PRIVACY POLICY
This is the important stuff.
THE SANKOFA QUESTION MAGAZINE Operated by FerroSphere Holdings LLC, Virginia, United States
Effective date: September 03, 2026
1. Who We Are
The Sankofa Question Magazine ("the Magazine," "we," "us") is an independent online investigative science magazine published at thesankofaquestion.com. The Magazine is owned and operated by FerroSphere Holdings LLC, a limited liability company organised under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. Questions about this policy can be directed to: editor@thesankofaquestion.com.
2. Our Principle
We are an investigative publication. We scrutinise how institutions handle other people's data — so we hold ourselves to the standard we demand of others. We collect the minimum data needed to publish, and we never sell it.
3. What We Collect
When you visit the site:
- Standard technical data logged by our hosting platform (Ghost): IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, referring page
- Cookies necessary for site function (see Section 6)
When you subscribe (free tier):
- Email address
- Name (optional)
When you become a paid member:
- Email address and name
- Payment data — handled entirely by Stripe, our payment processor. We never see or store your full card number. Stripe's own privacy policy governs that data
When you comment on articles:
- Your chosen display name, comment text, and the email associated with your account
When you contact us:
- Whatever you choose to send us (name, email, message content)
4. What We Do NOT Do
- We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to anyone (we mean it).
- We do not share your data with advertisers for targeting (a sacred trust).
- We do not run third-party advertising trackers on our articles (we already have enough work to do).
- We do not send you marketing email you did not sign up for (we're not going to waste your time).
- We do not track you across other websites (we don't have the time and we don't care).
5. How We Use Your Data
- Delivering the newsletter and member content you subscribed to
- Processing subscriptions and identifying your membership tier (via Stripe)
- Understanding aggregate site usage through Ghost's built-in analytics — we use Ghost's own member and audience analytics only; we do not use Google Analytics or other third-party tracking tools
- Legal obligations, where applicable
- Responding to your enquiries
Legal bases (GDPR): performance of contract (delivering your subscription), legitimate interests (site security, improvement), and consent (optional communications).
6. Cookies
We use only the cookies our publishing platform (Ghost) requires to function — logging you in, remembering your membership access, and Ghost's built-in analytics. These include strictly necessary cookies and light analytics. No third-party advertising cookies are used anywhere on the site.
Most browsers let you block or delete cookies at any time. Doing so may affect your ability to stay logged in.
7. Third Parties We Rely On
| Provider | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost | Publishing platform, email delivery, membership management, and site analytics | Account data, email address, membership status, aggregated usage data |
| Stripe | Payment processing | Transaction data — governed by Stripe's privacy policy |
These are the only third parties involved. We do not integrate other trackers, advertising networks, or data brokers.
8. Reader-Submitted Material for Investigations
If you send us information for investigative purposes — tips, documents, story leads — please understand:
- We treat source material with the care the journalism profession demands
- We do not publish identifying information about sources without explicit permission
- You may contact us at any time to ask how material you sent is being handled
9. Your Rights
Depending on where you live, different laws apply:
Virginia residents (VCDPA): You have the right to access, correct, delete, and obtain a copy of your personal data, and to opt out of targeted advertising, the sale of personal data, and certain profiling. (Note: the Magazine does not sell data — Virginia law defines "sale" narrowly, as exchange for money only, and the Magazine never sells reader data.)
EU/UK residents (GDPR/UK GDPR): You have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, and export your data, and to object to processing. Legal bases: performance of contract, legitimate interests, and consent.
Other jurisdictions: Similar rights apply. Contact us and we will honour reasonable requests wherever you live.
To exercise any right, email editor@thesankofaquestion.com. We will respond within 30 days.
Deleting your account: cancel your membership and your account data is removed from our active systems. Ghost retains a minimal deletion record to prevent duplicate charges.
10. Data Retention
- Account data: kept while your membership is active, deleted upon request or after account closure
- Newsletter analytics: aggregated, non-identifying (Ghost platform)
- Investigation correspondence: retained as long as journalistic need requires
11. Children's Privacy
The Magazine is intended for adult and young-adult readers. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13 (or 16 in the EU/UK). If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.
12. International Transfers
The Magazine is operated by FerroSphere Holdings LLC from Virginia, United States. The Magazine is published solely online. Data may be processed by Ghost (hosting, email, analytics) and Stripe (payments) in the United States and elsewhere. Where required, transfers rely on appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses.
13. Changes to This Policy
We will post any changes on this page and update the effective date. Material changes affecting members will additionally be announced in the newsletter.
14. Contact
The Sankofa Question Magazine — a FerroSphere Holdings LLC publication editor@thesankofaquestion.com , tel: 571-703-1737