American Freemasons
Effective Date: May 23, 2026 | Last Updated: May 23, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how American Freemasons ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you visit americanfreemasons.org (the "Site"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling any personal information we collect with transparency and care.
By using this Site, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
1. Who We Are
American Freemasons is an independent nonprofit reference resource providing information about recognized Masonic grand lodges across the Americas. The Site is operated by an active Freemason and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to any grand lodge or Masonic governing body.
For privacy-related inquiries, please contact us using the form on the Submit a Correction page or via the contact information listed at the end of this policy.
2. Information We Collect
We collect two categories of information:
A. Information You Provide Voluntarily
When you use the Submit a Correction form, we may collect:
- Your name (optional)
- Your email address (optional, if you wish to receive a follow-up)
- The content of your correction or submission
We do not require you to create an account or log in to use the Site. No user accounts are created in connection with this Site.
B. Information Collected Automatically
When you visit the Site, certain information is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies, including:
- IP address and approximate geographic location (country or region level)
- Browser type and version
- Operating system
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- Referring URL (the page that linked you to our Site)
- Date and time of your visit
This data is collected primarily through Google Analytics 4 (see Section 4 for details) and standard web server logs maintained by our hosting provider.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- To review and respond to corrections or submissions you send us
- To improve the accuracy and quality of the Site's editorial content
- To understand how visitors use the Site and which pages are most helpful
- To monitor Site performance, security, and technical issues
- To comply with applicable legal obligations
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party. We do not use your information for targeted advertising.
4. Google Analytics 4
This Site uses Google Analytics 4, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and report anonymized data about how visitors interact with the Site.
Data collected by Google Analytics may include pages visited, session duration, device type, browser, and general geographic location. This data is aggregated and does not identify you personally.
Google may process this data on servers located outside your country of residence, including in the United States.
You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by:
- Installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on (available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout)
- Enabling "Do Not Track" in your browser settings (note: not all analytics services honor this signal)
- Using a privacy-focused browser or extension that blocks tracking scripts
For more information on how Google uses data collected via Analytics, visit: policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
This Site uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to support analytics and basic site functionality. Specifically:
- Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4): Used to collect anonymized usage data as described in Section 4.
- Functional cookies (WordPress): Used for basic site operation, such as remembering display preferences. These do not collect personal information.
- Security cookies (Cloudflare): Our CDN and security provider, Cloudflare, may set cookies to protect the Site from malicious traffic and optimize content delivery.
We do not currently use advertising, retargeting, or social media tracking cookies.
You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Site. For guidance on managing cookies, visit allaboutcookies.org.
6. Third-Party Services and Data Processors
We work with the following third-party services that may process data in connection with your visit to the Site:
WPX Hosting
Our web hosting provider. Server logs, including IP addresses, may be retained by WPX for security and diagnostic purposes. Privacy policy: wpx.net/privacy-policy
Cloudflare
We use Cloudflare as a content delivery network (CDN) and security layer. Cloudflare processes traffic between your browser and our server to protect against threats and improve load times. Privacy policy: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/
Google Analytics 4
As described in Section 4. Privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy
WooCommerce (Phase 2 — Not Yet Active)
In a future phase, the Site will include an online shop powered by WooCommerce. When e-commerce features are activated, this Privacy Policy will be updated to cover payment processing, order data, and any additional data collected during purchases. No purchases can currently be made on the Site.
7. Data Retention
We retain information as follows:
- Correction form submissions: Retained for as long as necessary to process your submission and maintain editorial accuracy records. Submissions containing personal data (such as your name or email) are not retained beyond this purpose.
- Google Analytics data: Retained for 14 months per our GA4 configuration, after which it is automatically deleted from Google's servers.
- Server and hosting logs: Retained by WPX per their standard data retention policy.
8. Children's Privacy
This Site is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or 16 in certain jurisdictions under GDPR). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal information through our Site, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
9. Your Privacy Rights
For Visitors in the European Economic Area (EEA) and UK — GDPR
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
- Object to or restrict our processing of your data
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
- Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
For California Residents — CCPA / CPRA
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), California residents may have the right to:
- Know what personal information we collect and how it is used
- Request deletion of personal information we have collected
- Opt out of the sale of personal information (note: we do not sell personal information)
- Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 12 below. We will respond to verified requests within the timeframes required by applicable law.
10. Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure. These measures include:
- SSL/TLS encryption on all Site connections (HTTPS)
- Cloudflare security layer protecting against malicious traffic
- WordPress security hardening and regular updates
- Restricted administrative access to the Site backend
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. External Links
The Site contains links to official grand lodge websites and other external resources. These third-party sites have their own privacy policies, and we have no control over their content or practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or need to report a privacy concern, please contact us:
American Freemasons
Website: americanfreemasons.org
Contact Form: americanfreemasons.org/submit-correction/
We will make reasonable efforts to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.
13. 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 for other operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.