Privacy Policy
Effective 6 November 2026
The short version
- This website sets no cookies, runs no analytics, and has no tracking pixels or advertising of any kind.
- The contact form doesn't send anything to us or to anyone else. It opens a message in your own email app, and we only ever see what you choose to press send on.
- We never sell, rent, or share what you tell us. There is one exception, and it is written in full below: if we believe someone's life is in immediate danger.
- You can ask us to delete everything we hold about you, at any time, and we will.
The Helping Sun is operated by Ian Sun in Santa Cruz County, California. In this policy, "we" and "I" both mean Ian, who is the only person who reads what you send.
What this website collects
Nothing, automatically, beyond ordinary server logs
The site is hosted on Cloudflare, which keeps standard request logs — IP address, time, and browser type — as part of serving and protecting the page. We don't read these and can't connect them to a person.
No cookies, no analytics, no tracking
We don't set cookies. We don't use Google Analytics or any other analytics product. There are no advertising or social media tracking pixels. We cannot see who has visited, how long they stayed, or what they read, and we've built it that way deliberately.
One third-party request: fonts
The page loads its typefaces from Google Fonts, which means your browser makes a request to Google and Google receives your IP address. We get nothing from this and it sets no cookies, but we'd rather tell you than let you assume otherwise.
The contact form
This is worth being precise about. The "Reach out" form does not transmit anything to us or to any form-processing service. When you press the button, your browser assembles what you typed into a message and hands it to your own email app. Nothing leaves your device until you press send in your own email program. If you close it instead, no copy exists anywhere.
What we collect when you contact us
- Email you send us. Whatever you write, plus your email address and anything your email program includes. This is stored in our mailbox, which is hosted by Zoho.
- Newsletter sign-ups. If you subscribe to Golden Hour, we hold your email address and whether you've opened or clicked, through our newsletter provider. You can unsubscribe from any issue.
- Notes from conversations. If we're in regular contact, Ian may keep brief notes — what you're working on, when you last spoke, when to check in. These exist so you never have to start from zero. You can ask to see them or have them deleted.
Who else sees it
Nobody. We don't sell it, rent it, trade it, or share it with advertisers, data brokers, or anyone else. Ian is the only person who reads your messages.
A small number of companies process data on our behalf in order for any of this to work: Cloudflare hosts the site, Zoho hosts the email, and a newsletter provider sends Golden Hour. They are bound by their own agreements and don't use your information for their own purposes.
The one exception. If we genuinely believe you or someone else is in immediate danger of dying, we may contact emergency services or a crisis line and give them what they need to help — including your name, contact details, and what you've told us.
We will not promise you secrecy we can't keep. We would rather you know this now than discover it at the worst possible moment. If you'd prefer to talk to someone with no such limit, that's what 988 is for, and we'll never think less of you for using it.
This is not medical confidentiality
The Helping Sun is peer support. We are not a healthcare provider, not a covered entity under HIPAA, and not bound by clinical confidentiality rules. We treat what you tell us as carefully as we know how, but please don't assume the legal protections that apply to a doctor or therapist apply here. They don't.
How it's kept
- Two-factor authentication on every account that touches your information.
- Notes are kept in one encrypted place, not scattered across devices.
- We never screenshot a message. Not for a post, not for a friend, not ever.
- We never share your story publicly — even anonymised — without asking you in writing first, and we ask again before publishing.
How long
Email and notes are kept while we're in contact and for a reasonable period after, in case you come back. Newsletter subscriptions last until you unsubscribe. Ask us to delete something and we'll delete it, usually the same week.
Your rights
You can ask us what we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. California residents have these rights under the CCPA and we extend them to everyone regardless of where you live. We don't sell personal information, so there's nothing to opt out of.
Email hello@thehelpingsun.com and we'll respond within 30 days, usually much sooner.
Adults only
This service is for people 18 and over. We don't knowingly collect information from children. If you're under 18 and struggling, please talk to a school counsellor, a trusted adult, or call or text 988 — they can help you and we can't.
Changes
If we change this policy we'll update the date at the top. If the change is significant and we have your email, we'll tell you directly rather than quietly editing the page.
Contact
Questions about any of this: hello@thehelpingsun.com