Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

The Local is a free daily email newsletter service operated by Sam Dickerson. We publish two editions: The Local (United Kingdom) and The Local · New York Edition (New York, United States). We take your privacy seriously. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and how we use it — covering both UK and US subscribers.

1. What data we collect

When you subscribe to The Local, we collect:

• Your email address — to send you your daily briefing
• Your UK postcode or US zip code — to personalize your briefing to your area
• Your name — if you choose to provide it
• Your topic preferences — to tailor the content of your briefing
• Basic open and click data — to understand how our newsletter is read and improve it
• Signup source — how you found The Local (e.g. referral link, search engine), if available

We do not collect payment information — The Local is free.

2. How we use your data

We use your data solely to:

• Deliver your personalized daily briefing
• Improve the relevance and quality of that briefing over time
• Send occasional service messages (e.g. changes to the product)

We will never sell your personal information. We will never use your data for advertising. We will never share your data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

3. Legal basis for processing

For UK subscribers (UK GDPR)

We process your personal data on the basis of consent. By subscribing to The Local, you consent to receiving the daily briefing and to us storing your email address and postcode for this purpose. You may withdraw this consent at any time by unsubscribing.

For US subscribers

We process your personal data based on your consent given at the time of sign-up. If you are a resident of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, or another US state with comprehensive privacy legislation, additional rights apply to you as described in Section 6 below.

4. Data storage and security

Your data is stored securely on servers in the United States and accessed only by The Local's team. We use industry-standard security practices including encryption in transit and at rest to protect your information. We retain your data for as long as you remain a subscriber. Upon unsubscribing, your data is deleted within 30 days.

5. Third-party services

We use Resend to deliver The Local to your inbox. Resend processes your email address on our behalf solely for the purpose of sending your briefing. They are contractually bound to handle your data in compliance with applicable privacy laws and do not use it for any other purpose. You can read Resend's privacy policy at resend.com/legal/privacy-policy.

We use OpenAI to generate news summaries. Your location data (postcode/zip code, city) is shared with OpenAI solely to curate location-relevant content. Your email address and name are never shared with OpenAI.

We do not pass your topic preferences to any third party for marketing purposes.

6. Your rights

All subscribers

Regardless of where you live, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data
• Withdraw consent and unsubscribe at any time

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@thelocal.today or use the "Manage Preferences" link in any edition of The Local.

UK subscribers — UK GDPR

In addition to the rights above, UK subscribers may lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

California residents — CCPA / CPRA

If you are a California resident, you have the following additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

• Right to Know — You may request details about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you
• Right to Delete — You may request deletion of your personal information
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale — We do not sell your personal information and have never done so
• Right to Non-Discrimination — We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights

To submit a verifiable consumer request, email hello@thelocal.today. We will respond within 45 days.

Other US state privacy laws

Residents of Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), Virginia (VCDPA), and other states with comprehensive privacy legislation have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out of the sale of personal data. We do not sell personal data. To exercise your rights, contact us at hello@thelocal.today.

7. Cookies

The Local's website uses only essential cookies necessary for the site to function (e.g. session management, region preference). We do not use tracking cookies, analytics cookies, or advertising cookies. No personal data is collected through cookies.

8. Do Not Track

We honor Do Not Track (DNT) browser signals. Because we do not use third-party tracking or advertising cookies, our site behavior does not change based on DNT settings — we simply do not track you in that way to begin with.

9. Children's privacy

The Local is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has subscribed, please contact us and we will promptly delete their information.

10. International data transfers

Your data may be processed and stored in the United States. For UK subscribers, we rely on your explicit consent as the legal basis for transferring data outside the UK. Data is protected by the security measures described in Section 4.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Any significant changes will be communicated to subscribers by email. The date at the top of this page reflects when it was last updated.

12. Contact

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at hello@thelocal.today.