Last updated: 6 November 2026
The short version
- We count visits to the website using privacy-friendly analytics that don't use cookies and don't identify you.
- If you sign up, we keep your email address and name so we can send you our newsletter and run your account.
- Payments are handled by Stripe. We never see or store your card details.
- Children's names added through a paid plan are only shown to members with the right plan. Names on the public Nice and Naughty Lists are made up.
- We don't sell your information, and we only share it with the services that help us run the website.
A note for children
This page is mostly for grown-ups. The important bit is this: please ask a parent or carer before you sign up for anything or share any information with us, including your name. Santa insists!
Who we are
The North Pole Times is run by Wesley Archer, based in Derby, United Kingdom. We're responsible for looking after the information described on this page. You can contact us about anything on this page at [email protected].
What we collect and why
When you visit the website
We use Umami, an analytics tool that we host ourselves, to count visits. It records things like which pages are viewed, which website you came from, your browser, device type, language and country. It doesn't use cookies, doesn't store your IP address and doesn't identify who you are. We use it to see which stories are popular and to improve the website.
Like all websites, the services that deliver our pages briefly process technical information such as your IP address, so the pages can reach you and to protect the website from attacks.
When you sign up
If you sign up for our free newsletter or a paid plan, we keep your email address and the name you give us. We use these to run your account, send you the emails you've asked for and let you sign in. We also note how you found us (for example, which page you signed up from) to help us understand what's working.
When you choose a paid plan or make a donation
Paid plans and "Support us" donations are processed by Stripe. Stripe collects your payment details directly, and we never see or store your full card number. We receive a record of the payment, your plan and a customer reference so we can manage your subscription.
Children's names
Some paid plans let a parent or carer add their child's name to the Nice or Naughty List, or have it featured in a story. You send us the name by email, as explained in our Terms.
- We only add a name once we've confirmed the right plan is in place.
- Names added through a paid plan only appear in areas of the website that members with the right plan can see.
- Please only send us a child's name if you're their parent or carer, or have their parent's permission.
- You can ask us to remove a name at any time by emailing [email protected].
Names in the public sections of the website are generated randomly using a freely available name generator and are made up. Any resemblance to a real person is purely coincidental.
Emails we send
We only send emails you've signed up for, such as new stories and account messages. Every newsletter has an unsubscribe link, and you can change your email preferences at any time using "My Account".
Our newsletter records whether an email was opened and which links in it were clicked. This helps us understand which stories readers enjoy most.
When you contact us
If you email us, we use your message and email address to reply, and we keep the conversation for as long as we need it to help you, for example to manage the names on your plan.
Our reasons for using your information
Under UK data protection law, we rely on:
- Your consent: for newsletters. You can withdraw it at any time by unsubscribing.
- A contract with you: for paid plans, including adding the children's names you've asked us to include.
- Our legitimate interests: for website analytics, newsletter statistics, keeping the website secure and preventing payment fraud.
Cookies and information stored on your device
We keep these to a minimum:
- Signing in: if you sign in to your account, a cookie keeps you signed in. It's only set when you sign in.
- Payments: Stripe may set cookies to help prevent fraud, because its payment tools are available across the website.
- Security: Cloudflare may set a cookie to tell real visitors apart from automated traffic.
- Your preferences: if you switch dark mode or the snow on or off, your choice is remembered in your browser. This stays on your device and isn't sent to us.
Our analytics don't use cookies.
Services that help us run the website
We use a small number of trusted services, which only process information to provide their service to us:
- Our hosting provider: hosts the website and member accounts
- Cloudflare: delivers the website quickly and securely
- Stripe: handles payments and subscriptions
- Mailgun: sends our newsletter and account emails
- Adobe Fonts: supplies the website's fonts, which means Adobe receives basic technical information such as your IP address
- jsDelivr: delivers the scripts behind sign-up and search
Some of these providers may process information outside the UK. Where they do, they use legal safeguards approved under UK law.
Sharing buttons and links to other websites
The share buttons on our stories are simple links. Nothing is sent to WhatsApp, Facebook or anyone else unless you click one, and then their own privacy policy applies.
When we link to another website, we may add "?ref=thenorthpoletimes.com" to the link so the other site knows the visit came from us. This doesn't include any personal information.
How long we keep information
- Account information: for as long as you have an account. If you ask us to delete your account, we remove your details within 30 days, except for payment records we have to keep for tax purposes, usually 6 years.
- Children's names: until you ask us to remove them, or your account is deleted.
- Analytics: our visit statistics don't identify anyone, so we keep them to compare how the website does from one Christmas to the next.
Keeping information safe
The whole website uses an encrypted connection (HTTPS). Access to member information is restricted and protected by passwords and security keys. No method of sending information over the internet is completely secure, but we take care to protect yours.
Your rights
You can ask us to:
- give you a copy of the information we hold about you
- correct anything that's wrong
- delete your information
- stop or limit how we use it
- give you your information in a format you can take elsewhere
You can update your details and email preferences at any time using "My Account". For anything else, including deleting your account, email [email protected] and we'll reply within one month.
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk, though we'd appreciate the chance to put things right first.
Changes to this policy
We'll update this page if anything changes and show the date at the top. If a change is significant, we'll let members know by email.