Privacy policy

This policy explains what information is collected when you visit MarginNotesClub (the “site”) and what happens to it. It is written in plain English. If anything is unclear, please get in touch.

Who is responsible for your data

The site is run by an individual, Izu, based in the United Kingdom, who is the “controller” of your personal data under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. You can contact me using the email address on the Contact page.

The short version

You don’t need an account, and there are no comments or logins.
Analytics cookies are only used if you click Accept on the cookie banner.
If you email me, I use your email only to reply.
I never sell your data.

What is collected, and why

When you visit the site

Like almost every website, the server that hosts this site keeps short-term technical logs of requests, which can include your IP address, browser type and the page you requested. These are used only to keep the site secure and working. The legal basis is legitimate interests (running a secure website). [CHECK: confirm with your hosting provider how long server logs are kept, and update this sentence, e.g. “Logs are deleted after 14 days.”]

If you click Accept on the cookie banner, the site uses Google Analytics 4 to count visits and see which articles are read. Google Analytics collects information such as pages visited, approximate location (city level), device type and how you arrived at the site. IP addresses are not logged or stored by Google Analytics 4.

The legal basis is your consent. You can change your mind at any time using the Cookie settings link at the bottom of every page. Google Ireland Limited and Google LLC process this data for me. Data may be transferred to the United States under the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework. Data is kept for 14 months. [CHECK: match this to the retention setting you choose in Google Analytics → Admin → Data retention.]

If the site is not using Google Analytics, no banner is shown and none of this applies.

Articles may show posts from X, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn as plain text. Nothing is loaded from those platforms unless you tap Show the original post. If you do, that platform receives information such as your IP address and may set cookies, under its own privacy policy. I don’t receive any of that information.

When you email me

If you contact me, I receive your email address and anything you include in your message. I use it only to reply and keep it only as long as needed for that conversation. The legal basis is legitimate interests (responding to you).

If a newsletter sign-up appears on the site and you subscribe, your email address is held by the newsletter provider named on the sign-up form, and used only to send you new articles. You can unsubscribe using the link in every email. The legal basis is your consent. [CHECK: name your provider here once you choose one.]

Cookies and similar technologies

See the Cookie policy for the full list.

Who your data is shared with

Only the service providers listed above (hosting, Google Analytics if you consent, a newsletter provider if you subscribe). Your data is never sold or used for advertising profiles.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

ask for a copy of the personal data I hold about you;
ask me to correct or delete it;
object to or restrict how it is used;
withdraw consent at any time (this doesn’t affect anything done before you withdrew it).

To use any of these rights, email me. I will reply within one month.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how your data has been handled, please contact me first. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, the “Last updated” date at the top will change too.