I’m happy to say that when you visit my blog, although I use analytics, I don’t set any cookies in your browser or record any personal data about you.
I also don’t track opens or clicks on the email newsletter I send. I’ve turned all tracking off in Buttondown, the service I use to send the newsletter.
The only time I store personal data is when you sign up for the newsletter or send me an email.
When you sign up for the newsletter
When you sign up for my newsletter, I store:
- Your email address so I can send you the newsletter.
- Your IP address so I can prevent bots and spammers from subscribing to it.
- Notes to remind me who the email address belongs to if I’ve had interactions with you.
This data is stored by Buttondown. Buttondown is pretty privacy-conscious, but you can read their Privacy Policy and Data Processing Agreement here:
https://buttondown.com/legal/privacy
https://buttondown.com/legal/data-processing-agreement
In case it’s not clear, I’m the “Data controller”, and Buttondown is the “Data processor”.
I also store:
- A password-protected backup of all subscribers (email address, IP address, and the notes I’ve mentioned above), in spreadsheet form, on my personal computer. I do this in case I need to restore my list or move to a different email-delivery service.
- Buttondown email notifications about new subscriptions in my email app, Fastmail (info below), so I have proof of when people subscribed.
When you send me an email
If you send me an email, I may store it, indefinitely, in Fastmail, for future reference or in case it might be appropriate to contact you again in the future.
Fastmail is also a privacy-conscious email service, but you can read their Privacy Policy and Data Protection Agreement here:
https://www.fastmail.com/policies/privacy
https://www.fastmail.com/policies/dpa
Again, in this context, I’m the “Data controller”, and Fastmail is the “Data processor”.
The analytics
I use Independent Analytics, which uses cookieless tracking and doesn’t record or share any personal data with a third party.
The plugin does use your IP address briefly, to determine your location, down to the city, but then uses a technical process to prevent it from being saved or discovered. Read about this in the article “What makes [the plugin] privacy friendly?“
I’ve also configured this setting so that if, in the unlikely event, someone were to crack the hashed IP address, only a maximum of a month’s worth of your personal viewing and activity data would be exposed. But, as I say, even that’s unlikely.
The main reason I use analytics is for encouragement.
One exception (for hackers and bots)
I log IP addresses and timestamps of failed login attempts to prevent hackers and bots from gaining access to my site.
Other bits and pieces
- I often link to YouTube and other sites that do use cookies and tracking. I don’t have any control over that, and I don’t envy you reading their privacy policies to find the details.
- Only subscribe to the newsletter if you’re 18 years or older—not because I’d rate it any more than PG, but because I don’t want to manage personal data for younger people, which is more complicated.
- You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time by clicking the ‘Unsubscribe’ link at the bottom of one of the emails, and I won’t hassle you for a ‘reason’ why.
- If you have questions about any of this, or you want me to change or delete your data, send me an email at blog@chrislt.nz.
If I make any significant updates to this policy, I’ll post a short update on the blog.