How True Crime Story Blog collects, uses, shares, and protects website-user information

Effective: August 21, 2026   |   Last updated: October 25, 2026

True Crime Story Blog is an independent digital publication operated by True Crime Story911 Media Group. This Privacy Policy applies to https://truecrimestoryblog.com and the website features, communications, and transactions that link to it (collectively, the “Website”).

This Policy describes personal information collected from visitors, subscribers, customers, contributors, business contacts, and other people who interact with the Website. It does not replace the privacy terms of third-party platforms that you choose to use.

The blog merchandise checkout is temporarily closed. Current #TRUECRIMESTORY911™ merchandise purchases are completed at https://truecrimestory911.etsy.com. If you follow a link from the blog to Etsy, we may record that you clicked the link through the blog’s ordinary analytics or link measurement, if enabled. Etsy separately collects information during your visit and checkout under its own privacy terms; this Policy covers information our shop receives or uses in connection with Etsy orders as described below.

Privacy in plain language

• We collect information you submit, routine technical data, and information needed to provide requested features or transactions.
• We do not operate an advertising exchange and do not knowingly sell personal information for money.
• Etsy, payment, anti-spam, email, hosting, analytics, and social-media providers may process information under their own notices.
• Requests about facts published in journalistic content are handled under our Correction Policy, not as ordinary website-account deletion requests.
• The Website is not directed to children under 13 and contains mature true-crime subject matter.

Please read the full Policy for important details and exceptions.

1. Scope and roles
2. Information we collect
3. How we use information
4. Cookies and similar technologies
5. How we disclose information
6. Third-party services
7. Data retention
8. Security
9. Your choices and privacy rights
10. Children and minors
11. International visitors
12. Changes to this Policy
13. Contact us

For personal information collected through the Website, True Crime Story911 Media Group generally decides why and how the information is processed. References to “we,” “us,” and “our” mean True Crime Story Blog and True Crime Story911 Media Group. “You” means the person using or interacting with the Website.

Linked services, including Etsy’s marketplace and checkout, payment and reader-support platforms, social networks, video platforms, and email providers, also process information under their own privacy policies. Review Etsy’s Privacy Policy before making a purchase there.

Editorial and journalistic information. Our reporting may identify or discuss people using court filings, public records, law-enforcement statements, interviews, archival material, and other newsworthy sources. This Policy primarily addresses information collected from Website users. Concerns about published reporting should be submitted under our Correction Policy. A privacy request does not automatically require removal of accurate, lawful, or newsworthy reporting, especially where an applicable journalism, free-expression, public-record, or legal exception applies.

• Contact and editorial inquiries. Your name, email address, optional phone number, message, attachments, and any other information you choose to provide.
• Newsletter subscriptions. Your email address, subscription status, and related preferences or engagement information.
• Accounts and comments, if enabled. Login or account identifiers, profile details, comments, and account activity.
• Orders and merchandise. For earlier direct blog orders, we may retain contact, billing, shipping, order, return, and payment-status records. For current Etsy orders, our shop may receive the customer, delivery, order, message, payment-status, and support information Etsy makes available to us to fulfill an order and handle issues. Etsy handles checkout and payment details under its own privacy terms; we do not collect full payment-card numbers through the blog checkout while it is closed.
• Reader support and crowdfunding. Information a payment or campaign platform makes available to us, such as your display name or username, contribution amount, transaction identifier, and message.
• Advertising and business communications. Your professional contact information, company, proposal, correspondence, and records needed to evaluate or manage a relationship.
• Privacy, correction, and copyright requests. The request, contact details, identity-verification information reasonably needed to process it, and supporting materials.

Please do not use a general website form to send Social Security numbers, full payment-card numbers, medical records, confidential source material, or other highly sensitive information. If sensitive handling is necessary, contact us first to discuss an appropriate method.

When you visit the Website, we and our service providers may automatically receive:

• Internet Protocol (IP) address and approximate location derived from it;
• browser, device type, operating system, language, and screen or device settings;
• pages viewed, referring and exit pages, dates and times, links clicked, and feature interactions;
• cookie identifiers, consent choices, session data, and similar technical identifiers; and
• security, fraud-prevention, error, and performance logs.

We do not request precise GPS location through the Website. A device, browser, embedded service, or linked third-party platform may process location information according to its settings and privacy notice.

We may receive information from service providers that help us operate the Website, fulfill transactions, deliver email, prevent spam, measure performance, manage advertising or affiliate programs, or maintain security. We may also receive information when you interact with our accounts on social-media or video platforms, subject to your settings and the platform’s policy.

Category: Identifiers and contact

Examples: Name, email, phone, IP address, account or transaction ID

Main source: You; device; providers

Typical recipients: Hosting, email, support, security, fulfillment

Category: Commercial and transaction

Examples: Orders, shipping, returns, contribution or payment status

Main source: You; payment or marketplace provider

Typical recipients: Payment, marketplace, fulfillment, tax and professional providers

Category: Internet and device activity

Examples: Browser, device, pages, clicks, timestamps, cookie choices

Main source: Browser; hosting and analytics tools

Typical recipients: Hosting, security, analytics and consent providers

Category: Approximate location

Examples: General area inferred from IP; not requested precise GPS

Main source: Device or service provider

Typical recipients: Hosting, security and analytics providers

Category: Communications and content

Examples: Messages, submissions, comments, attachments, requests

Main source: You

Typical recipients: Staff, contractors and providers needed to respond

Category: Preferences and inferences

Examples: Subscription settings and high-level audience interests

Main source: Your choices; limited analytics

Typical recipients: Email, analytics and advertising providers as enabled

We may use personal information to:

• operate, maintain, secure, troubleshoot, and improve the Website;
• respond to messages, correction requests, privacy requests, business inquiries, and reader communications;
• send newsletters and requested updates, administer subscriptions, and honor unsubscribe choices;
• create or manage accounts and comments, if those features are enabled;
• retain and support prior direct blog orders; fulfill and support orders placed with our Etsy shop using information Etsy provides; and administer reader support or crowdfunding transactions;
• measure traffic and content performance, understand broad audience use, and improve accessibility and presentation;
• administer disclosed advertising, sponsorship, affiliate, and business relationships without giving those partners control over editorial decisions;
• detect spam, abuse, fraud, security incidents, and violations of our Terms and Conditions;
• comply with law, legal process, tax and accounting duties, and enforce or defend legal rights; and
• create aggregated or deidentified statistics that are not reasonably linkable to an individual.

For visitors in jurisdictions that require a legal basis, our bases may include your consent, performance of a contract or requested service, compliance with legal obligations, and our legitimate interests in operating a secure independent publication, communicating with readers, and understanding Website performance. You may withdraw consent at any time, but withdrawal does not affect earlier lawful processing.

Cookies and similar technologies may store or read information on your browser or device. The exact cookies depend on the Website features and providers enabled at the time of your visit.

• Necessary technologies. Support core Website functions such as security, spam prevention, load balancing, session continuity, and consent records. Etsy uses its own technologies when you visit its marketplace.
• Preference and functionality technologies. Remember choices or support optional site features.
• Analytics technologies. Help measure traffic, errors, and broad content performance.
• Advertising and affiliate technologies. May measure whether an advertisement or affiliate link was viewed or used. If cross-context behavioral advertising is introduced, we will update this Policy and provide any legally required notice and opt-out choice.

You can use the Website’s cookie control, where available, and your browser or device settings to block or delete cookies. Necessary technologies may operate without optional consent where permitted. Blocking some technologies can prevent parts of the Website from working. Where applicable law requires consent, we will request it before using nonessential technologies.

Some browsers send a “Do Not Track” signal, but there is no single universally accepted response standard. Where required, we will recognize legally valid universal opt-out signals for processing covered by those signals. We do not currently operate a True Crime Story Blog advertising exchange or our own cross-site behavioral advertising network.

We may disclose information in the following circumstances:

• Service providers. To vendors that provide hosting, website tools, email delivery, analytics, security, anti-spam, payment, marketplace, order fulfillment, shipping, customer support, accounting, or professional services.
• Transactions you request. To payment, marketplace, shipping, fulfillment, or reader-support providers as needed to complete or support your transaction.
• Advertising, sponsorship, and affiliates. To relevant providers for disclosed placement, measurement, or commission administration. Advertisers and sponsors do not control editorial content.
• Public areas. Information you intentionally post in a public comment or similar feature may be visible to others.
• Legal and safety reasons. When reasonably necessary to comply with law or legal process; protect a person’s safety; investigate fraud, abuse, or security issues; or protect our rights, users, publication, or property.
• Business changes. In connection with a proposed or completed financing, reorganization, sale, merger, transfer, or similar business event, subject to appropriate confidentiality and legal protections.
• With your direction or consent. When you ask us to disclose information or otherwise authorize it.

We do not knowingly sell personal information for monetary consideration. We also do not currently use personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as that term is defined by certain U.S. state privacy laws. We do not knowingly sell or share personal information of people under 16 for such advertising.

The Website links to our #TRUECRIMESTORY911™ Etsy shop at https://truecrimestory911.etsy.com for all current merchandise purchases. Etsy collects information when you visit or order on Etsy, while our shop may receive the order and customer information Etsy makes available to sellers for fulfillment, customer support, returns, accounting, and legal obligations. The Website may also use Google reCAPTCHA for spam prevention and link to reader-support, social-media, video, email, analytics, advertising, or affiliate services. These providers may collect information directly from your browser or from information you submit to them. Review their privacy policies and settings before use.

The contact form is protected by Google reCAPTCHA, so the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply to that feature.

A link to an external service does not mean we control or endorse all of its practices. Purchases completed on Etsy are subject to Etsy’s Privacy Policy and applicable marketplace terms, as well as the listing and shop terms for the order. Privacy requests about your Etsy account or Etsy’s own processing should be directed to Etsy; requests about information our shop controls may be sent to us at info@truecrimestoryblog.com.

We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, including to provide a requested service, maintain accurate transaction and subscription records, comply with tax or legal duties, resolve disputes, prevent abuse, and enforce agreements. Actual periods vary by information type and provider settings.

• Newsletter information is generally retained until you unsubscribe; a limited suppression record may be kept so we do not resubscribe you by mistake.
• Order, payment-status, return, accounting, and tax records may be retained for the period required by applicable law and ordinary recordkeeping needs.
• Messages and requests may be kept while we address them and for a reasonable period afterward to document the response, protect rights, or meet legal obligations.
• Technical, security, analytics, and cookie records are retained according to their purpose, our settings, and the applicable provider’s controls.

We may retain aggregated or deidentified information longer when it can no longer reasonably identify you. Backup copies may remain for a limited period until routinely overwritten.

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect personal information. No internet transmission, storage system, or security measure is completely secure. You are responsible for using a secure device, protecting account credentials if account features are enabled, and contacting us promptly if you suspect unauthorized activity.

• Email: use the unsubscribe link in a marketing email or contact us. We may still send nonmarketing messages about a transaction, request, or legal matter.
• Cookies: use the site control, where available, or browser/device settings. Your choice may need to be renewed after cookies are cleared or when using another browser or device.
• Accounts: if account features are enabled, use available settings or contact us to request account closure.
• Third-party platforms: use the privacy and advertising controls offered by the relevant marketplace, payment, social-media, video, or support platform.

Depending on where you live and whether a particular law applies to us or to the information, you may have rights to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a portable copy of personal information; to opt out of certain targeted advertising, sale, sharing, or profiling; to withdraw consent; or to appeal a decision. You also may have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment for exercising a privacy right.

To make a request, email info@truecrimestoryblog.com with the subject line “Privacy Request.” Describe the right you want to exercise and the Website interaction involved. We may ask for information reasonably needed to verify your identity and authority. An authorized agent may submit a request where allowed by law, but we may require proof of authorization and direct identity verification.

We will respond within the time required by applicable law. If we deny a request, we will explain the reason and, where required, provide instructions for appeal. To appeal, reply to our decision with the subject line “Privacy Appeal.” If an appeal is denied and applicable law provides a regulator-complaint process, we will tell you how to use it.

Rights are subject to exceptions, including identity verification, transaction and legal-record obligations, fraud prevention, security, free expression, public records, and journalistic activity. For concerns about published facts, use the Correction Policy and provide the article URL, specific information at issue, and reliable supporting material.

The Website is intended for a general audience interested in news and journalism and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information online from a child under 13 without legally required parental consent. If you believe a child under 13 submitted personal information, contact us so we can investigate and delete it where appropriate.

True-crime reporting can include mature and distressing subject matter. A parent or guardian should supervise a minor’s use of the Website. People under 18 should not submit sensitive information, make a purchase or contribution, or create an account without permission from a parent or legal guardian.

The Website is operated from the United States. If you visit from another country, your information may be processed in the United States and other locations where our providers operate. Those places may have different privacy laws. Where required, we rely on consent, contractual safeguards, or another lawful transfer mechanism.

We may update this Policy to reflect changes in the Website, providers, legal requirements, or business practices. The revised Policy will state its effective or last-updated date. If a change materially affects how we use information already collected, we will provide additional notice or seek consent when required by law.

Questions, concerns, or privacy requests may be sent to:

True Crime Story Blog
Operated by True Crime Story911 Media Group
Email: info@truecrimestoryblog.com
Mail: 2341 West Northwest Highway, #540292, Dallas, Texas 75220, United States
https://truecrimestoryblog.com