Privacy Policy
Bellwether (bellwether.market) is an independent editorial publication covering US prediction markets, operated by Kuutra Oy. This page explains what data is collected when you visit, why, who else sees it, and how to control it. We name every tool we use.
We do not use ad networks or retargeting pixels, and we do not sell or rent personal data.
Summary
- Analytics. We use Google Analytics 4 to count visits and see which pages and links are used. It sets first-party cookies. Visitors in the EEA, UK and Switzerland are asked for consent first; everyone else can opt out at any time through Cookie settings in the footer.
- Newsletter. If you subscribe, your email address is stored at Beehiiv, our newsletter platform.
- Live market data. Some pages load prices straight from Polymarket's public API in your browser, so Polymarket sees that request.
- Affiliate links. Links that start with
/go/send you to a partner with a referral code. See the affiliate disclosure. - Hosting. Our host keeps standard server logs to run and protect the site.
Analytics (Google Analytics 4)
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how the site is used: which pages are read, how people arrive (search, links, newsletter), how far they scroll, how long they read guides, and which outbound and /go/ links are clicked. These measurements are sent as anonymous events tied to a random identifier stored in first-party cookies (_ga and _ga_*).
Google Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses; it uses them briefly to derive approximate location (country and region) and then discards them. We do not send names, email addresses or other directly identifying information to Google Analytics, and we do not use Google Analytics for advertising.
Consent. For visitors in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, analytics cookies stay off until you accept them in the cookie banner (we use Google Consent Mode, so no analytics cookie is set before you choose). Visitors elsewhere can switch analytics off at any time with Cookie settings in the footer, or by using a content blocker or Google's opt-out browser add-on.
Analytics data is kept for the retention period set in our Google Analytics account and then deleted automatically.
Newsletter (Beehiiv)
If you subscribe to the Bellwether weekly roundup, we collect your email address and the time you signed up. It is stored at Beehiiv. We do not ask for your name or any other profile field. Every email has a one-click unsubscribe link, and you can ask us to delete your address at any time.
Live market data (Polymarket)
The midterm tracker, the odds widget and some guides show live prices. To keep them current, your browser requests data directly from Polymarket's public API (gamma-api.polymarket.com and clob.polymarket.com). Like any website you load content from, Polymarket receives your IP address and browser details with that request; its own privacy policy applies. The Market Watch panel on the homepage is fetched by our server instead, so it does not cause a request from your browser.
Affiliate links
When you click a link that starts with /go/, our server redirects you to the partner (for example Polymarket or KalshiSpy) with our referral code in the address, so the partner can credit the referral. We record the click as an analytics event (which link, on which page). We do not pass your email or any other personal data to partners. If you create an account with a partner, its own privacy policy governs that relationship. The affiliate disclosure lists every partner.
Hosting and security
The site is hosted by Hostinger. As with any web server, requests are logged (IP address, browser, requested page, time) to keep the site running and to block abuse. We do not use these logs for marketing. Fonts and scripts are served from our own domain, except the Google Analytics script.
Cookies and local storage
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga, _ga_* | Google Analytics (first-party cookie) | Distinguish visits for analytics | Up to 2 years |
bw_consent | Bellwether (local storage) | Remember your cookie choice | Until you clear it |
No advertising, social-media or cross-site tracking cookies are used.
Who else sees your data
- Google (analytics), as described above.
- Beehiiv (newsletter), only if you subscribe.
- Polymarket (live prices), on pages that show them.
- Affiliate partners, only after you click a
/go/link. - Hostinger (hosting), as part of serving the site.
We do not share data with advertising networks or data brokers.
Your rights
Wherever you live, you can ask us to tell you what we hold about you and to delete it. Email info@bellwether.market and we will respond within thirty days.
California residents (CCPA/CPRA): you have the right to know, delete and correct personal information, and to opt out of its sale or sharing. We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
EEA, UK and Swiss residents (GDPR): you have the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability and objection, and you can withdraw consent at any time through Cookie settings. Our legal basis is consent for analytics cookies and the newsletter, and legitimate interest for running and securing the site. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.
Children
Bellwether is for adults 18 or older, or 21 or older where state law requires it. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has subscribed, email info@bellwether.market and we will delete the record.
Changes
If we change what we collect or which services we use, we update this page and the date at the top.
Contact
Questions or requests: info@bellwether.market