Policy

Traffic data

Each time a visitor comes to a Salon.com Web site, our servers -- like most on the Web -- collect some basic technical information, including, for example, the visitor's domain name (e.g., whether the user is logged on from aol.com or whitehouse.gov), referral data (e.g., we record the address of the last URL a user visited prior to clicking through to a
Salon.com Web site) and browser and platform type (e.g., a Netscape browser on a Macintosh platform).

We also count, track and aggregate the visitor's activity into our analysis of general traffic flows at our sites (e.g. tracking where traffic comes from, how traffic flows within the Salon.com sites, etc.). To these ends, we may merge information about visitors and visits into group data, which may then be shared on an aggregated basis with our advertisers; but we will not disclose your individual identity or personally identifiable data without your permission. When we do present aggregated information to outside companies, no one will be able to identify you or contact you.

Use of Salon.com cookies

A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a Web server and stored on your computer's hard drive. We use cookies in a limited way to help deliver advertisements, to identify unique browsers that visit us and to track usage throughout our site. We also use cookies on our Salon Shopping site to make the ordering process more convenient for users.

Other companies which place advertising on our site also have the ability to assign their cookies to you in a process that Salon.com does not control. However, cookies cannot be used to identify individuals, only machines, so these advertisers will not know who you are.

Newsletters and "e-mail to a friend" feature

After signing up to receive a Salon.com newsletter by e-mail, users will start receiving a newsletter delivered on a daily or weekly basis, as well as infrequent other announcements from Salon.com. We collect subscribers' e-mail addresses in order to distribute those newsletters and announcements and do not otherwise share them with other companies or partners. Users can choose to unsubscribe from Salon.com newsletters at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions found in each e-mail or visiting the newsletter sign-up page.

Salon.com also offers an "e-mail a friend about this story" feature, allowing site visitors to send e-mail to friends to inform them about an article they might be interested in reading. In order for this feature to function, we ask for e-mail addresses from the sender and for the recipient. We do not store or save these addresses and you will not receivem e-mailings or other communications from Salon or its partners as a result of having used this feature.

Letters to the editor

Salon asks senders of letters to the editor to include a phone number so we can make an effort to verify their identity should we need to in connection with publication of a letter. We do not retain this information for any other purpose, nor do we sell, trade or otherwise disclose it to third parties.

Table Talk

Salon.com visitors who register for our Table Talk community area provide us with a name, password and a working e-mail address. We use this information to set up your account. We do not sell or redistribute the Table Talk membership list and will not send you e-mail at the address you provide, except for infrequent announcements relating to Table Talk or as needed to resolve issues that may arise with your Table Talk account. The e-mail address you register with Salon.com will be posted in Table Talk if and when you post comments there, but you are free at any time to substitute an alternate e-mail address if you wish to keep the one you initially registered private. Participants in Table Talk are expected to comply with the rules governing the area, but we cannot control third parties' use of information you may choose to provide in such a public forum. For more information see the Table Talk registration page.

Salon Shopping

Salon.com operates an online store at www.salonshopping.com. In the course of processing orders, we will collect certain personal information for the purpose of fulfilling customers' orders. We will save this information as needed to keep responsible records and handle complaints. We
do not share this information (other than in aggregate form, which does not reveal your personal identity or contact information) with any other companies or individuals except those third-party firms that are directly involved in helping us complete the transaction and deliver the order.

Salon Membership

Salon.com collects personal information from visitors who join our Salon Membership program, including first and last names, e-mail address, street address and phone numbers. Salon members may receive occasional e-mail from us with special offers and benefits for participants in this paid membership program. We do not currently share this information with other companies and will not do so (except in aggregate form, which does not reveal members' identities) without first obtaining a member's consent.

Promotion

From time to time, Salon.com may sponsor sweepstakes,
contests or other events which require the collection,
processing and storage of individual contact and
demographic information (e.g., your age and state of
residence) to be used for the event. Salon may also
co-sponsor these events along with other companies, in
which case the user's individual contact and demographic
information is likely to be shared with other participating
sponsors, who may use this information as they wish. A registrant's personal contact and demographic
information will not be released to any third-party organization other than named sponsors without the user's consent, and
Salon.com will request that such named sponsors uphold
the privacy of the registrants' information by not distributing or sharing such information with any other businesses or organizations.

Surveys

Salon.com will from time to time conduct voluntary surveys of visitors to the site to obtain aggregate demographic information about them. Such information may be compiled and shared in the aggregate with advertisers and other third parties, but no personal details will be traceable or associated with specific individuals.

Our commitment to children's privacy

Protecting the privacy of the very young is important to us. For that reason, we do not collect or maintain information at our Web sites from those we actually know are under 13, and no part of our Web site is structured to attract anyone under 13.

Other disclosure of personal information

Salon.com will not otherwise use or disclose your personal information without your consent except (i) as described in this privacy policy, or (ii) as required by law, court order or as requested by other government or law enforcement authority. This policy does not protect information you post to any on-line bulletin board, chat room, newsgroup or other public
forum within our Web sites.

Unsubscribe and data removal policies

If you would like to unsubscribe from a Salon.com newsletter, please follow the instructions at the bottom of the newsletter itself or visit our newsletter page.

If you would like to remove your name and e-mail address from our Table Talk registration database, you can send an e-mail requesting removal to tabletalk@salon.com.

If you have joined the Salon membership program and want to remove your name and e-mail address from that mailing list, you can send an e-mail requesting removal to shop@salon.com.

Other sites

Salon.com contains many links to other sites on the Web. We cannot control and are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such other Web sites.

Who can I ask if I have any additional questions?

If you have any further questions or concerns about Salon's privacy policies and use of personal information, please send them to privacy@salon.com.