The short version: we collect your email to send you The Gist. We don't sell it, share it, or do anything sketchy with it. If you unsubscribe, we delete your data.
1. Who we are
The Gist is a daily personalized email newsletter operated by The Brooklyn App Company ("we," "us," "our"), based in Brooklyn, New York. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you subscribe to The Gist or visit thegist.email.
2. What we collect
Information you provide
- Email address (required) — to send you The Gist
- Name (optional) — to personalize your edition
- Topic preferences and feedback (optional) — provided when you sign up or reply to any edition, used to customize your newsletter content
- Location (optional) — if you share it, used for weather information and timezone in your edition
Information collected automatically
- Email engagement data — whether you opened an email or clicked a link, provided by our email delivery service
- Website analytics — standard analytics on thegist.email (page views, referrer) via Google Analytics, using cookies
3. How we use your information
We use your information to:
- Send you your daily personalized edition of The Gist
- Personalize newsletter content based on your stated preferences
- Process and respond to your replies and feedback
- Include relevant weather information if you've shared your location
- Improve the service based on aggregate engagement patterns
We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not build advertising profiles.
4. What we don't do
We want to be explicit about this:
- We do not sell your personal information to anyone
- We do not share your email address with third parties for marketing
- We do not run ads in The Gist
- We do not share your data with other subscribers
- We do not use your preferences or conversation history to train AI models
5. AI and your data
The Gist uses artificial intelligence to generate your personalized newsletter. Your preferences and feedback are used as input to customize the content you receive. Your conversation history with The Gist (replies, preferences, feedback) is stored to maintain continuity in your experience.
We use third-party AI providers (including Anthropic and Google) to process content. Your preferences may be included in prompts sent to these providers to personalize your edition. These providers process data according to their own data handling agreements and do not retain prompt data for model training under our agreements with them.
6. Service providers
We use the following third-party services to operate The Gist:
- Postmark — email delivery
- Google Cloud Platform — infrastructure and hosting
- Anthropic — AI content generation
- Google (Gemini) — AI content processing
- Supabase — file storage
- Cloudflare — website hosting and link services
- Google Analytics — website analytics
These providers have access only to the data necessary to perform their services and are bound by their respective privacy policies and our data processing agreements.
7. Data retention
We retain your data for as long as you are subscribed to The Gist. When you unsubscribe, your data is deleted. This includes your email address, name, preferences, conversation history, and any other information you've provided.
Some data may persist in backups for a limited period after deletion, but is not actively used or accessible.
8. Your rights
You have the right to:
- Unsubscribe at any time — reply "unsubscribe" to any edition or use the unsubscribe link
- Request your data — email us to receive a copy of the information we hold about you
- Request deletion — unsubscribing triggers automatic deletion, or you can email us directly
- Update your information — reply to any edition to change your preferences, name, or other details
9. Cookies and local storage
The thegist.email website uses minimal browser storage:
- Theme preference — stored in your browser's localStorage to remember your light/dark mode choice (not a cookie, never sent to our servers)
- Google Analytics — standard analytics cookies to understand website traffic patterns
We do not use cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking.
10. Security
We use industry-standard measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), secure cloud infrastructure, and access controls that limit who can view subscriber information. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to safeguard what you share with us.
11. Children's privacy
The Gist is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has subscribed, please contact us and we will delete their information.
12. California and international users
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect and the right to request its deletion. We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA.
If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that your information is processed and stored in the United States. By using The Gist, you consent to the transfer of your data to the U.S. We apply the same protections to all subscriber data regardless of location.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top. For significant changes, we'll notify you via email. Your continued use of the service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
14. Contact
Questions or concerns about your privacy? Email us at support@thebkapp.co.
The Brooklyn App Company
Brooklyn, New York