Cookies GDPR

That is a very comprehensive and detailed set of policies and practices! To create a legally compliant and clear Cookies Policy for your website, https://blowthetruth.com/, based on this information and reflecting the general legal landscape of 2025 (especially regarding GDPR, which you must address due to the services you use, even if you are an Australian company), we need to structure and professionalize the content.

Please note that this is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult a legal professional to ensure full compliance.

Here is a rewritten, structured Cookies Policy:

Cookies Policy for BlowTheTruth.com

Last Updated: December 1, 2025

Your privacy is important to us. This Cookies Policy explains what cookies are, how we use them on our website, and what your choices are regarding them.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the site owners.

2. What Data Do We Collect and Why?

We collect and process the following data for specific purposes:

Category of Data Purpose and Collection Method Data Retention Legal Basis (GDPR)
Anonymous Usage Data Collected via Google Analytics to understand website traffic, monitor hits, and analyze user behavior. Retained for as long as possible by us, and according to Google’s data retention policies. Legitimate Interest (and Consent where required)
Advertising/Profiling Data Collected via Google Analytics for Advertising, including Age, Gender, and Product Interest. This is used for targeted advertising campaigns. Retained for advertising targeting as long as required by our advertising partners. Consent (Required for profiling and targeting)
Affiliate Tracking Data Collected via Commission Factory to track and verify successful sales commissions from affiliate marketing banners clicked on our site. Only retained to track commissions. This data is pseudonymized and is only linked to a click event. Legitimate Interest
Comment Data Collected when you leave a comment: the data entered in the form, your IP address, and your browser user agent string. Retained indefinitely, along with the comment and its metadata, to automatically approve follow-up comments and for spam detection. Legitimate Interest (Spam detection)
Embedded Content Data When interacting with embedded content (videos, images, articles from other sites), the third-party site may collect data about you, use cookies, and monitor your interaction. As determined by the third-party website (e.g., YouTube, social media platforms). Consent (Implied by accepting third-party content cookies)

3. How We Use Cookies

We use cookies for the following functions:

  • Strictly Necessary Cookies: Required for the operation of the website, such as managing session state.

  • Analytical/Performance Cookies: To recognize and count the number of visitors and see how they move around our website.

  • Targeting/Advertising Cookies: Used to record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited, and the links you have followed for the purpose of serving targeted advertisements, including demographic profiling (Age, Gender).

  • Affiliate Tracking Cookies: Used by Commission Factory to track our affiliate commissions.

4. Third-Party Data Sharing and Policies

We share data with the following third parties for the purposes described above. Once you click on an advertising banner or embedded content, the responsibility for your data shifts to that third-party website.

  • Google (Analytics, AdSense): Both we and Google operate as independent controllers of personal data. Google uses cookies for advertising targeting and never sells your personal information. We encourage users to visit Google’s user-facing page explaining their data management in ads products.

  • Commission Factory (Australia): Commission Factory uses information solely to track our commissions. Their privacy policies are subject to regulatory standards, including the GDPR.

  • Gravatar Service: If you leave a comment, an anonymized hash of your email may be sent to Gravatar to check if you are using their service. Their policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/.

  • Social Media Companies: We may share anonymous usage data with platforms like Facebook for analytics. Users are advised to adjust security and privacy settings within their own social media accounts to manage tracking.

5. User Rights and Your Control Over Data

Your Opt-Out and Consent Mechanism

By using our website, you are consenting to the use of cookies as outlined in this policy.

  • Targeting Cookies: Since we use cookies for advertising and profiling (Age, Gender, Product Interest), we require your explicit consent under GDPR rules. We use an opt-out popup in our footer as a backup for persons accessing the website from the European Union (EU) or other territories subject to similar laws.

  • Controlling Cookies: You can usually change your browser settings to prevent the acceptance of cookies or to notify you when a cookie is set. However, doing so may impact the functionality of the website.

Your Legal Rights (GDPR/Equivalent Laws)

If you have an account or have left comments, you have the following rights:

  • Right to Access: You can request an exported file of the personal data we hold about you.

  • Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You can request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This excludes data we are legally obliged to keep (e.g., for administrative, security, or legal purposes).

6. Data Security and Location

  • Data Protection: Data visibility is restricted to the CEO of Scorching Hot News. We maintain internal and external security measures (including an undisclosed security system and hosting backup) to protect against unauthorized access.

  • Data Location: We operate out of Australia. We do not intentionally send your collected data anywhere. Data is primarily stored on our hosting server in Australia and with the third-party companies listed above (Google, Commission Factory, etc.).

7. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Cookies Policy, please contact us at:

[email protected]

8. Note on GDPR Compliance

We acknowledge that the cost of full GDPR implementation is a significant burden for a small media outlet. By using this website, you acknowledge that our primary target regions are Australia, the USA, and Russia.

If you disagree with any part of this policy, please do not provide Personal Data to us and refrain from using this website.