Privacy Policy

1. Information I Collect

Personal Information You Provide

When you use this website, I may collect the following personal information:

• Contact Information: Name, email address when you submit the contact form
• Account Information: Username, email, and password when you create an account
• Profile Information: Profile pictures and other information you choose to provide
• Communications: Messages you send through the contact form or other communications

Technical Information

• Log Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, and pages visited
• Cookies: Authentication tokens and preferences (essential cookies only)
• Usage Data: How you interact with the website and its features

2. Legal Basis for Processing (UK & EU GDPR)

Under UK GDPR and EU GDPR I am required to have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. The basis depends on what the data is used for:

• Account creation and authentication — Contract: processing is necessary to provide the service you signed up for.
• Newsletter and blog update emails — Consent: you opt in via your profile and can withdraw consent at any time by unsubscribing.
• Contact form replies — Legitimate interests: responding to a message you have sent.
• Security and server logs (IP address, request data) — Legitimate interests: protecting the website and its users from abuse and fraud.

3. How I Use Your Information

I use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To provide and maintain the website and its services
• To respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• To send you newsletters and blog updates (only if you subscribe)
• To authenticate your account and ensure security
• To improve the website and user experience
• To comply with legal obligations

4. Information Sharing

I do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties, except in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: AWS (hosting, email services, file storage) under strict confidentiality agreements
• Legal Requirements: If required by law, regulation, or legal process
• Safety: To protect the rights, property, or safety of users or others

5. Data Security

I implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information:

• HTTPS encryption for data transmission
• Secure password hashing using bcrypt
• JWT tokens with secure, HTTP-only cookies
• Regular security updates and monitoring
• Access controls and authentication requirements

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While I strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, I cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information I hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion (Right to Erasure): You can permanently delete your account and all associated data at any time from your Profile Settings page (Danger Zone). This removes all personal data immediately.
• Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service
• Objection: Object to processing of your personal information
• Withdraw Consent: Unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via your profile or the unsubscribe link in any email.

To exercise any other rights, please contact me using the information provided below.

7. Data Retention

I retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

• Account Data: Until you delete your account
• Contact Form Data: For up to 2 years to maintain correspondence records
• Log Data: For up to 90 days for security and troubleshooting purposes
• Newsletter Data: Until you unsubscribe

8. Cookies

This website uses essential cookies for:

• Authentication and session management
• Security protection (CSRF tokens)
• User preferences and settings

I do not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or third-party analytics cookies. All cookies are essential for the website's functionality.

9. Third-Party Services

This website uses the following third-party services:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS): Hosting, database, email delivery, and file storage
• Cloudflare: CDN and DDoS protection (if applicable)

These services may have their own privacy policies, and I encourage you to review them.

10. Children's Privacy & Age Requirements

This website is intended for users aged 16 or older. By creating an account you confirm that you meet this age requirement.

This minimum age reflects two legal frameworks:

• EU GDPR (Article 8): Processing personal data of children under 16 in connection with information society services requires verifiable parental consent. Individual EU member states may lower this to a minimum of 13, but 16 is the default threshold.
• UK GDPR: The UK sets the age of consent for data processing at 13, but this website applies the higher EU standard of 16 to serve all users consistently.
• US COPPA: The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act prohibits collecting personal data from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.

I do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If I become aware that a user under 16 has created an account, I will promptly delete their account and associated data. If you believe a child under 16 has registered, please contact me using the details below.

11. Changes to This Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. I will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how I handle your personal information, please contact me: