Last updated August 5th, 2026
This policy covers FilmsForAction.org and the Films For Action apps for iOS and Android. Both are the same service and the same account — the apps are a way to browse and watch the library we host on the website. Where something applies only to the apps, it is called out below under “The Films For Action apps.”
What information do we collect?
We collect information from you when you register on our site, subscribe to our newsletter, make a donation, pay for a film, become a patron subscriber, rate site content, save content for later, or edit your profile information.
When registering on our site, you will be asked to enter your e-mail address. You may also sign up or log in using a third-party account (such as Google, Patreon or Facebook). In that case, we receive your name and email address from the provider.
After registering, users can update their user name and profile picture via their Settings.
If you are adding content to our library, we encourage using your real name because we believe this builds trust and reduces many of the problems associated with anonymity on the web. That said, we understand the necessity and value of maintaining anonymity in some cases (such as publishing videos or articles on topics that might jeopardize a person's job, safety, or freedom in countries where speaking out isn't safe). In these situations, we encourage you to use an anonymous user name at your discretion.
We also log your IP address and country when you use the site. This information is used solely to help fight spam and is not shared with third parties.
When you watch videos on our site, we track which videos are viewed and how long they are watched. This data is used to calculate view counts, measure engagement, and determine creator payments for SVOD titles.
Profile Content & Privacy
Your profile displays your name, profile picture, and any content you've added or rated.
Your user profile is not indexed by search engines and is generally not visible to other users unless you submit content to the site. When you add a video or article, other users can click the info icon on that content to see who added it and view your profile, including any other content you've submitted or rated.
Your account will not appear in site search results unless you have gained enough site reputation, based on submitting content that is rated positively by us or other users.
Our site is 100% ad-free
This means we do not use any cookies normally used for displaying customized, personal ads.
What do we use your information for?
The information we collect from you may be used in the following ways:
- To personalize your experience. Your information helps us and other members understand where you are coming from and helps you connect with others on the site who have similar interests.
- To improve our website. We continually strive to improve our website's features based on the information and feedback we receive from you.
- To process donations or payments for our pay-per-view films or Patron Films.
- To track video viewing. We record which videos are watched and for how long. This is used to display view counts, measure engagement, and calculate creator payments for SVOD titles.
- To prevent spam and abuse. We use IP address and country data to help identify and block spam accounts and malicious activity.
- To send periodic emails. The email address you provide for registering or subscribing to our newsletter will only be used to send you information and updates pertaining to Films For Action, website changes or additions, and strategic campaign updates. We will only email you when we think it's important.
Your information, whether public or private, will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason whatsoever, without your consent, other than for the express purpose of processing your donation or payment for a film.
How do we protect your information?
We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you make a donation, payment, or enter, submit, or access your personal profile information.
We use a secure server. All sensitive information such as credit card details is transmitted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology and encrypted by our payment gateway provider. Only authorized personnel with special access rights can access these systems, and they are required to keep the information confidential.
After a transaction, your private information (credit cards and billing address) is not stored on our servers.
Do we use cookies?
Yes. Cookies are small files that a site transfers to your computer's hard drive through your web browser that enable the site to recognize your browser and remember certain information.
We use cookies for the following purposes:
- To keep you logged in during your session (session cookie)
- To save your preferences for future visits
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. Google Analytics sets its own cookies and collects anonymized usage data such as pages visited, time on site, and general location. This data helps us improve the site. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
We do not use cookies for advertising. Our site is 100% ad-free and does not use any third-party advertising cookies.
Third-party services we use (such as Stripe for payment processing and EmailOctopus for our newsletter) may set their own cookies when you interact with those features. These are governed by their respective privacy policies.
Do we disclose any information to outside parties?
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. This does not include trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. These currently include:
- Stripe (payment processing)
- Amazon SES (newsletter delivery)
- Google Analytics (anonymized site usage data)
- Google, Patreon and Facebook (optional OAuth sign-in)
We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect the rights, property, or safety of Films For Action staff or members.
The Films For Action Apps
The apps use the same accounts, the same library, and the same servers as the website, so everything above applies to them. A few things work differently on a phone, and this section covers those.
You do not need an account to use the apps. Browsing, searching, and watching almost the entire library works without signing in. An account adds your saved list, ratings, patron films, and notifications.
Counting views when you are not signed in. When you watch a video in the app without an account, we create a random identifier and store it on your device, and we link the view with that identifier instead of a person. This is the same thing the website does with a cookie. Both exist to increment view counters and to better understand user engagement. The identifier is not linked to your name or email address, and we do not use it for advertising or share it with anyone.
Where you left off in a film is stored on your device only. It is never sent to us, which is also why it does not follow you to another phone or tablet.
Notifications. If you are signed in and you turn notifications on, we store a push token issued to the app by Apple or Google, linked to your account, along with which notifications you asked for. We use it to tell you about new patron films, a weekly summary of new documentaries, and when a film you rented is about to expire. Turn notifications off in the app or in your phone's settings, or sign out, and we delete the token. Delivery runs through Expo's push service and then through Apple's and Google's notification services.
Diagnostics. The apps report crashes and errors so we can fix them. These reports contain technical information about the failure and the device — not the contents of what you were watching or reading.
What the apps do not do. There is no advertising in the apps and no advertising identifier is used or collected. We do not track you across other companies' apps or websites, which is why the apps never ask for that permission. We do not access your contacts, photos, location, calendar, or microphone. We do not sell your data.
Payments do not happen in the apps. Memberships, rentals, and purchases are made on our website, where payment details go directly to Stripe. No payment information is entered into or stored by the apps.
Casting to a TV. When you send a film to a TV, your phone talks to the TV or streaming device directly over your own network. We do not learn what devices you own or what is on your network.
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance
We are in compliance with the requirements of COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act). We do not collect any information from anyone under 13 years of age. Our website and the information contained on it is directed to people who are at least 13 years old.
California Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance
We will not distribute your personal information to outside parties without your consent. All users of our site may make changes to their information at any time by logging into their account and going to the Settings page.
Deactivating or Deleting Your Account
You can deactivate your account at any time from your account settings on the website. The app links to the same page.
When you deactivate:
- Your profile is hidden from the site and is no longer reachable by anyone.
- Your name and profile picture are removed from anything you submitted. Videos and articles you added remain in the library, attributed to “Archived Member.”
- Your email address and account record are kept, so that signing in again restores your account, along with any membership, rental, or purchase attached to it.
If you want your account deleted rather than deactivated, you can do so from your account settings page. We will permanently remove your email address, your name, your profile picture and biography, your saved list and ratings, and your ability to sign in. This cannot be undone, and it will end any active membership and remove your access to any film you have rented or bought. Deleting your account will not automatically cancel an active subscription so please cancel first, via your account settings page.
What we keep after a deletion, and why:
- Records of payments — subscriptions, rentals and purchases. We are required to keep financial records for tax and accounting purposes.
- Videos and articles you contributed to the library, attributed to “Archived Member” and no longer connected to you. Films For Action is a shared library that other people use and link to; contributions stay, but they stop being yours.
- View records used to pay filmmakers, kept as anonymous counts with no connection to you. These determine what creators have already been paid and cannot be recalculated after the fact.
If you have any question about what we hold, feel free to contact us.
What This Policy Does Not Cover
This policy covers information collected through our website and our apps. It does not cover information collected offline, and it does not cover the practices of third parties.
Most films in our library are embedded from other services — YouTube, Vimeo, the Internet Archive and others. When you play one of those videos, on the website or in the app, the video is delivered by that provider, and that provider may collect its own data about the playback under its own privacy policy. We do not control this and we do not receive that data. The same applies to any link that takes you to another website.
Site Terms
Please visit our Site Terms, which establishes the use, disclaimers, and limitations of liability governing the use of our website.
Changes to our Privacy Policy
If we change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this page and update the date at the top.
Contacting Us
If there are any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this privacy policy, please contact us. We welcome any suggestions to further improve the privacy options for members of the site.