Privacy Policy — The PRISM Institute

Last updated: October 13, 2026

PRISM (“PRISM,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website atwww.theprisminstitute.org(the “Site”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using the Site, you agree to this policy.

1. Who we are

PRISM is an educational publication and digital institute that publishes essays and frameworks on truth, wisdom, perspective, health, family, economics, and civilization. Our Site is publicly available. Some features—such as newsletter subscription, account access, payments, or integrations with platforms like TikTok for our official account—may involve limited personal or account information.

2. Information we collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

Account and contact information. Email address and, if you create or link an account, related identity details needed to sign you in (for example via magic link).
Subscription and billing information. If you purchase or manage a membership or product, payment is processed by Stripe. We receive limited billing metadata (such as subscription status); we do not store full payment card numbers on our servers.
Newsletter information. Email address and subscription preferences when you subscribe to PRISM essays or updates (via the on-site account portal).
Social / TikTok information. When we connect to TikTok through the TikTok for Developers APIs, we may receive only the data permitted by the scopes we request and that an authorized TikTok account grants. For PRISM’s official TikTok presence (and any account an authorized operator connects), that may include:
- Basic identity (user.info.basic): open id, display name, and avatar;
- Profile data (user.info.profile): username, public profile web/deep links, bio description, and verification status;
- Public stats (user.info.stats): likes count, follower count, following count, and video count;
- Public videos (video.list): metadata and listings of public videos on that TikTok account.
- Direct publishing (video.publish): permission to publish a finished video that PRISM produced to PRISM’s official TikTok account through TikTok’s Content Posting API. The video is posted directly to that official account. We do not request video.upload (the draft-inbox scope) and we do not use this permission to post to other people’s personal accounts.
What we store from TikTok. After a successful Login Kit callback, we store the access token, refresh token, open ID, granted scopes, and token expiry in an httpOnly cookie in the operator’s browser. That cookie lasts until the access token expires or the operator disconnects. We do not write TikTok client secrets, access tokens, or refresh tokens into the source repository, and we do not store them in the content database. We do not store TikTok passwords. The authorization codeis exchanged once for a token and is not stored. We do not keep copies of video files retrieved from TikTok. Finished videos we publish are PRISM’s own media.
We use this information to sign in the official account, publish PRISM’s finished videos to that account, and review public profile, stats, and video listings. We do not access private messages, contacts, or non-public content. We only request scopes needed for these features.
Usage and technical data. Standard server and analytics data such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages viewed, and approximate location derived from IP. This may be collected through hosting, CDN, or analytics providers.
Communications. Content of messages you send us (for example support or privacy requests).

3. How we use information

We use information to:

Operate, maintain, and improve the Site and educational content;
Send newsletters and confirmations you request;
Authenticate accounts and manage entitlements or memberships;
Process payments and prevent fraud;
Operate TikTok integrations for our official presence—including Login Kit (user.info.basic) and publishing PRISM’s own finished videos to the official account with video.publish—plus reading authorized profile details, public account statistics, and public video listings, in accordance with TikTok’s terms and the scopes granted;
Respond to inquiries and enforce our Terms of Service;
Comply with law and protect the rights, safety, and integrity of PRISM and its users.

We do not sell your personal information.

4. How we share information

We may share information with:

Service providers who help us run the Site (for example hosting on Vercel, content/membership on this site, payments via Stripe, email delivery, and analytics). These providers process data on our instructions.
Social platforms when you connect or share through them (for example TikTok). Their use of data is governed by their own policies.
Legal and safety recipients when required by law, or to protect rights, safety, and security.
Business transfers if we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, subject to appropriate protections.

5. Cookies and similar technologies

We may use cookies, local storage, and similar technologies for session management, security, preferences, and analytics. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may limit Site features (for example staying signed in).

6. Data retention

We retain personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described above, unless a longer period is required by law. Newsletter and account data are retained until you unsubscribe, delete your account, or request deletion, subject to legal and operational needs (for example billing records).

7. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect personal information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to:

Access, correct, or delete personal information we hold about you;
Object to or restrict certain processing;
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
Unsubscribe from marketing emails (via the link in each email);
Revoke TikTok access at any time. Onthe TikTok integration page, Disconnect deletes the httpOnly session cookie. In the TikTok app or on tiktok.com, open Settings and privacy → Security and permissions → Manage app permissions and remove PRISM. You can also emailinfo@theprisminstitute.organd ask us to delete TikTok-derived data we hold for an authorized connection. Removing the app in TikTok stops new access even if a cookie is still present in a browser.

To exercise these rights, contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.

9. Children’s privacy

The Site is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. International users

The Site may be operated from the United States. If you access it from another country, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other locations where our providers operate. Those places may have different data-protection laws than your home country.

11. Third-party links and platforms

The Site may link to third-party sites or services (including TikTok, X, payment providers, and others). We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Review their policies before providing information to them.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy, except where applicable law requires additional consent.

13. Contact

For privacy questions or requests, contact us at: