Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 26, 2026

SF Golden Bear publishes local guides and sports coverage for readers interested in San Francisco. This policy explains what information may be handled when you visit sfgoldenbear.net or email us.

Information you choose to send

You may email us at contact@sfgoldenbear.net. An email can include your address, name, message, and any other details you decide to share. We use that information to read and answer your message, keep basic business records, and protect the site from abuse.

Please do not send sensitive personal information by email. We do not need a Social Security number, bank login, medical record, or government ID to answer a normal editorial question.

The site does not offer reader accounts, public comments, or a contact form at this time.

Information handled when the site loads

Our hosting provider, Netlify, may process basic technical data needed to send the site to your device and keep its network secure. This can include an IP address, browser and device details, requested page, time of request, and security or error records.

We do not run our own audience analytics, ad tracking, or behavior profiles at this time. We do not place advertising cookies. If that changes, this policy will be updated before the new practice begins where required.

External links

Our stories link to official ticket sellers, local businesses, public agencies, community discussions, and other websites. Those sites have their own privacy rules. They may use cookies, collect payment details, or measure visits after you leave SF Golden Bear.

Review the privacy and purchase terms of another site before sending it personal or payment information. A link from us does not give SF Golden Bear control over that site's practices.

Affiliate links and commissions

SF Golden Bear does not use active affiliate links at launch. We may add them later. If we do, a merchant may pay us a commission when a reader buys through a marked link, with no added cost to the reader. Any such relationship will not change the price we publish or our duty to make an honest recommendation.

Where the law or good editorial practice calls for a notice near an affiliate link, we will place one there. This policy will also be updated to describe the program and any related tracking.

Editorial tools and AI assistance

Our editor may use research, writing, design, image, and AI-assisted tools during production. Human editorial review remains responsible for what is published. We check factual claims against relevant sources, label generated illustrations so they are not presented as documentary photos, and do not use a tool to invent a person's real-world experience.

Text or data sent to a service provider may be processed under that provider's contract and privacy terms. We limit the personal information used in editorial tools and do not intentionally send reader emails into them for content generation.

How information may be used

We may use information under this policy to:

• Deliver and maintain the site
• Answer a message you send
• Fix errors and protect the site from spam, fraud, or attack
• Keep records needed for legal, tax, or business duties
• Study broad site health without building a reader profile
• Defend our rights or comply with a valid legal request

We do not sell personal information. We do not share personal information for cross-site targeted advertising.

Service providers

We may rely on companies that provide hosting, domain, email, security, design, research, and publishing services. They may handle limited data only to perform their work, meet legal duties, or protect their systems.

Netlify hosts the site. Our domain and email providers may also process account, routing, and security records. We choose providers for a business reason and expect them to protect information under their own terms and the law.

Retention

We keep information only as long as it is reasonably useful for the reason it was collected, for security, or for a legal duty. A normal reader email may be kept while we answer it and maintain a useful record of the exchange. Security logs are kept under the hosting provider's schedule.

When information is no longer needed, it may be deleted, made anonymous, or allowed to expire from normal systems and backups.

Security

We use HTTPS and the security features offered by our hosting and domain providers. No online service can promise perfect security. Email is also not a secure place for highly sensitive information.

If we learn of a data event that requires notice, we will follow the notice rules that apply.

California privacy rights

California residents may have rights to know, correct, or delete certain personal information and to receive equal service after using a privacy right. The exact right depends on the law and whether it applies to a small independent publisher in a given case.

SF Golden Bear does not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. To ask about information you sent us, email contact@sfgoldenbear.net. We may need a reasonable way to confirm that the request concerns you.

Children's privacy

SF Golden Bear is written for a general audience. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child sent us personal information, contact us so we can review and delete it when appropriate.

International visitors

The site is based in the United States. If you visit from another country, technical information may be processed in the United States or another place used by a service provider. Privacy laws in those places may differ from the laws where you live.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the site, its providers, or the law changes. The date at the top will show the latest revision. A major change may also be noted on the site when that is useful or required.

Contact

Questions about this policy can be sent to contact@sfgoldenbear.net.