How isthereconsensus.org handles personal information.

Effective April 11, 2026. This policy explains what information the site collects, how that information is used, when it may be disclosed, and what practical choices users currently have.

Account data includes your name, email, password hash, session state, and any updates you make to that account.

Questions you post on the public site can be visible to other users and search engines.

When enabled, the site uses bot protection and production analytics to keep the service usable and understand how it is used.

There is not currently a self-serve account deletion tool. Privacy requests can be sent to consensus@isthereconsensus.org.

1. Scope

This policy applies to the public website, member accounts, community question features, expert application workflow, editorial/admin tools, and related operational services used to run isthereconsensus.org.

The site discusses health, medicine, psychology, climate, and other consequential subjects. Browsing, searching, or posting about those topics can reveal sensitive interests, so use care when deciding what to post publicly.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us

account details such as your name, email address, password, and any later account updates
public question content, including titles, body text, source links, display names, and related metadata
expert application materials such as affiliation, credentials, expertise areas, evidence links, and statements
moderation reports and notes you submit about public questions
emails or other direct messages you send to the site operator

Information collected automatically

session and authentication data needed to keep you signed in
basic server and security logs such as IP address, browser headers, timestamps, and request paths
analytics and usage data on deployed versions of the site, including page usage and technical request metadata
theme or interface preferences stored in your browser
captcha and anti-abuse signals when Turnstile or similar protections are enabled

Information generated as the site operates

question routing, flag review, moderation, and audit records
trust or expertise status connected to your account
editorial and admin records needed to review claims, applications, and safety issues

3. How we use information

create and maintain accounts, sign users in, and keep sessions secure
publish, route, moderate, and, when necessary, remove community questions and related reports
review expert applications and manage editorial roles
measure site usage, diagnose issues, and improve the public reading experience
prevent spam, bot abuse, scraping, credential misuse, and other attacks
comply with legal obligations and respond to safety, security, or rights-related requests

4. Cookies, browser storage, analytics, and captcha

The site uses secure session cookies to keep signed-in users authenticated. If you choose “remember me,” the session can last longer than the default session window.

The site may also store interface preferences, such as color theme choice, in your browser so the interface behaves consistently the next time you return.

On deployed versions of the site, we currently load an analytics script from analytics.isthereconsensus.org to understand site usage and performance. When your browser loads that script, the analytics service may receive technical request information such as IP address, browser metadata, referring page, and page usage details.

When captcha protection is enabled, the site loads Cloudflare Turnstile in the browser and validates captcha responses server-side. That process can involve IP address and standard browser/device signals used for anti-abuse purposes.

The site does not currently provide a separate, browser-specific response to “Do Not Track” signals. We also do not currently use the site to serve third-party ads.

5. Public content and visibility

Questions posted through the community features are public by design. Titles, body text, source URLs, and your displayed author information may be visible to other users and may be indexed by search engines.

If you contribute publicly as a reviewer, editor, or author on a claim page, the site may display your name, role, affiliation, or similar contribution metadata when that is part of the editorial workflow.

Even if content is later removed from the live site, copies may persist in backups, moderation records, or external caches outside our control.

6. When we share or disclose information

service providers that host, secure, monitor, or help operate the site
the analytics service loaded from analytics.isthereconsensus.org on deployed versions of the site
Cloudflare Turnstile and related captcha infrastructure when anti-bot checks are enabled
admins, editors, or moderators who need access to review applications, flags, or operational records
courts, regulators, law enforcement, or other third parties when legally required or reasonably necessary to protect users or the service

We do not currently use the site to run third-party display advertising. If the product model changes, we should update this policy before rolling those changes out.

7. Retention

Account records

We generally keep account information for as long as the account remains active, and for a reasonable period afterward when needed for security, fraud prevention, or legal compliance.

Session and preference data

Standard session cookies are short-lived. If you choose “remember me,” the session may last longer, currently up to about 30 days. Browser-side preference storage may remain until you clear it.

Public questions and thread records

Questions remain on the site until they are deleted by the author or an admin, or otherwise removed through moderation or operational cleanup. Backups, logs, or external caches may persist for longer.

Moderation, expert review, and security records

These records may be retained longer than public content when needed to preserve site integrity, resolve disputes, investigate abuse, or comply with law.

Analytics and technical logs

Usage data and logs are retained according to configured service-provider settings and our operational needs.

8. Choices and rights

You can update your account email and password from the account page while signed in.
You can delete your own questions from the public thread interface while signed in, subject to ordinary product limits and admin controls.
If you want help with access, correction, closure, or deletion requests, email consensus@isthereconsensus.org.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional privacy rights under applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

There is not currently a self-serve account deletion portal. If you ask to close an account or delete data, we may still retain some records, including moderation, security, backup, and community-integrity records, where reasonably necessary.

9. Children

Public pages may be readable by a general audience, but accounts and community submissions are not intended for children under 13. If we learn that we have created an account for or collected personal information directly from a child under 13 without an appropriate legal basis, we may remove the account and related data.

10. Security

We use administrative, technical, and operational measures intended to protect the information we maintain, including account authentication controls, secure session handling, moderation controls, and anti-abuse tooling. No internet service can guarantee perfect security.

11. International visitors

The site is operated from infrastructure that may be located in the United States and in other places where our service providers operate. If you use the site from outside those locations, your information may be processed there.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the product, infrastructure, or legal requirements change. The current version will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.

Questions or requests

Contact the site operator

For privacy questions or rights requests, email consensus@isthereconsensus.org.