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Privacy & Terms

These documents govern your use of The Modern Forum and explain how we handle your information. Last reviewed July 2026.

Last updated: July 1, 2026

Short version: We collect only what we need to run the site. We do not sell your data. We use Google Firebase to store submissions and comments. We may display ads in the future and will update this policy before doing so.

Who We Are

The Modern Forum is an independent, youth-led political magazine based in New York City. We publish political commentary, economic analysis, and social critique written by contributors aged 13–25. Our contact email is themodernforum0@gmail.com.

Information We Collect

Information you give us

  • Article submissions — your name, email address, grade level, article title, category, tags, and the text of your submission
  • Comments — your name and the text of your comment
  • Newsletter sign-ups — your email address
  • Sign-in information — if you sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address from Google

Information collected automatically

  • Basic usage data collected by Google Firebase (page loads, geographic region)
  • Google Analytics data if you have not opted out via your browser settings
  • Standard server logs including IP address and browser type

How We Use Your Information

  • To review and publish submitted articles
  • To respond to submission inquiries via email
  • To display your name alongside published articles and comments
  • To send newsletter emails if you subscribed
  • To improve the site through aggregated analytics

We do not use your information for automated decision-making, profiling, or targeted advertising at this time. If we introduce advertising in the future, we will update this policy and notify users in advance.

How We Store Your Information

Your data is stored securely in Google Firebase Firestore, hosted on Google Cloud infrastructure. Firebase is compliant with SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other security standards. Data is stored in the United States.

We retain submission data for as long as the article remains published, or for up to 2 years for rejected submissions. You may request deletion at any time by emailing us.

Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share data only with:

  • Google Firebase — our database and hosting provider
  • Google Analytics — aggregated, anonymized usage statistics
  • Our newsletter provider — only your email address if you subscribed

We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our organization or users.

Children's Privacy

The Modern Forum welcomes contributors aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has submitted information to us, please contact us immediately at themodernforum0@gmail.com and we will delete it promptly.

Contributors aged 13–17 should obtain parental or guardian consent before submitting articles or personal information.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate information
  • Request deletion of your information
  • Withdraw consent for newsletter emails at any time by unsubscribing
  • Request removal of a published article or comment

To exercise any of these rights, email us at themodernforum0@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Cookies

We do not use tracking cookies. Google Firebase and Google Analytics may set functional cookies necessary for authentication and analytics. You can disable these in your browser settings or via Google's opt-out tools.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the site grows, particularly before introducing any advertising. We will post the updated policy on this page with a new effective date. For significant changes, we will notify active contributors by email.

Last updated: July 1, 2026

Short version: Use the site in good faith. Don't submit content that isn't yours. Don't harass anyone. We reserve the right to remove content that violates these terms.

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using The Modern Forum website at the-modern-forum-8b9b2.web.app and any associated domains, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

These terms apply to all visitors, readers, commenters, and contributors. We reserve the right to update these terms at any time.

Use of the Site

You may use The Modern Forum for personal, non-commercial reading and engagement. You agree not to:

  • Use the site for any unlawful purpose
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the site or its backend systems
  • Scrape, copy, or redistribute our content without written permission
  • Submit spam, automated requests, or abuse the submission or comment systems
  • Impersonate any person, organization, or The Modern Forum itself
  • Post content that is defamatory, harassing, hateful, or incites violence

User-Generated Content

Comments posted on The Modern Forum represent the views of individual users and not those of The Modern Forum organization. We reserve the right to remove any comment that violates these terms or our community standards without notice.

By posting a comment, you confirm that your comment is your own original expression and does not infringe on any third party's rights.

Intellectual Property

All original site design, branding, and editorial content produced by The Modern Forum is the property of The Modern Forum organization and may not be reproduced without written permission.

Published articles remain the intellectual property of their respective authors. By submitting an article, authors grant The Modern Forum a non-exclusive license to publish, display, and lightly edit their work on this platform. Authors may request removal of their published work at any time.

Disclaimer of Warranties

The Modern Forum is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any content published on the site. Published articles represent the opinions of their authors and not the official positions of The Modern Forum organization.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, The Modern Forum and its editors, contributors, and operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the site or reliance on any content published here.

Governing Law

These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of the State of New York, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of New York County, New York.

Contact

For questions about these terms, contact us at themodernforum0@gmail.com.

Last updated: July 1, 2026

Short version: Your work stays yours. By submitting, you give us the right to publish and lightly edit it. You confirm it's original and not AI-generated. You can ask us to remove it at any time.

Originality & Authorship

By submitting an article to The Modern Forum, you confirm that:

  • The work is entirely your own original writing
  • It has not been published elsewhere, in print or online
  • It does not infringe on any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights
  • It was not generated or substantially assisted by artificial intelligence tools
  • All factual claims are accurate to the best of your knowledge and supported by cited sources

License to Publish

By submitting your article, you grant The Modern Forum a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to:

  • Publish your article on The Modern Forum website
  • Display your name as the author
  • Make light editorial edits for clarity, grammar, and style without altering your core argument
  • Promote the article on The Modern Forum's social media channels

You retain full ownership of your work and may publish it elsewhere after it appears on The Modern Forum, provided you credit The Modern Forum as the original publisher.

Editorial Standards

All submissions are subject to editorial review. Submission does not guarantee publication. Our editors may:

  • Accept your article as submitted
  • Request revisions before publication
  • Decline to publish without detailed explanation
  • Remove a published article if it is found to violate these terms after publication

Content Standards

Submitted articles must not contain:

  • Defamatory statements about real individuals or organizations
  • Content that incites violence or hatred against any group
  • Personal attacks on private individuals
  • Plagiarized or AI-generated content
  • Unsupported factual claims presented as established fact

Opinion and advocacy are welcome across the full political spectrum. We do not require political neutrality but do require intellectual honesty and civil discourse.

Removal Requests

You may request removal of your published article at any time by emailing themodernforum0@gmail.com. We will process removal requests within 7 days. Note that once published, your article may have been indexed by search engines or shared by readers, which is outside our control.

Age Requirements

The Modern Forum accepts submissions from writers aged 13–25. Contributors under 18 should obtain parental or guardian consent before submitting. By submitting, contributors under 18 confirm they have obtained such consent.

Questions

Editorial inquiries

themodernforum0@gmail.com

Response time

Within 14 days of submission

Organization

The Modern Forum

Location

New York City, New York, USA

© 2026 The Modern Forum. All rights reserved.

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