Privacy Policy

The Ditsy ("we," "us," "our") is a small editorial publication featuring independent makers of handmade children's goods. The Ditsy is operated by Fiona Johnston, an individual based in New York, United States.

This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the rights you have over your information. We've tried to write it in plain English. If anything is unclear, please email us at hello@theditsy.com.

Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to anyone who visits theditsy.com or submits to be featured. The Ditsy is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 13. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, please contact hello@theditsy.com and we will delete it.

What we collect

From makers who submit to be featured, through our submission form, we collect:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Your Instagram handle
• Your Etsy shop information
• A free-text description of what you make and what you'd like us to know

From visitors to the site generally, our hosting provider automatically collects basic technical information necessary to deliver the site, such as your IP address and the pages you request. This is standard for any website and is used to serve the site, prevent abuse, and maintain security.

We do not run analytics on the site. We do not collect payment information. We do not operate a newsletter at this time. If we add a newsletter in the future, we will update this policy and ask subscribers to opt in.

Why we collect it

We use the information we collect to:

• Evaluate submissions from makers and decide what to feature
• Communicate with makers, including following up about featuring their work
• Publish editorial features on theditsy.com, with the maker's consent
• Maintain and secure the site
• Comply with our legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information to anyone. We do not use your information for advertising targeting, and we do not share it with advertisers.

Who we share it with

We use one third-party service to run The Ditsy:

• Netlify (netlify.com) hosts the site and processes submission form data on our behalf.

Netlify has its own privacy policy governing how it handles data. We chose Netlify because it is a reputable provider with appropriate data protection practices, but we encourage you to review their policy if you'd like to know more.

We may also share information if we are legally required to do so (for example, in response to a valid subpoena), if necessary to protect our rights, or in connection with a sale or transfer of the publication, in which case we will notify featured makers in advance.

How long we keep it

• Submissions we feature: we retain your submission information for as long as you are featured on the site, plus a reasonable archival period afterward.
• Submissions we do not feature: we delete unselected submissions within six months of receipt, unless you ask us to keep yours on file for future consideration.
• Email correspondence: retained as long as is reasonably necessary, then deleted.

You can ask us to delete your information sooner — see "Your rights" below.

Use of your Instagram content

When we feature a maker, we may also share their work on The Ditsy's Instagram account, using photographs that the maker has publicly posted to their own Instagram. We only do this with the maker's consent, which is given through the submission form (see our Submission Agreement) and which the maker can withdraw at any time by emailing hello@theditsy.com.

Cookies

The Ditsy uses only the cookies necessary for the site to function and to remain secure. These are set by our hosting provider and do not track you across other websites. We do not use analytics cookies, advertising cookies, or retargeting cookies.

If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and, where required, ask for your consent before setting non-essential cookies.

Your rights

You have rights over the information we hold about you. Specifically:

• Access: you can ask us what information we have about you.
• Correction: you can ask us to correct information that's wrong.
• Deletion: you can ask us to delete your information. Once a feature has been published or an Instagram post shared, we can take it down on request, but we cannot recall content that other people have already seen, screenshotted, or shared.
• Portability: you can ask us to provide a copy of your information in a portable format.
• Objection: you can ask us to stop using your information for particular purposes, including withdrawing consent for use of your photographs on our Instagram.

To exercise any of these rights, email hello@theditsy.com. We will respond within 30 days. If you're in the EU or UK, you also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.

If you're a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), including the right to know what categories of personal information we collect and the right to opt out of any sale or sharing of your information. The Ditsy does not sell or share your information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

How we protect your information

We take reasonable measures to protect the information we hold. Netlify, our hosting provider, is responsible for the security of the data they process. No system is perfectly secure, and we can't guarantee absolute security, but we will notify affected individuals and applicable regulators if a breach occurs that requires such notification.

International users

The Ditsy is operated from the United States. If you're submitting from outside the U.S., your information will be transferred to and stored in the U.S. We rely on appropriate legal mechanisms (such as the Standard Contractual Clauses, where applicable) for transfers from the EU, UK, or other regions with cross-border data transfer requirements.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top will reflect any changes. If we make material changes, we will note them on the site. Your continued use of the site after a change means you accept the updated policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this policy, want to exercise any of your rights, or have other privacy concerns, please email hello@theditsy.com. Our mailing address is available on request.

The Ditsy is operated by Fiona Johnston, an individual based in New York, United States.