Who we are

Conflict Brief is an independent international relations education and analysis website operated by Nicholas Kozicki. The website is accessible at theconflictbrief.com.

For privacy-related questions, contact: contact@theconflictbrief.com

What data we collect and why

Data you provide directly:

• Email address — if you subscribe to the Conflict Brief newsletter through Beehiiv. This is used solely to send you the newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email.
• Contact form submissions — if you use the contact form, your name, email address, and message are received. These are used only to respond to your enquiry and are not stored beyond that purpose.
• Payment information — if you purchase premium access, payments are processed by Stripe. Conflict Brief does not receive or store your card details. Stripe’s privacy policy applies to payment data: stripe.com/privacy.

Data collected automatically:

• Cookies — this site uses cookies for functionality and analytics. You can manage your cookie preferences at any time using the cookie consent banner. See the Cookie Policy section below.
• Server logs — our hosting provider (Hostinger) automatically logs IP addresses, browser type, pages visited, and timestamps as part of standard server operation. These logs are retained for security purposes and are not used for marketing.
• Analytics — if analytics tools are active on this site, aggregate data about page visits and traffic sources may be collected. No personally identifiable information is used for analytics purposes.

Cookies

This website uses cookies. A cookie is a small text file placed on your device when you visit a website. We use cookies for the following purposes:

• Essential cookies — required for the site to function. These cannot be disabled.
• Functional cookies — remember your preferences (for example, quiz progress or game scores stored in your browser’s local storage).
• Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors use the site so we can improve it. These collect aggregate, anonymised data.
• Third-party cookies — Stripe and Beehiiv may set their own cookies when you interact with payment or subscription features. These are governed by their respective privacy policies.

You can manage or withdraw your cookie consent at any time by clicking the cookie settings link in the footer or by adjusting your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect how the site functions.

How we use your data

We use the data collected only for the following purposes:

• To deliver the newsletter to subscribers who have opted in
• To process premium access purchases via Stripe
• To respond to contact form enquiries
• To monitor and improve site performance and security
• To comply with legal obligations

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. We do not send unsolicited emails. We do not build advertising profiles.

Third-party services

This website uses the following third-party services, each of which has its own privacy policy:

• Beehiiv (email newsletter platform) — beehiiv.com/privacy
• Stripe (payment processing) — stripe.com/privacy
• Hostinger (web hosting) — hostinger.com/privacy-policy
• CookieYes (cookie consent management) — cookieyes.com/privacy-policy
• Amazon Associates (affiliate links on the IR Reading List) — Amazon privacy notice
• Google Fonts (typography) — font files are loaded from Google’s servers. Google may collect limited technical data. See Google’s privacy policy.

Affiliate links

The IR Reading List page on this site contains affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Conflict Brief earns a small commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This does not influence which books are recommended — all titles are selected editorially. Amazon’s privacy policy governs any data collected through those links.

Data retention

Email addresses collected through Beehiiv are retained for as long as you remain subscribed. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any newsletter email, after which your address will be removed from the mailing list in accordance with Beehiiv’s data retention practices.

Contact form messages are not retained beyond the purpose of responding to your enquiry. Server logs are retained by Hostinger in accordance with their standard data retention policy.

Your rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right of access — you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct inaccurate data
• Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your personal data
• Right to restrict processing — you can ask us to limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — you can request your data in a portable format
• Right to object — you can object to certain types of data processing
• Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@theconflictbrief.com. We will respond within 30 days. There is no charge for making a request.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority. In Estonia, this is the Data Protection Inspectorate (Andmekaitse Inspektsioon).

Children

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal data to this site, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Changes to this policy

This privacy policy may be updated from time to time. The date at the top of this page reflects when it was last revised. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. Significant changes will be noted in the newsletter if applicable.