Privacy Policy Update on Sydney Times 17 March,2026

Effective Date: March 17, 2026

Written and compiled by the Publisher and Custodian of the Sydney Times brand, Axel Ritenis

At the Sydney Times, we balance high-quality digital journalism with a commitment to transparency. We acknowledge the use of Gemini AI on this site. This policy outlines how we collect and use data through our integrated tools to provide a fast, secure, and sustainable news service.

1. Our Advertising & Analytics Partners

To keep our journalism accessible, we use a combination of privacy-focused analytics and industry-standard advertising tools.

Google AdSense (Advertising)

We use Google AdSense to serve ads on our website. To comply with Google’s requirements:

• Third-Party Vendors: Google and other third-party vendors use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to the Sydney Times or other websites.

• Personalized Advertising: Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.

• Opt-Out: You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.

Matomo (Privacy-Focused Analytics)

We use Matomo to understand website performance while maintaining high privacy standards. Unlike standard platforms, Matomo allows us to keep 100% of the data on our own terms.

• Data Collected: Anonymized IP addresses, pages visited, time spent on articles, and device types.

• Purpose: To identify trending stories and ensure our layout works across all devices.

• Privacy Guard: Data is aggregated. We see “trends,” not specific individuals.

Google Site Kit

We use the Google Site Kit plugin to monitor our site’s health and visibility.

• Search Console: Shows us which keywords led you to the Sydney Times.

• PageSpeed Insights: Helps us ensure the site loads quickly for a better reading experience.

2. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies to improve your experience and support our site operations:

• First-Party Cookies: Used by Matomo to distinguish between new and returning readers.

• Third-Party Cookies: Used by Google AdSense to serve and frequency-cap advertisements.

• User Control: You can set your browser to “Do Not Track,” which our Matomo installation honors. You can also manage or delete cookies via your browser settings at any time.

3. Server Logs and Security

Our servers automatically log the IP address of any visitor who encounters a “404 Not Found” error or security trigger. This is a critical measure to:

• Fix broken links.

• Identify and block malicious “bots” or actors attempting to scan the site for vulnerabilities.

• Retention: These logs are temporary and are periodically cleared.

4. Data Usage Summary

5. Third-Party Links

Our articles may contain links to external sites (e.g., social media or government sources). Once you leave sydneytimes.net.au, you are subject to the privacy policy of that third-party site.

6. Contact Us

If you have questions about this policy or our data practices, please contact us via our website at https://www.sydneytimes.net.au. or me personally editor@sydneytimes.net.au