Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 15, 2024 Last Updated: August 30, 2026

This is a personal blog operated by Mike CK. I respect your privacy and believe in transparency about data collection. This policy explains what information is collected when you visit this site and how it’s used.

The Short Version

This site uses Google Analytics for visitor statistics, Disqus for comments, and Google AdSense to show ads. I don’t sell your data, send spam, or do anything shady. You can browse anonymously, commenting is optional, and readers in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland are asked for consent before any advertising cookie is set.

What Information Is Collected

Automatically Collected Data

When you visit this site, the following information may be automatically collected:

Analytics Data (Google Analytics): IP address (anonymized), browser type, device information, pages visited, time spent on pages, referring website, and general location (city/country level)
Server Logs (Netlify): IP address, browser type, timestamps, and pages accessed for security and performance monitoring
Advertising Data (Google AdSense): Cookies and similar identifiers used to serve and measure ads, including approximate location, device and browser information, and pages viewed on this site
Cookies: Small text files stored on your device to remember preferences, track analytics, and serve ads

Information You Provide

Comments (Disqus): If you choose to comment on posts, Disqus collects your name, email address, comment content, and any other information you voluntarily provide. Disqus has its own privacy policy
Contact Information: If you email me directly, I’ll have whatever information you include in your message

How Information Is Used

I use collected information to:

Understand my audience: Analytics help me see which topics resonate and improve content
Improve site performance: Server logs help identify technical issues and optimize loading times
Enable discussions: Disqus allows readers to engage with content and each other
Respond to inquiries: Contact information is used only to reply to your messages
Cover running costs: Ads served through Google AdSense offset hosting and domain expenses

Third-Party Services

This site uses the following third-party services:

Google Analytics

Purpose: Website traffic analysis and visitor insights
Data Collected: Anonymized IP addresses, page views, session duration, traffic sources
Privacy Policy: Google Analytics Privacy Policy
Opt-Out: Use Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on

Disqus Comments

Purpose: Comment system for reader engagement
Data Collected: Name, email, comment content, IP address (if you comment)
Privacy Policy: Disqus Privacy Policy
Note: Commenting is entirely optional

Purpose: Displaying ads that fund the site’s running costs
Data Collected: Cookies and device identifiers used to serve, personalise, and measure ads, plus approximate location and browsing activity on this site
How it works: Google and its advertising partners use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies is described in its Advertising Privacy & Terms
Privacy Policy: Google Privacy Policy
Opt-Out: Turn off personalised advertising in Google Ads Settings , or opt out of third-party vendors’ use of cookies at aboutads.info/choices

Netlify Hosting

Purpose: Web hosting and content delivery
Data Collected: Server logs (IP addresses, access times, pages requested)
Privacy Policy: Netlify Privacy Policy

Cookies

This site uses cookies for:

Analytics: Google Analytics uses cookies to distinguish visitors and track sessions
Advertising: Google and its partners use cookies to serve and measure ads, and to limit how often you see the same ad
Comments: Disqus uses cookies to manage comment authentication and preferences
Functionality: Essential cookies for site operation

Visitors in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland see a consent message before any advertising or measurement cookie is set, and can accept, refuse, or choose individually. Refusing is a single click and ads still appear, but they are non-personalised.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect site functionality.

Data Retention

Analytics data: Retained by Google Analytics according to their retention policies (configurable, currently 26 months)
Comments: Stored by Disqus indefinitely unless you delete them or request removal
Advertising data: Retained by Google according to its own advertising retention policies
Server logs: Retained by Netlify for security and debugging purposes
Email correspondence: Kept only as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry

Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access: Request information about what data is collected about you
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (where technically feasible)
Opt-Out: Stop providing information by not commenting or using analytics opt-out tools
Correction: Update or correct information you’ve provided

Note: Since this is a personal blog with minimal data collection, most tracking is handled by third parties (Google Analytics, Google AdSense, Disqus). For data held by them, you’ll need to contact them directly.

Data Security

While no website can guarantee 100% security, this site uses:

HTTPS encryption for all connections
Netlify’s secure hosting infrastructure
No direct database storing personal information

I don’t store payment information, passwords, or sensitive personal data.

Children’s Privacy

This site is not directed at children under 13. I don’t knowingly collect information from children. If you’re a parent and believe your child has provided information to this site, please contact me.

Changes to This Policy

I may update this privacy policy occasionally. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. For significant changes, I may add a notice on the homepage.

No Sale of Data

I do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Period. This is a personal blog, not a data harvesting operation.

For visitors from the European Economic Area (EEA), data processing is based on:

Legitimate Interest: Analytics to improve the site
Consent: Comments and interactions you choose to make
Legal Obligation: Compliance with applicable laws

Contact

Questions about this privacy policy? Want to request data deletion or access?

Email: [email protected] Location: Nairobi, Kenya

I’ll respond to privacy requests within 30 days.

This privacy policy was written in plain English because nobody likes reading legal jargon. If something’s unclear, just ask.