Privacy & copyright policy

The Sage Says (thesagesays.in) is an independent writing website about history, politics, belief, cinema, travel, poems and stories. This page explains what information the site collects, why, who can see it and what you can ask us to do with it. It also sets out who owns the writing and pictures on the site and how you may use them. It covers every page of thesagesays.in.

1. The short version

• You can read everything without an account.
• No advertising, no analytics, no tracking cookies, and we never sell your information.
• If you comment, we receive your name, photo and email from Google. Your email is never shown publicly.
• Everything written on this site belongs to its writers. You may quote a short passage with credit and a link, but please do not copy whole pieces.

2. What we collect

When you read. We do not ask for anything. Like every website, our hosting provider automatically records basic technical details in server logs: your IP address, browser and device type, the page requested and the time. These logs are used only to keep the site running and secure.

When you comment. To comment on an article you sign in with your Google account. Google shares with us:

• your name and profile photo, which are shown next to your comments;
• your email address, which is never shown publicly. Only the site owner can see it, for example to reply to you or to deal with abuse;
• an account identifier, so the site knows which comments are yours.

We also store the text of each comment, when it was posted, which article it is on, and the IP address it came from, to prevent spam and abuse. We never receive your Google password or access to anything else in your Google account.

When you send us writing or a question. If you contact us through the Publish page or ask a question, we receive what you choose to send: usually your name, contact details and your message or submission.

We do not collect sensitive information such as financial details, government ID numbers or health information. Please do not include it in comments or messages.

3. Cookies and browser storage

• Comment sign-in cookie (sage_reader): set only when you sign in to comment, so you stay signed in. It lasts up to 180 days and is removed when you click “Sign out”.
• Card positions: on the home page you can drag the photo cards around. Where you leave them is saved in your own browser only and is never sent to us. Clearing your browser data removes it.
• Google may set its own cookies when you use the “Sign in with Google” button. These are covered by Google’s privacy policy.

We do not use advertising, analytics or social media tracking cookies, so there is nothing to opt out of.

4. Services we rely on

A few trusted services help run the site. Each receives only what it needs to do its job:

• Hostinger hosts the website and stores comments and server logs.
• Google provides the comment sign-in and the fonts used on the pages. Your browser contacts Google directly to load them, which shares your IP address with Google.
• Cloudflare runs the private editing tool the site owner uses to publish articles and manage comments.
• Picsum Photos supplies some placeholder photographs on the home page.
• YouTube and Vimeo serve videos that are embedded in some articles (see section 13).

These services may store data on servers outside your country. They have their own privacy policies and security commitments.

5. How we use your information

We use your information only to:

• run, secure and fix the website;
• show your comments and replies with your name and photo;
• prevent spam, abuse and misuse of the comment section;
• read and reply to your submissions, questions and requests;
• meet our legal obligations.

We rely on your consent (for example, when you sign in to comment or send us something) and on our legitimate need to keep the site safe. We do not sell, rent or trade your information. We do not use it for advertising or to build profiles of you, and we will not send you newsletters or marketing unless you ask for them.

6. Who can see it

• Everyone can see your comment, your name, your profile photo and when you posted.
• Only the site owner can see your email address, the IP address a comment came from, and anything you send us privately.
• The services above handle data only to provide their service to us.
• Authorities, only if the law requires us to share it, for example under a valid court order.

7. How long we keep it

• Comments stay on the site until you ask us to remove them, or until we remove them for breaking the comment rules.
• Sign-in sessions end after 180 days or when you sign out.
• Server logs are kept for a short period by our hosting provider and then deleted automatically.
• Submissions and messages are kept only as long as we need them to respond, or for as long as a published piece stays on the site.

Deleted information may remain in backups for a limited time before it is overwritten.

8. Keeping it safe

The whole site uses HTTPS encryption. Comment data is stored outside the public part of the web server, and only the site owner can access the editing tools, which are password-protected. No website can promise perfect security, but we take reasonable care to protect what we hold. If a breach ever affects your information, we will tell you and the relevant authorities as the law requires.

9. Your rights

Wherever you live, you can ask us to:

• tell you what information we hold about you and give you a copy;
• correct anything that is wrong;
• delete your comments or any other information about you;
• stop using your information, by withdrawing the consent you gave.

You can also remove the site’s access to your Google account at any time in your Google Account settings (Security → Third-party apps and services). We reply to requests within 30 days. We follow India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and respect the equivalent rights of readers elsewhere, including under the GDPR. If you are not satisfied with our reply, you can complain to your local data protection authority.

10. Children

The site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them. Commenting is for readers aged 18 or over, or younger readers with a parent’s or guardian’s consent. If you think a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Comment rules

Comments are welcome and appear straight away. Disagreement is fine; please keep it civil. We may remove, without notice, any comment that is spam or advertising; abusive, hateful, threatening or harassing; reveals someone else’s private information; infringes copyright; or is otherwise unlawful. Repeated misuse can lead to a ban from commenting. You are responsible for what you post, and comments reflect the views of their authors, not of The Sage Says.

12. Copyright and use of our content

Our content. Unless stated otherwise, all articles, essays, poems, stories, photographs, illustrations, the “The Sage Says” name and logo, and the design of this website are © 2026 The Sage Says and its writers. All rights reserved. They are protected by India’s Copyright Act, 1957 and international copyright law.

What you may do:

• read, print or save pieces for your own personal, non-commercial use;
• share links to any page;
• quote a short passage (a few sentences) for review, criticism, research, teaching or news, as long as you name The Sage Says and link to the original article.

What needs our written permission first:

• republishing a whole piece or a substantial part of it, on another website, in print, on social media or in a newsletter;
• translating, adapting, recording or performing a piece (for example reading a poem or story aloud in a video or podcast);
• using our photographs, illustrations, name or logo;
• any commercial use;
• copying the site in bulk by scraping or automated tools, including to train artificial intelligence or machine-learning systems.

To ask for permission, contact us (section 15). We are often happy to say yes.

Guest writers. If we publish writing you sent us, you keep the copyright. By submitting it you give The Sage Says a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free permission to publish, display and share it on the site and its channels, credited to you. You confirm that the work is your own and does not infringe anyone else’s rights. You can ask us to take it down at any time.

Your comments. You keep the copyright in your comments. By posting one you allow us to display it on the site alongside the article, and to keep, edit for length, or remove it under the comment rules. Please post only material you have the right to share.

Other people’s material. Some images, quotations and embedded videos belong to their own creators and are used with credit, under licence or as permitted by law. Their rights remain with them, and they are not covered by the permissions above.

Reporting a copyright problem. If you believe something on this site uses your work without permission, please send us: your name and contact details; the work you own; the link to the page where it appears; and a statement that you are the owner (or authorised to act for the owner) and that the information you give is accurate. We will review it promptly and remove or credit the material where appropriate.

13. Links and embedded content

Articles may link to other websites or include videos from YouTube or Vimeo. An embedded video behaves as if you visited that service directly: it may receive your IP address and set its own cookies, and we use YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode where possible. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of other websites, so please read their policies.

14. Changes to this page

We may update this policy as the site grows, for example when adding a newsletter. We will change the date at the top, and for important changes we will place a notice on the site.

15. Contact

For any privacy request, permission to reuse our content or a copyright concern, please get in touch through the Publish page. We aim to reply within 30 days.