Privacy Policy for Mark Asher’s Blog
Effective date: [5th September, 2025]
1. Introduction
Welcome to Mark Asher’s Blog (the “Site”). Your privacy is important to me. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect when you visit or interact with the Site, how we use that information, with whom we share it, and the choices you have regarding your data.
In a Nutshell
I am not involved in any kind of data mining and data trade activities whatsoever. Your data is yours, and yours alone. I won't use your data to pass onto third-parties for any kind of gains. This website will collect some basic information to enable visual and performance suited to your device and browser.
Google Analytics is integrated into this website to learn about your experience on this website and how improvements to your experience can be made. There are currently no mailing lists and no newsletters, so I won't flood your inbox with emails either.
I have disabled registrations on this website to ensure no personal data is collected by this site. Logging in to the website via LinkedIn is possible, and the information LinkedIn would share with this website would be your basic LinkedIn profile information for authentication.
2. Information We Collect
| Category | Examples | How It Is Collected |
|---|---|---|
| Directly provided information | The only way to contact me is via LinkedIn, so this website won't collect any such information. If you sign-in with LinkedIn social login and leave a comment on an article or post, it will be linked to your LinkedIn profile. | When you voluntarily submit a form (e.g., newsletter signup, comment, contact request). |
| Automatically generated data | IP address, browser type, operating system, device type, referral URL, pages viewed, timestamps | Via server logs and analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Plausible). |
| Cookies & similar technologies | Session cookies, persistent cookies, local‑storage entries | Set by the Site or third‑party services to remember preferences, authenticate sessions, or track usage. |
| Third‑party content | Embedded YouTube videos, social‑media widgets | May cause the third party to receive your IP address and other metadata. |
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the collected data for the following legitimate purposes:
- Provide and improve the Site – Serve pages, fix bugs, and enhance performance.
- Communicate with you – Respond to inquiries, send newsletters (if you opt‑in), and notify you of updates.
- Analytics & research – Understand visitor behaviour, measure traffic, and generate aggregate statistics.
- Legal compliance – Preserve records, enforce our Terms of Service, and comply with lawful requests.
We do not sell, rent, or otherwise disclose your personal data to advertisers for their own marketing purposes.
4. Legal Bases (for GDPR‑covered visitors)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we rely on the following legal bases:
- Consent – When you explicitly opt‑in to receive newsletters or other communications.
- Legitimate interests – For site operation, security, analytics, and improving user experience.
- Contractual necessity – When you submit a contact request that creates a service relationship.
You may withdraw consent at any time (see Section 9).
5. Sharing & Disclosure
We may share your information with:
| Recipient | Reason |
|---|---|
| Service providers (e.g., hosting, email delivery, analytics) | To operate the Site and provide services you request. |
| Legal authorities | If required by law, subpoena, or to protect our rights. |
| Aggregated/anonymous data | Public reports, research, or marketing materials that do not identify you personally. |
All third‑party processors are contractually obligated to protect your data and may only use it for the purposes we specify.
6. International Transfers
The website server and database are physically located in the United Kingdom. However, systems such as Google Analytics, YouTube and LinkedIn use systems located all around the world, so your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your residence, including the United States. We ensure such transfers are protected by standard contractual clauses or other mechanisms recognized under applicable data‑protection laws.
7. Data Retention
- Contact‑form submissions & comments: retained until you request deletion or the purpose is fulfilled.
- Analytics data: retained in aggregated form for up to 24 months (or as configured by the analytics provider).
- Newsletter subscriptions: retained until you unsubscribe.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Request correction of inaccurate data.
- Delete your data (“right to be forgotten”).
- Restrict or object to processing.
- Receive a copy of your data in a portable format.
- Withdraw consent (where consent is the legal basis).
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 10.
9. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
We use cookies for essential site functions (e.g., session management) and for analytics. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or via a cookie‑consent banner (if implemented). Disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality.
Typical categories of cookies used:
| Type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Enable core site features | Session ID |
| Performance/analytics | Track usage patterns | _ga (Google Analytics) |
| Functional | Remember preferences | Theme selection |
| Marketing | Targeted advertising (not used on this blog) | — |
10. Contact Information
If you have questions, concerns, or wish to exercise your data‑subject rights, please reach out to:
Data‑Protection Officer / Site Owner
Email: website (at) asher.me
We aim to respond within 30 days.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The “Effective date” at the top will indicate the latest revision. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.