GDPR Compliance & Data Protection Policy

Last updated: April 2026

The BTC Media ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting your personal data and operating in full compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR") and applicable national data protection laws. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, how long we keep it, and what rights you have as a data subject.

1. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data is The BTC Media, contactable at thebtcmedia@proton.me. If you have any questions about how your data is processed, please use this address.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data:

  • Account data: When you register, we collect your email address, username, and (hashed) password.
  • Usage data: IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referrer URLs, collected automatically via server logs and analytics tools.
  • Communications: Any information you voluntarily submit through contact forms or email correspondence.
  • Cookie data: Preference data, session identifiers, and advertising identifiers placed by us or by third-party services (see Section 6).

We do not collect payment card data directly. Any payments are processed by third-party providers (e.g. Stripe) under their own privacy policies.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your data under the following legal bases:

  • Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to provide account-based features you have registered for.
  • Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): Analysing site usage to improve content quality, security monitoring, and aggregating news from public RSS feeds.
  • Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): For optional cookies (analytics, advertising). You may withdraw consent at any time via our cookie settings.
  • Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): Where required by applicable law.

4. How We Use Your Data

  • To provide and maintain your account and personalised features;
  • To deliver relevant Bitcoin news, analysis, and educational content;
  • To analyse website traffic and improve user experience;
  • To display advertising relevant to your interests (with consent);
  • To respond to your enquiries and support requests;
  • To comply with legal obligations and prevent fraud or abuse;
  • To send important service notifications (not marketing, unless opted in).

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary:

  • Account data: Retained for as long as your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of an account deletion request.
  • Usage logs: Retained for up to 12 months for security and performance analysis, then deleted or anonymised.
  • Communications: Retained for up to 2 years, then deleted.
  • Cookie data: Duration varies by cookie type (session, 30 days, or up to 13 months for analytics cookies).

6. Cookies and Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process your data:

  • Google Analytics: Collects anonymised usage statistics. Data is processed in the EU/EEA where possible. You can opt out via Google Analytics Opt-out.
  • Google AdSense: Serves personalised or contextual advertisements. Uses cookies to deliver relevant ads. Manage preferences at Google Ad Settings.
  • Stripe: Processes payments for premium subscriptions. Operates under its own Privacy Policy.

You can manage cookie preferences at any time through our cookie consent banner or your browser settings.

7. Data Sharing and Transfers

We do not sell or rent your personal data. We may share data with:

  • Service providers: Hosting, analytics, advertising, and payment providers acting as data processors under GDPR-compliant data processing agreements.
  • Legal authorities: Where required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of The BTC Media or its users.

Where data is transferred outside the EEA, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place (e.g. Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions).

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject in the EU/EEA, you have the following rights. To exercise any of them, contact us at thebtcmedia@proton.me. We will respond within 30 days.

  • Right of access (Art. 15): Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to rectification (Art. 16): Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Right to erasure (Art. 17): Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten"), where no overriding legal basis exists.
  • Right to restrict processing (Art. 18): Request that we limit how we use your data while a dispute is resolved.
  • Right to data portability (Art. 20): Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
  • Right to object (Art. 21): Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing.
  • Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing.

9. Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe your data protection rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In the EU, this is your national Data Protection Authority (DPA). A list of all EU DPAs is available at edpb.europa.eu.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this GDPR policy periodically. Material changes will be communicated via a notice on the website. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact

For all data protection enquiries, access requests, or complaints: thebtcmedia@proton.me