Last Updated: July 22, 2025
At The Verdict, we are committed to safeguarding your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains in detail how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you visit our website, engage with our content, leave comments, or subscribe to our services.
Personal Information We Collect
The Verdict, or where relevant a designated service provider, collects personal information that you choose to provide or that we receive from other sources. This may include, for example, personal information you provide through this Site, through registering for our products or services (such as newsletters or updates), by requesting certain The Verdict resources, by submitting information to enter a sweepstakes, contest, or other promotion, or when completing a survey or poll.
We, and designated service providers, may obtain the following types of personal information in connection with this Site:
- Your name, phone number, email address, work address, or other contact information
- Signature, online identifier, Internet Protocol address, or other similar identifiers
- Account login credentials (i.e. usernames & passwords), user content, usage information, browsing history, search history, and preferences
- Professional, industry, education, and employment related information (i.e. job title, professional background, etc.)
- Demographic information
- Audio and video recordings or similar information with your consent
- Internet or other electronic network activity information, including, but not limited to, browsing history, search history, preferences, and information regarding a user’s interaction (including reading habits) with an Internet website, application, advertisement
- Inferences drawn from the personal information identified above to create a profile about a consumer reflecting the consumer’s preferences and behavior
If you do not provide certain personal information, some functionality on this Site may not be available.
Personal information is obtained directly from you, from others authorized to provide the information (such as an employer or educational institution, if applicable), from your activity on this Site, and from other parties with whom we work, such as service providers, business partners, advertisers, advertising technology providers, advertising servers, data analytics providers, and social networks.
Do not provide information about others unless you are authorized to do so, and you and those persons agree to have all information used, disclosed, and transferred in accordance with this Privacy Policy. By submitting information about others, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to do so and that you have received authorization from the person about whom you are providing the information, and that person has consented to have all information used, disclosed, and transferred in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
How We Collect and Use Your Personal Information
The Verdict uses the information we collect for carefully considered business purposes that benefit our readers and support the operation of our platform. These purposes include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Providing and Facilitating Services: To deliver and maintain our website, newsletters, and other resources.
- Operating Systems Properly: To ensure our site and related systems function as intended.
- Improving and Developing Content: To refine, upgrade, and expand our legal analysis, commentary, and resources.
- Communicating With You: To respond to inquiries, send updates, and deliver requested information.
- Providing Support: To address technical issues or assist with any services you engage with.
- Maintaining Quality and Security: For internal quality control, debugging errors, and ensuring the security and proper functionality of our site.
- Sending Relevant Updates and Promotions: To share updates or offers about The Verdict’s content, resources, or services that may be of interest.
- Audience Insights and Targeting (Future Use): To create audience profiles, “lookalike audiences,” or “matched audiences” for targeted outreach on social platforms.
- Enhancing User Experience: To save your preferences, store login information, create hashed identifiers to help us recognize returning visitors, and provide customized or contextual content.
- Analyzing Site Usage: To measure traffic, engagement, ad impressions, and track trends (e.g., pages visited, time spent, or functions used).
- Research and Reporting: To develop data analysis for research, audits, reporting, and other operational purposes.
- Protecting Rights and Security: To protect the rights, property, and safety of The Verdict, our readers, or others; to monitor and enforce compliance with any agreements or policies.
- Preventing Fraud and Illegal Activity: To detect security incidents, prevent malicious, deceptive, or fraudulent activities, and hold those responsible accountable.
You may instruct The Verdict at any time not to use your personal information for promotional purposes by contacting us at [email protected]. Please note that even if you opt out of promotional communications, you will continue to receive essential messages related to your account, requested services, or inquiries. The opt-out process may take some time to complete, consistent with applicable law.
To better serve you, information we collect through this Site — including your interactions with The Verdict — may be aggregated, analyzed, or enhanced with additional information we receive from other lawful sources.
Use of Cookies and Other Electronic Technologies
The Verdict and the parties with whom we work (e.g., designated service providers, business partners, advertisers, ad technology providers, and advertising servers) may place, view and/or use “cookies,” web server logs, web beacons, or other electronic technologies to collect statistical and other information about you and your use of this Site. A cookie is a small text file placed on your computer, which most browsers are set to accept by default. The information collected via these technologies may include your IP address, browser type, language, operating system, your mobile device, device ID, computer platform, and the state or country from which you accessed this Site’s services, the web pages visited, the date and the time of your visit, the web sites you visited immediately before and after visiting this Site, the number of links you click within this Site, the functions you use on this Site, the databases you view and the searches you request on this Site, the data you save on or download from this Site, and the number of times you view an advertisement.
The Verdict and the parties with whom we work may use the information collected for various reasons, either on behalf of The Verdict or for the other parties’ own purposes, including research, analysis, to better service visitors to the Site (such as by enabling log-in, providing access to certain sections of this Site, providing customized content, or customized contextual advertisements, or presenting online advertising on this Site or other websites tailored to your interests as described further below), to compile aggregate and anonymous information about usage on this Site and other websites, other statistics, etc. However, if you have deleted or disabled cookies, these uses will not be possible, to the extent they are based on cookie information.
To assist us with the uses described in this Privacy Policy, information collected about you and your use of this Site or other websites may be aggregated, analyzed or combined with personal or other information about you from other online or offline sources. If you prefer that we not combine non-personal information that has been collected, through cookies, about your use of this Site or other websites with personal or other information about you, then please delete and disable cookies for each browser, on each computer you use to surf the Web.
Most browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually set your browser to disable cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. You need to set each browser, on each device you use to surf the Web. Thus, if you use multiple browsers (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.), you should repeat this procedure with each one. Similarly, if you connect to the Web from multiple devices (e.g., work and home), you need to set each browser on each device. Depending on your jurisdiction, you may be able to utilize additional cookie management tools. However, if you disable certain cookies or refuse to accept a request to place a cookie, it is possible that some parts of this Site, such as the polls, surveys, contests, and product sales, and certain areas of this Site for which you need to log in, will not function properly, and the advertising you receive when you visit this Site may not be advertisements tailored to your interests.
Advertisements
The Verdict and the parties with whom we work may also place or recognize unique cookies on your computer or use other electronic technologies in order to help display advertisements that you see on this Site or on other websites. Information about your visits to, and activity on, this Site and other websites, your IP address, the number of times you have viewed an advertisement, your interests and preferences, and other such usage information is used, alone or in combination with other information, to (i) display on your device screen advertisements that may be of particular interest to you and (ii) create aggregate groups of users and display advertisements that may be of particular interest to you or a group of users with similar interests to you.
We may use web beacons, provided by third-party advertising companies, to help manage and optimize our online advertising and performance. Web beacons enable us to recognize a browser’s cookie when a browser visits this Site and to learn which banner ads bring users to this Site. The use and collection of your information by these service providers or third-party advertisers and their advertising servers is not covered by this Privacy Policy.
To opt-out of advertising cookies placed by the Network Advertising Initiative’s (“NAI”) members, and thereby limit the tracking of your online activity and targeted advertising, please click here. To opt-out of advertising cookies for Your Online Choices if you are based in the EU, please click here. To opt-out of Google Ads, please click here.
In addition, as stated above, The Verdict may use your personal information to enhance your experience on our Site and other sites. In order to accomplish this, we may share information about you along with a hashed version of your email address or phone number with third-party advertising companies so that they and we can facilitate customized ad campaigns and other offers on our Site and on other platforms. “Hashing” transforms your email into an unrecognizable series of numbers and letters (e.g., a “hashed” version of [email protected] would be [email protected]). You may opt out by clicking here and also by adjusting the settings under “Advertising” within The Verdict’s Cookie Preference Manager.
Some third-party websites and platforms also allow you to manage the collection and use of your information for advertising purposes. Google Ad Manager, Google Analytics for Display Advertising, and other designated service providers assist The Verdict with advertisement display functions and related analytics for this Site. To opt out of tailored advertising from Google tracking technologies, please click here.
Note that even if you exercise choice for targeted advertising, you will still receive online advertising, but the advertisements will be more general in nature. You may still continue to see targeted advertising if you do not opt out via the designated methods.
Disclosure of Your Personal Information
The Verdict may disclose the personal information described above with our affiliates (including affiliated websites and other products under common ownership or control) and our designated service providers, including for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, including to the party who authorized your use of this Site, such as your employer or educational institution. The Verdict may also disclose to third parties, including advertising networks, data analytics providers, and social networks, your use of our or other websites, including online identifiers, IP address, and Internet or other electronic network activity information, and the services provided by us for the business purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. The Verdict may also disclose to other third parties, including other users of this Site, information about your use of this Site and on this Site or other websites, but only in an aggregated and unattributed manner.
The Verdict may also disclose your personal information to unaffiliated third parties if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to:
(a) comply with any applicable law, rule, or regulation or in response to a subpoena, court order, or other legal process;
(b) protect the interests, rights, safety, or property of The Verdict or others;
(c) monitor compliance with and enforce any terms of service on this Site;
(d) provide our services and products (including allowing a purchaser of The Verdict to continue to serve you);
(e) perform other activities related to such services and products, including billing and collection;
(f) provide you with offers or promotions from The Verdict; or
(g) operate the systems that provide our services and products properly.
In such an event, The Verdict will use reasonable efforts to do the following:
- Give the User reasonably prompt written notice of such requirement so that the User has an opportunity to comment thereon or object thereto and to preserve the confidential nature of the customer information and personal information that The Verdict is required to disclose.
- At the User’s expense, use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with any of the User’s efforts to preserve the confidential nature of the customer information and personal information that The Verdict is required to disclose.
Please note, use and disclosure of personal information about former customers is governed by this Privacy Policy in the same manner as current customers. However, after the relationship ends, we may use such customer personal information less and less over time. Any personal information contained in Dockets will be treated consistent with the terms of this Privacy Policy.
If you participate in certain features of this Site (e.g., sharing news stories of interest), please note that any information you or others voluntarily disclose through use of these features becomes available to the public and/or others whom you have designated. If you choose to provide access to designated individuals, please be aware that any information you post will be visible to such individuals for their use. The Verdict is not responsible for the information that you or others choose to disclose publicly on this Site, and neither The Verdict’s nor others’ use of such information is subject to this Privacy Policy.
The collection, further use, and/or disclosure of your information by third-party providers or by other third parties is not the responsibility of The Verdict. Rather, such collection, use, and/or disclosure is governed by the third parties’ privacy policies.
Accuracy, Security, and Retention of Your Personal Information
Any of your personal information collected by The Verdict through this Site is kept on secure servers. The Verdict uses security measures appropriate to the provision of the relevant product or service, such as reasonable administrative, technical, personnel, and physical measures:
(a) designed to safeguard personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized use, disclosure, or modification; and
(b) to ensure the integrity of the personal information.
To help us protect your privacy, you should maintain the secrecy of your username and password you set up in connection with your participation in this Site’s services, if any. Personal information is retained for as long as is necessary for the purpose(s) described in this Privacy Policy, including legitimate business reasons, and/or as may be permitted under applicable law. To determine the appropriate retention period, we will generally consider the following criteria: the length of time needed to achieve the purpose for which your information was collected; whether you ceased using our services or products; the existence of any relevant legal proceedings; or applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Public Records
Certain databases available to registered users of this Site may contain personal information received from third-party data suppliers. This personal information is contained in public records, publicly available information, and non-public information (collectively, “public records information”). Your use of this information is restricted to specific, legitimate purposes, and such information may not be used to violate any applicable laws, rules, or regulations.
Rights with Respect to Your Personal Information
Depending on the jurisdiction, you may have the following rights with respect to your personal information:
- To access and request certain information about the processing of your personal information
- To obtain a portable copy of your personal information
- To correct personal information
- To delete personal information
- To restrict processing of certain personal information
- To object to the processing of personal information
- To withdraw consent, where this was the lawful reason for processing
- To lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority
Please bear in mind that if you exercise such rights, this may affect our ability to provide our products and services.
For inquiries about your personal information, please contact us by emailing us at [email protected]. While The Verdict will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your request, we also reserve the right to impose certain restrictions and requirements on such requests, if allowed or required by applicable laws. In the event that we cannot take action with respect to a request relating to your personal information, in certain jurisdictions, you may have the right to appeal that decision by emailing us at [email protected].
Please note that it may take some time to process your request, consistent with applicable law.
If you choose to exercise these rights, we ask you to provide sufficient information, including the products and services you have used in the past, your state and country of residence, and contact information, in order for us to verify your identity and process your request. Depending on the types of requests, additional information may be requested.
You may use an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf related to your personal information. If you choose to use an authorized agent, you should supply your agent with written permission to act on your behalf in relation to your request, and your agent must provide us with proof of such authorization before we process your request.
If you wish to access, correct, delete, or restrict use of your personal information contained in public records information, you will need to contact the third-party supplier of the information directly. If you have any questions regarding public records information on this Site, please contact us at [email protected] and include the name of the relevant website or product in the subject line of your inquiry.
California & Virginia
If you are a California or Virginia resident, the information below applies to you and supplements the information provided above.
Certain information collected on this Site, including your log-in and password, may constitute “sensitive personal information” as that term is defined by California or Virginia privacy law. However, The Verdict only uses such information to provide our services and products or as otherwise permitted under California and Virginia privacy law.
We do not “Sell” your personal information in exchange for money. However, we may “Share” your personal information for cross-contextual behavioral and/or targeted advertising on certain parts of the Site. You may adjust your preferences at any time by using the designated mechanisms within The Verdict’s digital properties described above or by selecting the “Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information” option in the provided form.
If you choose to exercise the rights set out in this Privacy Policy, you also have the right to not receive discriminatory treatment for exercising these rights.
Where recognized, we treat global privacy control signals as a request to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. Additionally, certain browser plug-ins provide options for communicating opt-out preference signals, such as global privacy control.
California and Virginia privacy law permits you to request information regarding the disclosure of your personal information by The Verdict to its affiliates and/or third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send an email with your first name, last name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number to [email protected]. Please include “Privacy Rights” in the subject line of your email.
The Site is not directed at children under the age of 16, nor do we have actual knowledge that we “sell” or “share” the personal information of children under the age of 16. If you have knowledge that a child under the age of 16 has submitted personal information to us, we request that you contact us via one of the methods listed above so that we may delete the information.
Transfer of Your Personal Information to Other Countries
Some of the uses and disclosures mentioned in this Privacy Policy may involve the transfer and processing of your personal information to and in various countries that may have different levels of privacy protection than your country. By using our products and services, you consent to such transfers and processing, including to and in the United States. We implement appropriate safeguards to protect such personal information, which may include (without limitation) European Commission–approved Standard Contractual Clauses to protect your personal information that is transferred. The Verdict’s internal data protection and security practices ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect personal information.
Links to Third-Party Websites
The Verdict may provide links to third-party websites. Since we do not control third-party sites and are not responsible for any information you may provide while on such sites, we encourage you to read the privacy policies on those websites before providing any of your information.
Questions Regarding This Privacy Policy
If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at [email protected]. Please include “Privacy” in the subject line of your inquiry, as well as the name of the relevant page or product in the body of your message. If you have complaints about The Verdict’s processing of your personal information, you may have the right to contact the applicable supervisory authority.
Modifications to This Privacy Policy
The Verdict reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time by posting revisions on this page, which will be indicated via the “Last Updated” date at the bottom of the Privacy Policy. Such changes will be effective upon posting.
Intra-Group Personal Data Protection Statement
The Verdict is committed to compliance with its privacy obligations in the United States and throughout the world. This Intra-Group Personal Data Protection Statement (“Statement”) sets out information about our personal information protection, security, and transfer practices and explains how those practices ensure there are appropriate safeguards in place to protect the personal information we transfer.
The Verdict has implemented robust processes and controls designed to ensure that personal information continues to be protected to the standards required by applicable data protection law if and when transferred cross-border, including personal information originating in the European Union (“EU”) or the United Kingdom (“UK”). For example, the relevant The Verdict entities have entered into an Intra-Group Personal Data Protection Agreement (“IGA”) to ensure that personal information transferred cross-border is subject to appropriate safeguards.
The IGA incorporates unchanged EU Commission Standard Contractual Clauses (“SCCs”), which include specific obligations and rights around transfers of personal information, designed to ensure compliance with applicable data protection laws. The IGA also contains amendments required by applicable data protection law to extend their application to transfers of personal information from non-EU jurisdictions, where relevant. Specifically, the IGA clearly identifies the The Verdict entity responsible for the transfer of personal information, including The Verdict entities in the EU or UK acting as data exporters, and the The Verdict entity acting as a data importer.
The IGA includes the safeguards we use to ensure the continued protection of personal information, including after it has been transferred cross-border. These include:
- Governance: We maintain a robust personal information governance program. We regularly review and update our governance framework, including roles and responsibilities of personnel.
- Accountability and Recordkeeping: We maintain a personal data map inventory, including documenting flows of personal information within The Verdict’s systems and disclosures to third-party systems.
- Security: We invest in and maintain organizational, technical, and physical safeguards intended to ensure the protection of personal information. We engage in ongoing monitoring and testing of the efficacy of these safeguards. Our data centers are dedicated solely to our products, services, and operations, and have secure and monitored access controls.
- Administrative Controls: We regularly review and update our policies, procedures, and controls to address our data protection obligations. We conduct company-wide privacy training, data protection executive education, and tailored training programs for data protection compliance
In addition, with respect to products and services where The Verdict acts as a data processor to our customers, we make available to our customers additional data processing terms, including SCCs.
Contact Information
Questions or comments regarding this Statement should be submitted to [email protected].
This Statement may be amended from time to time, consistent with the requirements of applicable law, and will be effective immediately.