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Privacy Policy

Last Updated: September 14, 2026

1. Introduction & Scope

Welcome to VOA-English (accessible at https://voa-english.com). Protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency regarding how your personal information is gathered, utilized, and safeguarded is of the utmost importance to us. This Privacy Policy outlines our data governance standards, adherence to international privacy statutes (including the European Union General Data Protection Regulation / GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act / CCPA as amended by the CPRA), and guidelines governing our educational resources and advertising partnerships.

By browsing, accessing, or interacting with VOA-English, you signify your acceptance of the terms laid out in this Privacy Policy. If you do not consent to these terms, please discontinue use of our site.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information to deliver enhanced educational experiences and ensure seamless platform operation. The categories of information we collect include:

  • Direct Voluntarily Provided Information: When you submit questions, feedback, or inquiries through our contact forms or email us at contact@voa-english.com, we collect your name, email address, message contents, and any attachments you provide.
  • Automated Server Log Files: Like standard digital publishers, VOA-English records automated server access logs. These logs capture internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamps, referring/exit pages, platform type, and number of clicks. This data is non-personally identifiable and is analyzed solely to monitor server health, diagnose technical bottlenecks, and track regional content demand.
  • Device and Operational Metadata: Screen resolution, operating system, preferred language, and session duration to ensure responsive layout rendering across mobile, desktop, and tablet devices.

3. Cookies, Web Beacons, and Tracking Technologies

VOA-English employs cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as local storage and web beacons) to store user preferences, optimize user sessions, and maintain website security. You can manage or disable cookie preferences directly within your browser settings.

  • Essential Technical Cookies: Strictly necessary for site navigation, security firewalls, and page load optimization.
  • Performance & Analytics Cookies: Aggregate, anonymized data collected to evaluate page interaction, bounce rates, and reading speeds to inform editorial improvements.
  • Advertising Cookies: Deployed by third-party advertising networks to serve relevant, non-intrusive advertisements based on previous web interactions.

4. Google AdSense & Third-Party Advertising Disclosures

VOA-English partners with Google AdSense and affiliated third-party advertising networks to support the continued creation of free, high-quality educational literature.

  • DoubleClick DART Cookie: Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve contextual and personalized advertisements on VOA-English. Google’s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve targeted ads to our visitors based on their visit to voa-english.com and other websites across the web.
  • Opt-Out Mechanism: Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google My Ad Center or by utilizing the Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out Tool.
  • Third-Party Vendors: Third-party ad vendors and ad networks may automatically receive your IP address when ad banners or interactive units are rendered on your screen. These technologies measure advertising efficacy and customize display content. VOA-English maintains no direct control over cookies deployed by third-party advertisers.

5. European Union Data Protection Rights (GDPR)

If you reside within the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, you hold clear statutory rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

  • Right to Access: You may request copies of personal information held by VOA-English.
  • Right to Rectification: You may request immediate correction of inaccurate or incomplete records.
  • Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You may request the deletion of your personal contact data under applicable legal circumstances.
  • Right to Restrict or Object to Processing: You may object to the processing of your data or request temporary restrictions.
  • Right to Data Portability: You may request transmission of your collected data to another organization or directly to you in a machine-readable format.

6. California Consumer Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, California residents enjoy specific data rights:

  • The right to know the exact categories and specific pieces of personal information collected.
  • The right to request the deletion of collected personal data.
  • No Sale of Personal Data: VOA-English does not sell, rent, or lease personal identifiers, emails, or user data to third parties for monetary consideration.
  • The right to be free from discrimination for exercising your statutory privacy entitlements.

7. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Compliance

Protecting the privacy of children is paramount. VOA-English does not knowingly solicit or collect personal information from children under the age of 13. All educational articles are targeted at adult learners, university students, and secondary school educators. If a parent or guardian discovers that a child has submitted personal data through our platform, please notify us immediately at contact@voa-english.com, and we will promptly purge such records from our databases.

8. Security and Data Retention

We apply commercially acceptable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards (including SSL/TLS 256-bit encryption, routine security audits, and firewall protocols) to protect your communications. Inquiries submitted via our contact forms are retained strictly for the duration necessary to address your feedback or editorial request before being safely decommissioned.

9. Policy Modifications & Contact Inquiries

VOA-English reserves the right to revise this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect technological adjustments, legal developments, or editorial policy changes. Updates will be indicated by the “Last Updated” timestamp at the top of this document.

For privacy-related inquiries, data requests, or compliance clarifications, please contact our Data Governance Team:

  • Website: https://voa-english.com
  • Official Privacy Email: contact@voa-english.com
  • Editorial Desk: editorial@voa-english.com