Privacy Policy
Last Updated: March 13, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Motoring Chronicle (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you visit https://motoringchronicle.com (the “Site”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including the Australian Privacy Act 1988, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and other relevant legislation.
Please read this policy carefully. By using our Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
1. Who We Are
Our website address is: https://motoringchronicle.com
Motoring Chronicle is an automotive and motorsport news publication based in Australia, covering car news, car maintenance, motorsport, and related topics for a global audience. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, you can contact us via our Contact Us page.
2. What Personal Data We Collect and Why
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the Site, we collect the data shown in the comments form — your name, email address, website URL (optional), and the comment itself. We also collect the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help with spam detection.
An anonymised string (a hash) created from your email address may be provided to the Gravatar service to check whether you use it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available at https://automattic.com/privacy/. After your comment is approved, your profile picture may be publicly visible alongside your comment.
Contact Forms
If you submit a query via our Contact Us page, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message. We use this information solely to respond to your enquiry. You may also opt in to receive our email newsletter — if you do not opt in, we will not add you to our mailing list.
Media Uploads
If you upload images to the website (for example, as a contributor), you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors to the Site can download and extract any location data from images on the Site.
Log Data
Like most websites, we automatically collect certain information your browser sends when you visit the Site. This may include your IP address, browser type and version, the pages you visit, the time and date of your visit, time spent on pages, and other diagnostic data. This data is used for site security, performance monitoring, and analytics purposes.
3. Cookies
Our Site uses cookies — small text files placed on your device — to improve your experience and to collect analytics data. We use a cookie consent management tool to obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies.
Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the Site to function and cannot be disabled. They include:
- WordPress session cookies — set when you log in, to save your login information and screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days; screen options cookies last for one year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login persists for two weeks.
- Comment cookies — if you leave a comment, you may opt in to saving your name, email address, and website in cookies for your convenience. These last for one year. A separate cookie records the post ID of any article you edit; this expires after one day.
- Cookie consent cookie — records your cookie preferences so you are not asked again on every visit.
Analytics Cookies (Google Analytics)
We use Google Analytics (provided by Google LLC) to understand how visitors interact with our Site. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit the Site, what pages they visit, and what other sites they used prior to coming to our Site. We use this information to improve the Site. Google Analytics may collect your IP address, though it is anonymised where possible. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Google’s privacy policy is available at: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Functional & Performance Cookies (Jetpack)
Our Site uses Jetpack (provided by Automattic Inc.) for site security, performance, and statistics. Jetpack may set cookies and collect data about your visit, including your IP address, to provide these services. Jetpack’s privacy policy is available at: https://automattic.com/privacy/
Social Media Cookies (Facebook)
Our Site includes links to and integration with our Facebook page. If you interact with Facebook content on our Site (such as clicking a Facebook link or widget), Facebook may set cookies on your device and collect data about your interaction. This is governed by Facebook’s Data Policy, available at: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/
We do not control the cookies set by Facebook or other third-party services. You can manage your cookie preferences through our cookie consent tool or through your browser settings.
4. Embedded Content from Other Websites
Articles on this Site may include embedded content (for example, videos, images, tweets, or other media from third-party platforms such as YouTube, Twitter/X, or others). Embedded content from other websites behaves in exactly the same way as if you had visited those websites directly. These third-party sites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content — including tracking your interaction if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites whose content is embedded on our pages.
5. How We Use Your Data
We use the data we collect for the following purposes:
- To operate and maintain the Site
- To respond to comments and enquiries
- To analyse Site usage and improve our content and user experience
- To detect and prevent spam, fraud, and security threats
- To send newsletters or updates, where you have opted in
- To comply with legal obligations
6. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, our legal basis for collecting and using your personal data depends on the data concerned and the context in which we collect it:
- Consent — where you have given us clear consent to process your data for a specific purpose (e.g., subscribing to our newsletter, accepting analytics cookies).
- Legitimate interests — where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (e.g., preventing fraud, improving Site security), provided those interests are not overridden by your data protection rights.
- Legal obligation — where we need to process your data to comply with the law.
7. Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We may share your data with the following categories of third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Site, subject to confidentiality obligations:
- Google LLC — for Google Analytics (analytics and reporting)
- Automattic Inc. — for Jetpack (site security, performance, and statistics) and Akismet (spam detection)
- Facebook / Meta Platforms — for social media integration
- WP Rocket / WP Media — for site performance and caching
- RunCloud — for server management and hosting infrastructure
We may also disclose your data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.
8. How Long We Retain Your Data
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy:
- Comments — retained indefinitely so we can recognise and approve follow-up comments. You may request deletion at any time.
- Contact form submissions — retained for up to 12 months after the enquiry is resolved, then deleted.
- Analytics data — retained by Google Analytics per their standard data retention settings (typically 26 months, adjustable in our account settings).
- User account data — if you register on the Site, your profile data is retained for as long as your account is active. You may request deletion at any time.
9. Your Data Protection Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access — you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your personal data (“right to be forgotten”), subject to certain conditions.
- Right to restrict processing — you can ask us to limit how we use your data.
- Right to data portability — you can request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Right to object — you can object to our processing of your data where we rely on legitimate interests.
- Right to withdraw consent — where we process data based on consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us via our Contact Us page. We will respond within 30 days. If you are in the EEA or UK, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
10. Where Your Data Is Sent
Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your country of residence, including the United States, where our third-party service providers (such as Google and Automattic) are based. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers, including Standard Contractual Clauses where required by GDPR.
Visitor comments may also be checked through an automated spam detection service (Akismet, provided by Automattic).
11. Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Our Site uses HTTPS encryption (SSL/TLS) for all connections. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
12. Children’s Privacy
Our Site is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it promptly.
13. Third-Party Links
Our Site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit.
14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we update it, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
15. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us via our Contact Us page at https://motoringchronicle.com.