BLNT PRIVACY POLICY

Empress Empire LLC presents BLNT News & Media

1. OVERVIEW

This Privacy Policy explains how Empress Empire LLC, presenting BLNT News & Media, may collect, use, disclose, and retain information through BLNT websites, account portals, applications, forms, events, business relationships, and related services.

2. INFORMATION WE MAY COLLECT

Account information such as first name, email address, account creation date, login activity, and account status; TEAM BLNT applicant/member information such as contact details, professional information, portfolios, application responses, assignments, messages, and onboarding records; advertiser and business-partner information; distribution-location records; event/submission information; and technical information generated by hosting, authentication, security, analytics, or communications providers.

3. IDENTITY / AGE VERIFICATION

Government-issued identification is requested only after conditional approval when needed for TEAM BLNT identity or age verification. ID images must be stored privately with access restricted to authorized verification personnel. After human verification, the image should be queued for deletion and final TEAM BLNT activation should not occur until deletion is confirmed. BLNT intends to retain only the verification result, verification date, authorized verifier identifier, general document type, and deletion confirmation—not the ID image, document number, barcode data, home address, unnecessary DOB data, OCR output, copies, or thumbnails after verification.

4. HOW INFORMATION MAY BE USED

BLNT may use information to operate and secure accounts; process applications, onboarding, assignments, editorial workflows, events, distribution, advertising, payments, agreements, and support; communicate about services and records; prevent abuse and investigate security issues; comply with legal obligations; and improve operations and user experience.

5. WHEN INFORMATION MAY BE SHARED

Information may be shared with service providers supporting hosting, authentication, storage, email, payments, analytics, document signing, security, or other operations; with professional advisers or authorities when reasonably necessary; or in connection with a business reorganization or transfer. BLNT does not intend to sell private account contact information as a standalone data product.

6. PUBLIC INFORMATION

Information intentionally submitted for public display—such as approved directory listings, public contributor profiles, event listings, bylines, credits, or public business information—may be visible to anyone and may be indexed or shared outside BLNT.

7. COOKIES / ANALYTICS

BLNT may use cookies, local storage, analytics, authentication tokens, or similar technologies needed for login, security, preferences, performance, measurement, and site functionality.

8. DATA RETENTION

BLNT retains information for as long as reasonably needed for the purpose collected, account operation, publication archives, contractual records, payment/accounting records, dispute resolution, security, and legal obligations. Retention periods may differ by record type.

9. SECURITY

BLNT uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate to the information and service. No online system can guarantee absolute security.

10. ACCOUNT CHOICES / REQUESTS

Users may be able to update certain account information through their portal. Privacy, correction, access, or deletion requests may be sent to BLNT. Some records may need to be retained for legal, security, financial, contractual, archival, or publication-integrity reasons.

11. CHILDREN

BLNT account and TEAM BLNT systems are not designed to knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. TEAM BLNT applicants must be at least 18, and cannabis-related applicant/assignment paths may require age 21+. Event or editorial coverage involving minors may be governed by separate releases and editorial practices.

12. U.S. OPERATIONS

BLNT currently operates as a U.S.-based publication and may use service providers that process information in the United States or other jurisdictions where they operate.

13. CHANGES

BLNT may update this Privacy Policy as systems, providers, or legal requirements change. Material revisions should receive a new effective date or version.

14. CONTACT

Privacy questions or requests: info@blntnews.com. Mailing address: 332 S Michigan Suite 121 #5522, Chicago, IL 60604.