Effective October 25, 2026. This policy explains, in plain language, what information NewsHawaii.com (“News Hawaii,” “we,” “us”) collects, why, who else handles it, how long we keep it and what you can do about it. If something here isn’t clear, ask us using the form at the bottom of this page.
The short version
- You can read every story without giving us anything. There are no reader accounts, no paywall and no comments.
- We measure readership with Google Analytics, which uses cookies. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track signal, Analytics doesn’t load at all.
- If you sign up for The Hawaiʻi Wrap, we keep your email address and how often you want it, and we send it through Mailchimp.
- If you write to us through a form, we keep what you send so we can reply, then delete it within 24 months.
- We don’t sell your personal information. We don’t share it for targeted advertising. We don’t run ad networks, tracking pixels from social media or data brokers.
1. What we collect and why
When you just read the Site
Analytics. We use Google Analytics 4 to learn which stories people read and how they find us. It sets first-party cookies (named _ga and _ga_ followed by our ID) and records the pages you view, how long you stay, the site that sent you, your device type, browser and screen size, and your approximate location (country, region and city), which Google estimates from your IP address. Google says Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses. We have not turned on Google signals, User-ID, user-provided data collection or any link to Google Ads, so this information isn’t used to advertise to you. We look at it only as totals, such as how many people read a story.
Your privacy signals. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control (GPC) or Do Not Track signal, the Site does not load Google Analytics, and none of the analytics data above is collected.
Technical logs. Our host, WP Engine, and its network and security provider, Cloudflare, automatically log basic details of each request (IP address, browser, page requested, date and time) to deliver the Site and protect it from attacks. Cloudflare may set a short-lived security cookie to tell people from automated bots. We don’t use these logs to identify readers.
Your browser’s storage. To avoid showing you our newsletter pop-up too often, the Site saves a small note in your browser’s local storage recording when it last appeared and whether you signed up. It stays on your device and is never sent to us. You can clear it by clearing your browser’s site data.
When you sign up for The Hawaiʻi Wrap
We collect your email address and your choice of daily, weekly or monthly delivery. The signup goes from our Site to Mailchimp, which stores it for us and sends the newsletter. Mailchimp also records the date you signed up, whether each newsletter was delivered and opened and which links were clicked, using a small image and tracked links in the email. Your email app may block these, which is fine. We use this information only to deliver the newsletter and, in total, to see which stories readers find useful.
When you write to us
Our forms (on the Advertise, Editorial Policy and Privacy Policy pages) ask for your name, email address and message, and on the Advertise page, optionally, your business name. We use this only to read and answer your message, follow up on a tip or correction, handle an advertising inquiry or respond to a legal or privacy request. Messages are saved in our website’s private admin area and emailed to our newsroom inbox. We do not store your IP address with your message. To block spam, the Site briefly keeps a one-way scrambled (hashed) version of your IP address for one hour to limit how many messages can be sent; it cannot be turned back into your address. If you email us directly, we receive your email address and whatever you include.
What we don’t collect
We don’t ask for or knowingly collect Social Security numbers, financial information, precise GPS location, health information, biometric data or information about children. Please don’t send sensitive personal information through our forms unless it’s needed for a tip, and tell us if you want to stay anonymous.
2. Who else handles your information
We use a small number of service providers. Each one receives only what it needs to do its job for us:
- WP Engine: hosts the Site and the messages sent through our forms.
- Cloudflare: delivers the Site quickly and protects it from attacks.
- Google (Analytics): measures readership as described above.
- Mailchimp (Intuit Inc.): stores newsletter subscribers and sends The Hawaiʻi Wrap.
- Our email provider: receives the messages you send through our forms or by email.
Each provider handles information under its own privacy policy and security practices. We also disclose information when the law requires it, such as a valid subpoena or court order. When we can do so legally, we will try to notify a person before disclosing their information. We also disclose it to protect the safety of a person, or as part of a sale or transfer of the Site, in which case this policy continues to protect information collected under it.
We protect our sources. If you send us a tip and ask not to be named, we will not voluntarily reveal your identity, and we will resist demands to reveal it to the full extent the law allows.
3. What we don’t do
- We don’t sell personal information, and we don’t “share” it for cross-context behavioral advertising, as those terms are defined in California law. We have not done either in the past 12 months.
- We don’t use ad networks, retargeting, social media tracking pixels or browser fingerprinting.
- We don’t make decisions about you by automated means or build profiles of individual readers.
- We don’t add you to the newsletter unless you sign up yourself.
4. Ads, links and social media
Ads on the Site are plain images and links that we place ourselves. They don’t use cookies or tracking code. When you click an ad, a source we link to or a share button, you leave our Site, and the other website may see that you came from NewsHawaii.com. Their own privacy policies then apply. Our share buttons are plain links and load nothing from social networks until you click. We post our stories on Facebook, Instagram and X. When you follow, like or comment there, those platforms’ policies apply, and we see only what they show any account owner.
5. How long we keep information
- Newsletter: as long as you’re subscribed. When you unsubscribe, Mailchimp keeps a record of your address marked as unsubscribed, so you are never emailed again by mistake. Ask us to delete that record entirely and we will.
- Form messages: deleted automatically after 24 months, or sooner on request. Messages we need for an ongoing legal matter, such as a copyright notice, are kept as long as that matter requires.
- Analytics: Google keeps event details for 2 months and data tied to a browser’s cookie for 14 months, then deletes them. We keep only totals after that.
- Technical logs: kept for the short period our host and Cloudflare use for security and troubleshooting.
6. Your choices and rights
- Newsletter: unsubscribe or change how often you receive it using the links at the bottom of every issue.
- Analytics: turn on Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track in your browser, block or delete cookies, or install Google’s Analytics opt-out add-on. Reading the Site works the same either way.
- Your information: you can ask us to tell you what personal information we hold about you, give you a copy, correct it or delete it. Use the form below and choose the type of request.
We honor these requests for every reader, wherever you live. Depending on where you live, laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the privacy laws of other U.S. states, or the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) may also give you the right to know how your information is used, to limit or object to certain uses, to move your information and to appeal our decision on your request. To protect your information, we may need to confirm your request comes from you, usually by replying from the email address involved. We will respond within 30 days, or within any shorter period the law requires. You may use an authorized agent, and we will never treat you differently, charge you more or offer you less for exercising these rights. If you’re in the EU or UK and you’re unhappy with our answer, you may complain to your local data protection authority.
7. For readers outside the United States
News Hawaii is based in Hawaiʻi, and our service providers process information in the United States and other countries. Where the GDPR applies, we rely on these legal grounds: your consent for the newsletter, which you can withdraw at any time by unsubscribing; our legitimate interest in understanding our readership, keeping the Site secure and answering messages; and compliance with legal obligations. Our providers use recognized safeguards, such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, for international transfers.
8. Children
The Site is a general-audience news site and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, and our newsletter and forms are not meant for them. If you believe a child has given us personal information, tell us using the form below and we will delete it.
9. Security
The entire Site uses encrypted connections (HTTPS). Access to form messages and subscriber lists is limited to the people who run News Hawaii and is protected by strong passwords. No system is perfectly secure, and we can’t guarantee the security of information sent over the internet. If a breach ever affects your personal information, we will notify you and the authorities as required by Hawaiʻi law and any other law that applies.
10. Changes to this policy
When our practices change, we will update this page and its effective date. If a change is significant, such as a new use of your information, we will say so on the Site and in the newsletter before it takes effect.
11. Questions and requests
Use the form below for any privacy question or request. Choose “Access,” “Correct” or “Delete my information” to make a request. We read every message.