Effective date: September 27, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains what information Motion Media (“Motion Media,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), founded by Joshua Thillens, collects when you use our services, how we use it, and the choices you have.
1. What this policy covers
This policy applies to:
- Motion Media News at motionnews.studio: articles and analysis on defense, AI, robotics, geopolitics, and US politics.
- Motion Terminal at terminal.motionnews.studio: a live news wire that links to publishers’ original stories, with user votes, view counts, and a global chat.
We call these together the “Services.”
2. Information we collect
When you sign in with X (Twitter). With your permission, X shares with us:
- Your X user ID, username, and display name
- Your profile image
- Your email address, only if you allow X to share it (X shares email only with your permission)
When you sign in with email. Your email address.
Content you create. Chat messages you post and votes you cast in Motion Terminal.
Usage information. Pages and articles you click, view counts, basic device and browser information, IP address, and timestamps. For visitors who aren’t signed in, we keep track of the free preview (5 article clicks or 5 minutes) using a cookie or your browser’s local storage.
Cookies. We use cookies and similar storage that are needed to keep you signed in and to run the preview meter.
3. How we use your information
We use information to:
- Create and run your account and keep you signed in
- Show your username and profile image next to your chat messages
- Count votes and views and show what’s trending
- Keep the Services secure and prevent spam, abuse, and rule-breaking
- Understand how the Services are used so we can improve them
- Contact you about your account or important changes, if we have your email
- Meet legal obligations
4. Signing in with X
We ask X only for read-level access to your basic profile when you sign in. We do not post to X on your behalf, and we can’t read your direct messages. You can remove Motion Terminal’s access at any time in your X account settings.
5. We don’t sell your personal information
We do not sell your personal information, and we don’t share it with third parties for their own advertising.
6. Service providers we use
We share information with service providers only as needed to run the Services:
- Supabase: database and account sign-in (authentication)
- Vercel: hosting for Motion Terminal
- Automattic / WordPress.com: hosting for Motion Media News
- X Corp.: sign in with X
- Stripe: payment processing, only if paid plans launch. We never store full card numbers.
These providers handle information under their own privacy policies and security practices.
7. The news site and WordPress.com
Motion Media News is hosted on WordPress.com, run by Automattic. WordPress.com may set its own cookies and collect analytics when you visit the news site. See Automattic’s Privacy Policy for details.
8. When we may share information for other reasons
We may disclose information if required by law, to respond to valid legal requests, to protect the rights, safety, or property of our users, the public, or Motion Media, or as part of a merger, sale, or transfer of the Services (in which case this policy would continue to apply to your information).
Your chat messages, username, and profile image are visible to other users of Motion Terminal. Please don’t post private information in chat.
9. How long we keep information
We keep your information while your account is active and for a reasonable period afterward, for example to handle backups, resolve disputes, prevent abuse, or meet legal requirements. You can ask us to delete your account and personal information at any time.
10. Your rights and choices
You can ask us to:
- Access the personal information we have about you
- Correct information that is wrong
- Delete your account and personal information
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights. California residents have rights to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion or correction, and not to be discriminated against for using these rights. We don’t sell or “share” personal information for targeted advertising. People in the EU and UK may also object to or restrict certain processing, ask for a copy of their data in a portable format, withdraw consent, and complain to their local data protection authority.
To make a request, contact us (see Section 15). We may need to confirm your identity before acting on a request.
11. Children
The Services are not directed to children under 13, and our Terms require users to be at least 13 (or the age of majority where required). We don’t knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.
12. Security
We use reasonable measures to protect your information. No method of storing or sending data online is completely secure, so we can’t guarantee absolute security.
13. International users
We and our service providers may process information in the United States and other countries, where data protection laws may differ from those where you live.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we’ll post the new version on this page with a new effective date. If the changes are significant, we’ll make reasonable efforts to let you know.
15. Contact us
For privacy questions or requests to access, correct, or delete your information, please use our Contact page.
You can also email us at privacy@motionnews.studio. For anything else, write to hello@motionnews.studio.
See also our Terms of Service.
