Introduction
Welcome to my blog. Your privacy is critically important to me, and I am committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how I handle and protect your personal data when you visit my website.
This policy applies to all users of this website and services, and outlines my data processing practices and your rights regarding your personal information. This policy is in compliance with the United Kingdom’s Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
By using my website, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you disagree with the terms provided in this policy, please discontinue the use of this site immediately. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, or my practices with regards to your personal information, please contact me at .
Please read this privacy policy carefully as it will help you understand what I do with the information that I collect. This policy is a part of my Terms of Service, so by agreeing to the Terms, you’re also agreeing to this Policy. In case of any contradiction between the Terms of Service and this Privacy Policy, the Terms of Service shall prevail.
Information Collected
My primary goal in collecting information is to provide and improve my website, to administer your use of the website, and to enable you to enjoy and easily navigate this website.
Non-Personal Information
When you visit my blog, it automatically collects non-personally identifiable information from you. This may include the IP address from which you access my blog, the pages you visit, the type of browser software used, the referring website, and the date and time you access my blog. I use this information to monitor the usage of my blog and to improve the overall quality of my users’ online experience.
Personal Information
My blog allows you to post comments on articles. If you choose to do so, I will ask for your name and email address. Your name (or username, if you choose to use one) will be displayed publicly alongside your comment, but your email address will always remain private.
Cookies
Like many websites, my website uses “Cookies” to collect information. A Cookie is a small data file that I transfer to your device’s hard disk for record-keeping purposes. I use Cookies to enable certain features of the website, to better understand how you interact with the website and to monitor aggregate usage and web traffic routing on the website.
WordPress uses cookies for various purposes including authenticating users and preserving user settings. Please refer to the “Cookies and Tracking Technologies” section for more detailed information about my use of Cookies.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
What Are Cookies
Cookies are small pieces of text stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile) when you are on the internet, including on my website. I use cookies and similar technologies, such as pixels and tags, to recognise you and/or your device(s) on, off, and across different services and devices for a variety of purposes.
How I Use Cookies
I use cookies for a number of reasons, such as:
Functionality: These cookies enable certain functions of the website and help me provide you with a better user experience. For instance, they remember your preferences and prevent you from needing to re-enter information you have previously provided (for example, during comment submission). These are the ‘session cookies’ that are erased when you close your browser.
Analytics: These cookies allow me to understand how visitors use my site, such as by tracking site visits, visitor locations, pages visited, and the time spent on each page. These cookies don’t collect personally identifiable information, but they do produce aggregated statistics that allow me to improve the structure of my website.
Third-party cookies: Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on my pages. They may remember your web browsing activity and may be used to understand about your demographics, such as age and gender, which helps me serve you better.
Please note that third parties (including, for example, advertising networks and providers of external services like web traffic analysis services) may also use cookies, over which I have no control.
Managing Cookies
Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set, visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.
Please note that disabling or blocking cookies may impact your ability to use the website and its services or features.
By continuing to use my website without changing your settings, you consent to my use of cookies as described above.
How Information is Used
The information I collect helps me deliver, maintain, and improve my website and the services I provide. Here is how I may use personal and non-personal information:
Personal Information
Personal information collected through my website is used for the purpose it was collected for, which includes the following:
Comments: If you leave a comment on my site, I use the information you provide to display your comment on my site, respond to your comments if necessary, and moderate the comment section to maintain a respectful and engaging community. I may also use your email address to notify you of any responses to your comment, although you will have the option to opt-out of such notifications.
Communications: If you contact me directly, I may use your personal data to process your request and respond to your enquiries.
Please note that while your email address is required to post a comment, it will not be publicly displayed, and I will not use it to send you any unsolicited communication.
Non-Personal Information
Non-personal information collected automatically, such as IP address and browser information, is used for statistical purposes to help me understand user behaviour and trends, improve my website, and deliver better and personalised services.
This information is aggregated and anonymised so that it cannot be linked back to any individual. For example, I may use this data to analyse the geographic distribution of my users, determine what types of content are most popular, and identify any potential issues with the website’s performance or usability.
I may share aggregated non-personal information publicly and with my partners – such as publishers, advertisers, developers, or rights holders. For example, I may share information publicly to show trends about the general use of my services.
Please note that I do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone.
Data Sharing and Disclosure
I value your privacy and do not share your personal information with any third parties without your consent, except in the following circumstances:
Service Providers
I may employ third party companies and individuals to facilitate my service, provide the service on my behalf, perform service-related services, or assist me in analysing how my service is used. These third parties may have access to your personal data only to perform these tasks on my behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.
For example, my website is hosted on WordPress, and your comments are processed through WordPress’s commenting system. Please be aware that WordPress maintains its own privacy policy that is separate from mine, and I encourage you to review it.
Legal Requirements
I may disclose your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:
- Comply with a legal obligation
- Protect and defend my rights or property
- Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the service
- Protect the personal safety of users of the service or the public
- Protect against legal liability
Business Transfers
If I am involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, your personal data may be transferred. I will provide notice before your personal data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
Please note that my website does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone. I value your trust in providing me your personal information, and I strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect it.
Data Security
I take the security of your personal data very seriously and use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage. Here’s how I do it:
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
My website uses a 256-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to ensure the secure transmission of your personal data. SSL technology encrypts your information, preventing others from reading it as it is sent over the Internet.
Strong Passwords
In the instances where I have password-protected areas, I enforce the use of strong passwords. This enhances the security and protection of your personal data.
Data Breaches
In the unlikely event of a data breach, I will take all necessary steps to mitigate the breach as dictated by law. This includes informing affected users and the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, where feasible.
Despite these security measures, please be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and no method of data transmission can be guaranteed against any interception or other types of misuse. Therefore, while I strive to protect your personal data, I cannot guarantee its absolute security. Any transmission of personal data is at your own risk.
Data Retention
I only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes I collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
Comment Data
When you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This helps me recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue. Therefore, if you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata might be retained indefinitely. I do not use the information submitted through them for marketing purposes.
All users can request to see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time. Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
Please note that some data may be retained if it’s necessary for me to comply with my legal obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce my agreements. At any point, you have the right to request that I delete your personal data. However, please note that I may not always be able to comply with your request of erasure for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request.
Your Rights
As a user of my website, you have certain rights in relation to your personal data under data protection law. These rights include:
Right to Access
You have the right to request a copy of the personal data I hold about you. This allows you to receive a copy of the personal data I hold about you and to check that I am lawfully processing it.
Right to Correction
You have the right to request that I correct any inaccuracies in your personal data if it is incorrect or incomplete. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate data I hold about you corrected, though I may need to verify the accuracy of the new data you provide to me.
Right to Erasure
You have the right to request that I erase your personal data, under certain conditions. This enables you to ask me to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for me continuing to process it.
Right to Restrict Processing
You have the right to request that I restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions. This enables you to ask me to suspend the processing of your personal data in the following scenarios: (a) if you want me to establish the data’s accuracy; (b) where my use of the data is unlawful but you do not want me to erase it; (c) where you need me to hold the data even if I no longer require it as you need it to establish, exercise or defend legal claims; or (d) you have objected to my use of your data but I need to verify whether I have overriding legitimate grounds to use it.
Right to Object to Processing
You have the right to object to my processing of your personal data, under certain conditions. You also have the right to object where I am processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes.
Right to Data Portability
You have the right to request that I transfer the data that I have collected to another organisation, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the information provided in the Contact Information section. Please note that I may ask you to verify your identity before responding to such requests.
Your rights regarding your personal data are not absolute. Access can be denied in some cases if making the information available would reveal personal information about another person, if I am legally prevented from disclosing such information, or if your request is frivolous or vexatious.
Changes to Privacy Policy
I reserve the right to update or change my Privacy Policy at any time. If I make any material changes to this Privacy Policy, I will notify you either through the email address you have provided me, or by placing a prominent notice on my website.
Your continued use of the service after I post any modifications to the Privacy Policy on this page will constitute your acknowledgment of the modifications and your consent to abide and be bound by the modified Privacy Policy.
Please check this Privacy Policy periodically to ensure you are aware of any changes. This policy was last updated on 28/6/2023. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact me.
Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about my privacy practices or this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to submit a request to exercise your rights as detailed in this policy, please contact me at:
Please note that email communications will not necessarily be secure; accordingly, you should not include sensitive information in your email correspondence with me.
Complaints
If you are a resident of the UK and are not satisfied with how I am processing your personal data, you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner. You can find out more about your rights under data protection legislation from the Information Commissioner’s Office website available at www.ico.org.uk.
Conclusion
I am committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled in a safe and responsible manner. I encourage you to read this policy carefully, and to regularly check this page to review any changes I might make in accordance with the terms of this policy. Your continued use of my blog following the posting of changes to these terms means you accept these changes.
Policy Approval
This Privacy Policy has been approved and authorised by Aidan Ashby on 28/6/2023.
It was updated with clarified language on 03/06/2025.
Effective Date
This policy is effective as of 28/6/2023.