested services.

• Maintain business and transaction records.

• Resolve disputes.

• Enforce agreements.

• Meet tax, accounting, legal, and regulatory requirements.

• Prevent fraud and protect the Website.

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Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and why we collected it.

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8. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information.

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However, no website, email transmission, or storage system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

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9. International Data Transfers

We and our service providers may process or store personal information in countries other than the country where you live. Those countries may have different data-protection laws.

Where required, we use appropriate safeguards for international transfers, such as contractual protections or other legally recognized mechanisms.

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10. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live and subject to applicable exceptions, you may have the right to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you.

• Request correction of inaccurate information.

• Request deletion of personal information.

• Request a copy of your information in a portable format.

• Object to or restrict certain processing.

• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

• Opt out of certain marketing communications.

• Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, where applicable.

• Limit certain uses of sensitive personal information, where applicable.

• Appeal a decision concerning a privacy request, where applicable.

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To submit a request, contact us here. 

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We may need to verify your identity before completing a request. We will not discriminate against you for exercising applicable privacy rights.

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If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you may also have the right to complain to your local data-protection authority.

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11. California Privacy Notice

This section applies to California residents to the extent the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended, applies to us.

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During the preceding 12 months, we may have collected the following categories of personal information:

• Identifiers, such as name, email address, IP address, or online identifier.

• Commercial information, such as purchase or transaction information.

• Internet or other electronic network activity, such as browsing and interaction history.

• Geolocation information, such as approximate location.

• Inferences, such as preferences or interests derived from use of the Website.

• Other information you voluntarily provide, such as messages, reviews, or submissions.

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We collect this information from:

• You.

• Your browser or device.

• Service providers and third-party platforms.

• Publicly available sources, where applicable.

• We use this information for the business and commercial purposes described in Section 3. We may disclose it to the categories of recipients described in Section 4.

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We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under California law.

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California residents may submit requests using the contact information in Section 10. We may ask for information needed to verify the request. Authorized agents may submit requests where permitted by law.

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12. Children’s Privacy

The Website is not directed to children under [13/16], and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under that age.

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If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, contact us at melissa [at] hivemindcommunications [dot] org. We will take reasonable steps to delete it.

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13. External Links

The Website may contain links to websites or services that we do not operate. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of those third parties.

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14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the updated version on this page and revise the “Last updated” date.

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If changes are materially significant, we may provide additional notice where required by law.

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15. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please reach out via our Contact form.