This Cookie Policy explains how CONSTANT uses cookies and similar technologies on www.readconstant.com (the Website).
In this policy, CONSTANT, we, us and our refer to Cameron trading as CONSTANT.
For more information about how we collect and use personal information, please read our Privacy Notice.
1. What cookies and similar technologies are
Cookies are small text files that a website or service stores on your device. They can help a website recognise your browser, keep you signed in, remember a choice or protect a transaction.
Similar technologies include browser local storage, session storage, pixels and scripts that store or access information on your device. References to cookies in this policy include these technologies where relevant.
2. Our approach
We use a limited number of technologies to operate memberships, keep member accounts secure, process subscription payments and understand which sources lead readers to become members.
At the date of this policy, CONSTANT does not use advertising cookies or third-party behavioural analytics such as Google Analytics, the Meta Pixel, the TikTok Pixel or Hotjar.
Ghost provides the Website's native web analytics. These analytics are first-party and cookie-free, and do not use persistent browser storage to identify visitors across sessions, browsers or devices. When a signed-in member reads an Edition, Ghost may associate the page view with that member's account and membership type. Further information about this processing is provided in our Privacy Notice.
We also use Ghost's Member Sources feature, with your consent, to understand how people who become members found CONSTANT and which pages, referrals or campaigns contributed to a sign-up or paid conversion. Member Sources is separate from Ghost's cookie-free web analytics and uses the browser session storage described in section 4.
3. Strictly necessary cookies
The following cookies may be used to provide a feature you request, authenticate your member account, protect the Website or process a payment securely.
| Cookie or technology | Provider | Purpose | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|
ghost-members-ssr | Ghost, on the Website | Recognises your member session so that you can remain signed in and access the content and account features available to you. | Up to 6 months, or until you sign out or the cookie is cleared. |
ghost-members-ssr.sig | Ghost, on the Website | Validates the member-session cookie and helps prevent it from being altered. | Up to 6 months, or until you sign out or the cookie is cleared. |
__stripe_mid | Stripe | Helps Stripe identify and prevent fraudulent payment activity. | Up to 1 year. |
__stripe_sid | Stripe | Supports Stripe's short-term fraud detection during a browsing or payment session. | Up to 30 minutes. |
m | Stripe | Helps Stripe assess devices and activity for payment security and fraud prevention. | Up to 2 years. |
Ghost's member cookies are normally set after you sign up or sign in. Without them, the Website may be unable to recognise your membership or show member-only content correctly.
Stripe's fraud-prevention technologies may be loaded when Stripe services are made available or used on the Website. They help protect readers and CONSTANT from fraudulent transactions. We do not use the information collected by these technologies for advertising.
4. Optional member-source analytics
If you consent to analytics storage, Ghost's Member Sources feature uses the following browser storage:
| Storage | Provider | Purpose | Typical duration |
ghost-history | Ghost, on the Website | Temporarily records up to 15 recent page paths and timestamps, together with available referral and campaign information such as source, medium and campaign. If you become a free or paid member, Ghost uses this information to attribute the sign-up or paid conversion to a source. | Current browser session. Entries older than 24 hours are removed. |
This storage is not necessary for the Website, membership or payment features to work. We use it only for internal acquisition measurement and to improve CONSTANT. We do not use it for online advertising or share it with advertising platforms.
If you reject analytics storage, ghost-history should not be created and your use of the Website will not be affected.
5. Stripe Checkout, billing and Link
Paid memberships are processed by Stripe. If you begin a paid subscription, update a payment method or manage your billing, you may be taken to a Stripe-hosted page.
Stripe may use additional cookies or similar technologies on those pages to:
- process and secure the transaction;
- detect and prevent fraud, abuse or automated activity;
- authenticate you;
- remember the payment method or country you select; and
- provide Stripe Link if you choose to use it.
If you choose Stripe Link, Stripe may use technologies such as pay_sid, __Host-LinkSession or link.auth_session_client_secret to recognise and authenticate your Link session. Their use and duration depend on your interaction with Link and are controlled by Stripe.
The precise cookies used can vary according to your device, location, chosen payment method and any security check required by Stripe. You can read Stripe's Cookie Policy, review its current Cookie Settings and read its Privacy Policy.
6. Your consent choices
The cookies listed in section 3 are used for member authentication, security, fraud prevention and payment functions. They do not require consent because they are necessary to provide features that you request or to keep those features secure.
We ask for consent before Ghost Member Sources stores or accesses ghost-history. You can accept or reject analytics storage without affecting your access to the Website or your ability to become a member.
You can change or withdraw your choice at any time through the Cookie settings control on the Website. Withdrawing consent stops future member-source collection and clears the current ghost-history storage. If you want us to remove source information already associated with your member account, you can also contact us using the details in section 9.
Our consent tool may use one strictly necessary cookie to remember your choice and maintain a consent record. The current name, provider, purpose and duration of that cookie will be shown in the cookie preference centre.
7. Managing cookies
You can use your browser settings to view, delete or block cookies and other site data. You can also clear cookies already stored on your device.
Blocking strictly necessary cookies may prevent you from signing in, accessing member-only content, subscribing or managing your paid membership. Clearing your cookies may sign you out.
Choices made on a Stripe-hosted page can also be managed through Stripe's Cookie Settings, although Stripe may not allow essential security and payment cookies to be disabled.
8. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy if the Website, our membership features, our service providers or the law changes. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.
If we introduce a new technology that requires consent, we will provide the relevant information and choice before using it.
9. Contact us
If you have a question about this Cookie Policy or the technologies used on the Website, contact:
Email: hello@readconstant.com
Website: www.readconstant.com