Last updated: November 2, 2026
This policy explains what information sf.epochtimes.com (the “Site,” “we,” or “us”) collects when you visit and use the Site, how we use and share it, and the choices you have. The Site is operated by The Epoch Times San Francisco office. By using the Site you acknowledge this policy; the terms of use for the Site are in our Terms of Service.
1. Information We Collect
Information you give us
- Comments: the name, email address, website and comment you enter, plus your IP address and browser information (used to detect spam).
- Email newsletter: the email address you enter in the signup form.
- Newspaper subscriptions: the name, delivery address, phone number, email address and payment details you enter on our subscription page.
- Donations: the name, email address and payment details you enter on our donation page.
- Classifieds: information you provide when you register, post a listing or fill in a contact form on our classifieds site.
- Contacting us: information you provide when you email or call us.
Information collected automatically
- Server logs: like all websites, our server records the IP address, time, page requested, referring page and browser information for each visit. We use these logs to operate the Site, fix problems and prevent attacks.
- Site security: to protect the Site, our security systems record the IP address and related details of events such as login attempts, suspicious requests and content changes.
- Analytics: we use Google Analytics (loaded through Google Tag Manager) to understand how readers use the Site, such as pages viewed, device and browser type, approximate region, clicks and video plays. We also count page views with a self-hosted analytics tool that does not use cookies and does not share data with third parties.
- Article view counts: to count article views without counting the same reader twice, we store a cookie in your browser.
2. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Cookies are small text files a website stores in your browser. The Site uses the following cookies and similar technologies:
- Cookie consent (cookieconsent_status): remembers that you clicked “同意” (Agree) on our cookie notice so it is not shown on every page.
- Article view counts (pvc_visits and similar): prevents the same reader’s views from being counted twice.
- Google Analytics (_ga, _ga_* and similar): set by Google for traffic statistics; they expire after two years.
- Comment details: if you choose to save your details when commenting, your name, email address and website are kept in cookies for one year so you don’t have to enter them again.
- Login: used when our editors sign in to the Site’s dashboard. Readers do not need to sign in.
- Accessibility settings: display preferences you choose in our accessibility tool (such as text size and contrast) are stored only in your own browser and are not sent to us.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. This will not stop you from reading articles, but the Site will not be able to remember your comment details. To opt out of Google Analytics, you can install Google’s Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
3. How We Use Information
- To provide, maintain and improve the Site’s content and features;
- To display and moderate comments and filter spam;
- To send the newsletters you subscribe to;
- To process subscriptions, deliver newspapers, process donations and provide related customer service;
- To measure Site traffic and understand what readers are interested in;
- To keep the Site secure and prevent abuse and attacks;
- To comply with the law.
4. Who We Share Information With
We share information only in these cases:
- Service providers that help us run the Site, each of which handles data under its own privacy policy:
- Google (Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and reCAPTCHA bot protection on the newsletter signup form and the classifieds site);
- Chargebee (subscriptions and payment processing; full card details are handled by Chargebee and its payment processors and are never stored on the Site);
- Donorbox and PayPal (donations and payment processing);
- MailExpress (email newsletter delivery);
- Gravatar (Automattic): if you enter an email address when commenting, an anonymized string created from it (a hash) is sent to Gravatar to show your Gravatar profile picture. Gravatar’s privacy policy is at https://automattic.com/privacy/.
- Legal requirements: when required by law, court order or a government authority, or to protect the rights and safety of the Site, our readers or others.
5. Third-Party Content and Links
Articles and pages on the Site include content from other websites, such as embedded YouTube and Gan Jing World videos, images served from The Epoch Times’ headquarters servers, and social sharing buttons. This content behaves as if you had visited the other website directly: that website collects data about you, uses cookies and tracks your interaction with the content under its own privacy policy, and links this to your account if you are signed in there.
Our “商品推薦” (product recommendation) articles contain Amazon affiliate links. If you click one and shop on Amazon, Amazon sets cookies and we earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Other websites we link to have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their content or practices.
6. How Long We Keep Information
- Server access logs are kept for 14 days.
- Comments and their metadata are kept indefinitely, so we can recognize and approve a reader’s later comments automatically.
- Subscription, donation and newsletter information is stored by the service providers listed above (Chargebee, Donorbox, PayPal and MailExpress) and handled under their own policies.
- Google Analytics data is handled under Google’s data retention settings.
7. Your Rights and Choices
- You can ask to access, correct or delete the personal information we hold about you, except information we must keep for legal, administrative or security purposes.
- You can stop receiving our newsletter at any time with the unsubscribe link in any newsletter.
- You can manage or block cookies and opt out of Google Analytics as described in Section 2.
To exercise these rights, contact us using the details below. We will verify your identity and respond as soon as possible.
8. Children’s Privacy
The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected a child’s information, please contact us and we will delete it.
9. Security
The Site uses encrypted HTTPS connections throughout, and we take reasonable technical and administrative measures to protect your information. However, no transmission over the internet is completely secure.
10. Changes to This Policy
We will update this policy when our practices change. The updated version will be posted on this page with a new “Last updated” date.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this policy or your personal information, please contact:
The Epoch Times San Francisco
Email: sf@epochtimes.com
Phone: 650-336-1170