Privacy Policy

Effective October 16, 2026

This policy explains how The Margin Read Publisher (the "Application") and this website handle information. Both are operated by JuniorSquared ("we", "us"). The Application is a private desktop application that the owner of The Margin Read YouTube channel runs on his own computer to publish videos to, and read performance figures for, that channel. It is not offered to the public. The only Google account that signs in to it is the account that owns The Margin Read channel.

1. Google and YouTube data the Application accesses

The Application uses the YouTube Data API and the YouTube Analytics API. During sign-in, the Application requests the following Google permissions (OAuth scopes). The youtube permission is broader than upload-only access because the Application must be able to manage scheduled publication and return scheduled videos to private status:

Permission	What the Application uses it for
`youtube` Manage your YouTube account	The Application uses this permission to upload finished videos, set or confirm a publication schedule, and cancel future publication by returning a scheduled video to private status. Uploaded videos include their title, description, category and applicable audience or synthetic-content declarations. Google grants this permission broader technical capabilities than the Application uses; the Application is intended to operate only the approved The Margin Read channel.
`youtube.readonly` View your YouTube account	Reads the signed-in channel's ID and title, to confirm it is the one approved channel before uploading. Reads the channel's recent uploads list, to recover from an interrupted upload without uploading a duplicate. Reads the privacy status, publish time, view count, like count and comment count of videos the Application uploaded.
`yt-analytics.readonly` View YouTube Analytics reports for your channel	Reads aggregate performance figures for each video the Application uploaded: views, engaged views, likes, comments, shares, subscribers gained, average view duration, average percentage viewed and estimated minutes watched.

2. What the Application does not use

It does not read the text of comments, and it does not receive the names, accounts or other personal information of viewers or subscribers. YouTube Analytics figures are aggregate totals.
It does not request revenue or monetization data.
It does not access Gmail, Google Drive, Contacts, Calendar or any Google service other than YouTube.
In the current implementation, it does not delete videos, start live streams, or change channel, Google account or security settings. It does update the visibility and schedule of videos as described in section 1.

3. How OAuth credentials are stored

Sign-in. The channel owner signs in through Google's own sign-in and consent page in a web browser. The Application never sees or stores the Google account password.
Tokens. After consent, Google issues an access token and a refresh token. The Application stores them in Windows Credential Manager on the operator's computer, under the operator's Windows user account. They are not written to the Application's project folder.
App configuration. The Application's OAuth client configuration file from Google Cloud is kept in the operator's Windows application-data folder on the same computer.
Use. The tokens are used only by the Application's scripts running on that computer, and are sent only to Google, to call Google's APIs. They are not sent to us, to any server we run, or to any other party.

4. Data kept on the operator's computer

The Application keeps these records as local files on the operator's computer:

an upload ledger: the YouTube video ID, title, topic, upload time, scheduled publish time and the upload status YouTube returned for each video it uploaded;
a metrics file containing the figures listed in section 1, recorded 24 hours, 72 hours and 7 days after each video is published, plus the latest snapshot;
activity and alert logs, which record what the Application did and when.

We do not operate a server or database for the Application, and no copy of these records is kept anywhere else by us.

5. How analytics are used

Performance figures are used only to run The Margin Read channel: to produce a weekly operating report for the channel owner and to decide which topics and formats to make next. They are not used for advertising, are not used to identify or profile viewers, and are not sold.

We do not sell, rent or trade Google or YouTube data, and we do not share it with advertisers or data brokers. Information leaves the operator's computer only in these cases:

Google and YouTube receive the videos, video details and API requests the Application sends in order to work.
Anthropic (Claude). The channel owner uses Anthropic's Claude AI assistant, on his behalf, to prepare videos and the weekly report. To do that, Claude reads the upload ledger, metrics file and logs described in section 4. OAuth tokens and the client configuration file are not part of what it reads. Anthropic handles that information under its own terms and privacy policy.
Legal requirements. We may disclose information if required by law.

7. Retention and deletion

OAuth tokens are kept until access is revoked or the operator removes them.
The upload ledger, metrics file and logs are kept on the operator's computer while the Application is used to run the channel.
If access is revoked through Google's security settings page, the channel operator will delete the YouTube API data stored by the Application within 30 days. If you ask us to delete that data, the channel operator will do so within 7 days. These deletion steps are handled manually by the channel operator; they are not currently automatic.
Deleting the Application's local records does not delete anything on YouTube. Videos and channel data on YouTube remain under the control of the channel owner and YouTube.

8. How to revoke access

Open your Google account's security settings page for third-party access: myaccount.google.com/connections (also reachable at security.google.com/settings/security/permissions).
Select The Margin Read Publisher and remove its access. From then on, the stored tokens no longer work and the Application cannot reach the YouTube account.
On the operator's computer, the stored token can also be removed from Windows Credential Manager (entry TheMarginRead), and the Application's local records can be deleted.

9. This website

This website is a set of static pages. It has no sign-in, forms or user accounts, sets no cookies, and uses no analytics, advertising or other third-party scripts. It is hosted by Netlify, which, like any web host, may process standard request information such as IP addresses and browser type in its server logs to deliver and secure the site, under Netlify's privacy policy. We do not use that information to identify visitors.

10. Google and YouTube policies

The Application uses the YouTube API Services. By using it, you are also subject to the YouTube Terms of Service. Google's handling of your data is described in the Google Privacy Policy.

11. Changes and contact

If the Application starts accessing different data or using it in a different way, we will update this policy and its effective date before that change takes effect.

Privacy questions, complaints or deletion requests: jreeves@juniorsquared.com