This policy explains what personal data we collect when you subscribe to Decode, why and what you can do about it.

Who we are

Decode is made by We Dissent Limited ("Dissent", "we", "us"), registered in England and Wales, company number 14707252, at Boston House, Boston Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1DY. We are the controller of your personal data.

Contact: privacy@wedissent.io

What we collect

  • Your email address

  • How often you want Decode: weekly or monthly (later, also the reading level you choose)

  • Your choices: whether you agreed to our terms, whether you asked for emails from Dissent and when you made each choice

  • Replies: anything you send us if you reply to an issue

  • Technical details: when you use the signup form, our hosting providers record basic details such as your IP address and browser, to keep the service running and secure

Some source links pass through the original newsletter's own link tracking on the way to the article, so that newsletter may record the click.

Why we use it

What we doOur lawful basis
Send you DecodeYour consent, given when you subscribe
Send you whatever else Dissent cooks up (occasional emails), only if you ticked the boxYour consent
Keep a record of what you agreed to and whenOur legitimate interest in being able to show we have your consent
Understand who reads Decode, for example which organisations our readers work for, based on the domain of your email addressOur legitimate interest in running and improving Decode
Keep the signup form secure and stop abuseOur legitimate interest in protecting the service
Meet our legal obligations, such as answering requests to use your rightsLegal obligation

We never sell your details. We don't send your details to the AI tools we use to produce Decode, and we don't use them to train AI.

Who handles your data for us

  • Resend stores our subscriber list and sends Decode

  • Supabase runs the code behind the signup form, in Ireland. It passes your details to Resend and does not keep them

  • Lovable hosts the signup page

  • Google runs our email, so it handles any reply you send us

Each works under a contract that limits what it can do with your data.

We share your data with no one else, unless the law requires it (for example, a court order) or Decode or Dissent is sold or reorganised. In that case your data passes to the new owner, who must keep to this policy.

Data sent outside the UK

Resend stores our subscriber list in the United States. Where any of these providers handles your data outside the UK, the transfer is protected by UK adequacy regulations, the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.

Keeping your data safe

We collect as little as we need, limit who can access it and use established providers with their own security controls. No system is completely secure. If a breach puts you at risk, we will tell you as the law requires.

How long we keep it

We keep your details for as long as you are subscribed.

When you unsubscribe, we stop sending to you. We keep your email address on a suppression list so we never email you again by mistake, and we keep the record of your consent for two years in case we need to show it. Then we delete it.

Confirming your subscription

When you subscribe, we send one email asking you to confirm. Until you click the link in it, we send you nothing else.

Your rights

You can ask us to:

  • give you a copy of the data we hold about you

  • correct it

  • delete it

  • stop or limit how we use it

  • give it to you in a format you can take elsewhere

You can object at any time to us using your data to understand our readership, and you can withdraw your consent at any time. Every issue has a one-click unsubscribe link, and you can also email us. Withdrawing consent doesn't affect anything we did before you withdrew it.

To use any of these rights, email privacy@wedissent.io. We will answer within one month.

If you're unhappy with how we handle your data, tell us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office: ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.

Automated decisions

We use automated tools to choose and draft the stories in Decode. We make no automated decisions about you.

Children

Decode is for working professionals aged 18 and over. We don't knowingly collect data from anyone younger.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. If a change matters, we will tell you by email. The date at the top shows the latest version.