LEGAL
Privacy Policy
Morning Coffee Thoughts, including MCT Daily and the Morning Coffee Thoughts Android and iOS apps, is responsible for personal data collected through these services.
This policy explains how information may be collected, used, and protected when you use the Morning Coffee Thoughts website or mobile apps.
Personal information we collect
When you visit the site, certain device information may be collected automatically, including browser type, IP address, time zone, cookies, pages viewed, referring websites or search terms, and information about how you interact with the site.
We may also collect personal data that you voluntarily provide, such as your name, email address, contact details, or payment-related information when you subscribe, donate, register, or use a contact form.
Contact form information
When you use the contact form, Morning Coffee Thoughts receives the name, email address, topic, subject, and message you submit. This information is used only to review and respond to your inquiry, address a correction or technical problem, or consider a story suggestion.
Contact-form submissions are protected by Cloudflare Turnstile and delivered through Resend. The submitted information may remain in the receiving email account for as long as reasonably necessary to handle the message.
Mailing list information
When you join the MCT mailing list, the email address you submit is stored in Hostinger Reach and used to send the weekly MCT email. The signup form includes an explicit consent checkbox and Hostinger's spam protection.
You can unsubscribe using the link included in each mailing. You may also ask Morning Coffee Thoughts to correct or delete your mailing-list information through the contact form.
Reader accounts and pulse surveys
If you create an MCT reader account, the site stores your email address so it can send a six-digit sign-in code and maintain your reader session. Your email address is kept private and is never displayed with a survey response or comment.
If you leave a comment, the site displays only the name you choose, the comment, and the date and time it was posted. Comments are stored with your reader account so MCT can prevent abuse and manage the discussion.
If you join a reader pulse, the site records your answers and any optional profile details you provide, such as a display name, age group, region, province, or city. MCT does not ask for your exact address. Each account may submit only one response to a survey. Survey reports use grouped totals, and small demographic groups may be withheld to reduce the risk of identifying a participant.
Reader-account information is used only to provide reader features, prevent duplicate responses and abuse, and moderate participation. It is not sold. These email-account details apply to services and older app versions that offer reader sign-in, not to the login-free Android app. You may ask to access or correct your information through the contact form. For deletion options, see Request deletion of MCT reader data.
Login-free participation
If login-free comments or reader surveys are enabled, MCT asks for a public nickname, a Philippine region selected from a list, and a city or municipality that you type. These location details are self-reported and are not verified residence. MCT does not request an exact address or GPS location for participation.
The site creates a random browser credential and processes privacy-protected technical signals to limit duplicate responses, automation, spam, threats, and other abuse. Network addresses are converted into short-lived keyed identifiers for security analysis; raw network addresses are not placed in participation records. The identifiers are not used for advertising or tracking across companies.
A submission may be published, held for review, or excluded from public totals. The confirmation shown after a survey does not reveal this internal status. Only accepted survey responses enter displayed totals. Comments may be reported, hidden, restored, or associated with a suspended participation credential by an authorized moderator. Moderation actions are logged.
Android app participation and notifications
The login-free Morning Coffee Thoughts Android app does not ask you to create an email account. Participation is optional. If you submit a comment or survey response, MCT receives your chosen nickname, self-reported region and city or municipality, the content you submit, and, for surveys, your age group. Political survey answers may reveal political opinions. MCT uses these details to run surveys and discussions, produce grouped results, and prevent duplicate responses and abuse. Your comment and nickname may appear publicly; individual survey responses are not displayed as public comments.
The app stores your participation profile and a random installation identifier on your device. When you first participate, it registers a participant identifier and credential with MCT. These connect later submissions to the same app installation. Google Play Integrity checks the app and device and returns verification signals used to prevent automated or altered submissions. MCT processes these identifiers and signals for app functionality, security and moderation, not advertising.
The Android app uses Google Firebase Cloud Messaging and Firebase Installations to receive publication notifications. These services process an app installation identifier and notification token, together with technical information needed to route messages. Notification setup can occur even if you decline permission to display notifications. You can turn notification display off in Android settings. See Google Firebase's privacy information for how Google handles this service data.
The native Android app does not request GPS access or an advertising identifier. It fetches articles and images over HTTPS; network requests can expose an IP address and technical request details to the hosting and delivery services. Links opened in a browser, including the contact form and this website, follow the website practices described above. MCT uses service providers to host content, store participation records and deliver notifications. Clearing app storage or uninstalling removes local app data but does not by itself erase submissions already sent to MCT. You can request deletion of reader data without an email account.
Why we process your data
We process only the information reasonably needed to maintain the website, prevent abuse, understand site usage, communicate with readers, and provide services requested by users.
You may browse the site without identifying yourself. Some features, including newsletters, subscriptions, donations, or direct contact forms, may require personal information.
Your rights
Depending on the law that applies to you, you may have rights including access, correction, deletion, restriction of processing, data portability, objection, and rights related to automated decision-making.
To exercise a data-protection right, contact us using the address below.
Links to other websites
The site may link to services and websites not owned or controlled by Morning Coffee Thoughts. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. Review their privacy statements before providing personal information.
Information security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect information from unauthorized access, use, modification, or disclosure. No internet or wireless transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Legal disclosure
Information may be disclosed when required or permitted by law, including to comply with a subpoena or legal process, investigate fraud, respond to a government request, or protect the rights and safety of Morning Coffee Thoughts, its readers, or others.
Contact information
Questions about this policy or personal information may be sent through the contact form or to [email protected].
Live reader greeting
On article pages, MCT may temporarily process an anonymous browser-session identifier and an approximate city or region to show a greeting when another reader is active. Active-session information expires after a few minutes. No name, email address, exact location, or user account is collected for this feature. Anonymous reading sessions may be counted in aggregate reports, and the approximate area and article title may be sent privately to the site owner as a live reader alert. The final greeting text may be retained only to avoid repeating the same line.