Effective September 19, 2026
This policy explains how Peter Alduino, operating The Citizen Leader, handles personal information through thecitizenleader.com. For privacy questions or requests, use our privacy-request form.
Information we use
- Messages you send. If you use a contact form or otherwise write to us, we receive your name, email address, subject, message, and information you choose to include. We use this to respond and manage our correspondence. Please avoid sending sensitive information that is not needed for your request.
- Website operation and security. Our hosting and security providers process technical information such as IP addresses, requested pages, browser information, timestamps, and security events to deliver the website, prevent abuse, and troubleshoot problems.
- Optional analytics. With your permission, Google Analytics measures visits, page views, and general device and usage information. We do not intentionally send names, email addresses, or message contents to Analytics. Our configuration removes query strings and fragments from the page addresses and referrers we send and disables advertising personalization and Google Signals.
- Form security and optional content. Our general contact form uses Google reCAPTCHA for necessary spam protection, independently of your optional cookie choices. It loads when you submit the form, using recaptcha.net to avoid sending unrelated google.com cookies. Google processes technical information and interaction signals on our behalf for security and abuse prevention. Our separate privacy-request form uses a hidden spam trap, a signed form token, and server-side rate limits, with no Google scripts or optional cookies. Any embedded videos covered by our consent controls require optional-content permission.
- Privacy choices. We store your preferences and a random browser identifier to remember your choices and keep a consent record. The record includes your choices, date, source, language, and the policy version presented. The consent database does not store your IP address or browser user-agent string; ordinary server security logs may contain technical information.
Why we use information
We use information to operate and secure the website, answer inquiries, understand website use when you agree, and demonstrate and honor privacy choices. Where European or UK data-protection law applies, we rely on consent for optional analytics and features; our legitimate interests for proportionate website security and correspondence; contractual necessity when responding to a request needed to enter or perform a contract; and legal obligations where applicable. You may withdraw optional consent at any time using the privacy settings icon. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before withdrawal.
Providers, links, and purchases
Service providers help us with hosting, security, email, analytics, and consent recording. Consent records are held in a dedicated database on an Amazon Web Services server in the United States. Google provides Analytics and reCAPTCHA. See Google’s Privacy Policy for Analytics. For reCAPTCHA, Google acts as a processor of customer data under its Cloud Data Processing Addendum, for security and abuse prevention.
Book purchase links take you to independent sellers such as Amazon and Lulu. They handle checkout, payment information, orders, and their own cookies under their policies. We do not process payment-card information on this website. Some Amazon links contain an affiliate identifier. Visiting a linked site is separate from accepting optional cookies here.
We do not sell personal information or use this website’s Analytics configuration for cross-context behavioral advertising. We may disclose information when required by law, to protect legal rights or security, or in a lawful transfer of the business, subject to applicable safeguards.
Where information is processed
This website and its providers may process information in the United States and other countries whose privacy laws differ from those where you live. Where applicable law requires safeguards for an international transfer, appropriate contractual or other legally recognized safeguards must apply. Contact us for information about the providers and safeguards relevant to your information.
How long we keep information
Your browser’s consent choice lasts up to 90 days, unless you change it or clear your browser data. Consent evidence is retained for up to three years, with rolling database backups retained for up to 30 additional days. Our privacy form keeps temporary hashed rate-limit identifiers for up to an hour and used form-token hashes for up to a day. We keep correspondence as long as reasonably needed to respond, maintain relevant records, and meet legal obligations, and review requests to delete it. Security and hosting records are retained according to operational needs and provider settings. Google Analytics user-level and event-level retention is set to two months; aggregated reports can remain available longer. See the Cookie Policy for browser-storage durations.
Your choices and rights
You can accept, reject, or customize optional cookies and reopen privacy settings at any time. Rejecting optional cookies does not prevent you from reading the website or using either contact form. When we detect Global Privacy Control, optional Analytics remains disabled. Your browser can also delete or block cookies.
Depending on the law that applies, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or receive a copy of personal information, object to certain processing, withdraw consent, or complain to a data-protection authority. Use our privacy-request form with your request. We may need proportionate information to verify it and will respond within the applicable legal period. You need not send government identification unless we explain why it is necessary. A random consent identifier does not, by itself, identify you by name; we may need information from your browser to locate a consent record.
California visitors may contact us about their information and choices. This policy does not imply that every business threshold or right under the California Consumer Privacy Act applies to this website. We honor the choices described here regardless of where you visit from.
Children, security, and changes
This website is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect their information. Please contact us if you believe a child has provided personal information. We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards, but no system is completely secure. We may update this policy when our practices change and will revise the effective date; we will seek renewed consent when required.