Privacy Policy

Last updated: [DATE]

This Privacy Policy explains how Beard & Bear LLC (“BEAR,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you visit thebearmag.com (the “Site”) or purchase a single issue or subscription (together, the “Services”).

1. Age Requirement

The Site is intended for adults only. You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, if higher) to use the Site or purchase our products. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we learn we’ve collected information from someone under 18, we will delete it.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

Name, shipping address, billing address, email address, and (if provided) phone number
Order details (items purchased, subscription term)
Correspondence when you contact us (support requests, order issues)
Marketing preferences if you sign up for our newsletter

Payment information: Payments are processed by CCBill, LLC. We do not store full payment card numbers on our own systems — CCBill handles that data, including any age/identity verification checks it performs as part of processing your payment, under its own security standards and privacy policy.

Information collected automatically: When you visit the Site, we (and our analytics provider) automatically collect certain data, including IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, referring URLs, and approximate location, via cookies and similar technologies. See Section 4. We also use Advanced Ads, a self-hosted tool, to display directly-sold advertising on the Site; this operates on a first-party basis only and does not send visitor data to Google Ads, ad exchanges, or any other third-party advertising network.

Information from marketing/email tools: If you subscribe to our newsletter, our email platform, Kit, collects your email address and tracks engagement (opens, clicks) so we can understand what content resonates and manage your preferences.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information above to:

Process and fulfill orders and subscriptions, including shipping and customer service
Communicate with you about your order (confirmations, shipping updates, support)
Send marketing emails, if you’ve opted in, and let you manage or unsubscribe from them
Understand Site usage and improve our products and website
Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or security issues
Comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records)

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies for:

Essential functions — cart, checkout, account login
Analytics — understanding how visitors use the Site (e.g., Google Analytics)
Advertising — displaying and rotating directly-sold ads on the Site and counting impressions, via our self-hosted ad management tool (Advanced Ads). This is first-party only — we do not use programmatic ad networks or exchanges, we do not permit advertisers to embed third-party tracking pixels in their ad creative, and no visitor data is shared with outside advertisers or ad-tech companies through this tool
Marketing — measuring email performance

Essential cookies are required for the Site to function. For analytics and marketing cookies, you can control preferences through your browser settings, and depending on your location you may be shown a cookie consent banner requiring your opt-in before these non-essential cookies are set (this is generally required for EEA/UK visitors, and recommended practice everywhere else).

5. How We Share Information

We share information only as needed to run the business:

Service providers — payment processor, shipping/fulfillment carriers, email marketing platform, analytics provider, hosting provider — each solely to perform services on our behalf, under their own confidentiality and security obligations. (Our ad management tool, Advanced Ads, is self-hosted and does not receive or transmit visitor data to any outside party, so it isn’t listed as a data recipient here.)
Legal purposes — if required by law, subpoena, or to protect our rights, safety, or property
Business transfers — if BEAR is acquired or merges with another company, subscriber information may transfer as part of that transaction, subject to this policy

We do not sell, rent, or trade our subscriber or customer list to third parties for their own marketing purposes. Given the nature of our content, we treat our subscriber list with particular discretion and do not share it outside the service providers listed above.

6. International Users & Data Transfers

We ship and sell worldwide. If you’re located outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States (and any other countries where our service providers operate), which may have different data protection laws than your home country. Where required (e.g., for EEA/UK residents), we rely on appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses for these transfers.

7. Your Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident (and depending on whether we meet applicable CCPA/CPRA thresholds), you may have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, correct inaccurate information, and opt out of “sale” or “sharing” of personal information as those terms are defined by California law. We do not sell personal information, and our advertising is limited to directly-sold placements displayed through a self-hosted tool that does not share visitor data with external ad networks or partners, so this activity does not currently constitute a “sale” or “share” under California law. To exercise your rights, contact us at hello@thebearmag.com.

If you are in the EEA, UK, or another jurisdiction with similar data protection laws, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict our use of your data; object to certain processing; request portability of your data; and withdraw consent at any time. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@thebearmag.com.

All users can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link in any email, or by contacting us directly.

8. Data Retention

We retain order and account information for as long as needed to fulfill orders, meet tax/accounting obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements, after which we delete or anonymize it. Marketing data is retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.

9. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children’s Privacy

The Site and Services are not directed at, and are not intended for use by, anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

11. Third-Party Links

The Site may link to third-party websites. We aren’t responsible for the privacy practices of sites we don’t operate — review their policies separately.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted here with an updated “Last updated” date. Continued use of the Site after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

13. Contact Us

Questions about this policy or your data can be sent to: hello@thebearmag.com