Privacy
What I collect when you read, subscribe or comment, why, where it is kept, and how to see or delete it.
Last updated: 18 October 2026.
I write about privacy, so I try to collect as little as I can. This page explains, in plain English, what this site collects, why, where it is kept and how you can see, change or delete it.
The site is run by me, Paul O'Brien, and I am the data controller for the information below. If you have any question about it, email me at hello@paulobrien.com.
The short version
- I don't sell, rent or share your details with anyone for marketing.
- If you only read the site, I don't know who you are.
- If you subscribe, I keep your email address, your name (if you give it) and which emails you want. You can unsubscribe or delete everything yourself, at any time, from your account.
- There are no tracking or advertising cookies. The only cookies are two small ones for readers who sign in.
When you read the site
Visitor stats (ReaderCount). I count visits with ReaderCount, a private stats service that uses no cookies and doesn't build a profile of you. It records the page, where the visit came from (for example Google), the country, the type of device and clicks on outgoing links, so I can see which posts are useful. It sets no cookies, so it can't recognise you from one day to the next or follow you to other sites.
Hosting and security. The site runs on Cloudflare. Like any web host, Cloudflare handles your IP address and browser details to deliver pages and protect the site. I use your IP address briefly to limit how often forms can be sent, which stops spam. I don't keep it.
Cloudflare Web Analytics. Cloudflare also measures how quickly pages load and counts page views. It uses no cookies and doesn't track you across sites.
When you subscribe or sign in
When you sign up I store:
- your email address and name (the name is optional);
- which emails you've chosen and whether you've confirmed;
- the page you signed up on and the date.
This is kept in a database on Cloudflare (Cloudflare D1). I use it only to send you the emails you asked for: a confirmation email, sign-in links, a welcome email and, if you choose, an email when I publish a new post. Confirmation, sign-in and welcome emails are sent through Cloudflare's email service. Newsletters and new-post emails are sent through Amazon's email service (Amazon SES) in Ireland, which tells me if an email bounces or is reported as spam, so I can stop emailing that address.
My lawful basis is your consent, which you can withdraw at any time with the unsubscribe link in every email or from your account. If you subscribed to my old site, your details were moved here when the site moved in October 2026.
When you comment
Comments can only be posted by signed-in subscribers. Your comment and the name you give are shown publicly under the post. I store the comment with your account so you can delete it, and it is removed if you delete your account.
Cookies
| Cookie | Set by | What it does | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
pob_member | This site | Keeps you signed in. Only set when you sign in. | 30 days, or until you sign out |
pob_hi | This site | Holds your first name so the menu can say "Hello". Only set when you sign in. | 30 days, or until you sign out |
Both are strictly necessary for signing in. The site doesn't use Google Analytics or any other tracking cookies, and ReaderCount uses no cookies at all.
When you use the contact form
Messages from the contact form are stored on this site and emailed to my inbox through Amazon's email service (Amazon SES) in Ireland. I use what you send only to reply to you. You can also email me directly instead.
Affiliate links
Some links are referral links (see the disclaimer). If you click one, the provider or its affiliate network may set its own cookies to record that you came from this site. That is covered by their privacy policy, not mine, and it never costs you anything extra. I only see totals, never who you are.
How long I keep things
- Subscriber details: until you delete your account. If you unsubscribe but don't delete, I keep your address marked as unsubscribed so you aren't emailed again.
- Bounce and spam-complaint notices about emails I send you: until you delete your account. They make sure I stop emailing an address that bounces or reports me as spam.
- Confirmation and sign-in links: they expire and are then deleted.
- Comments: until you or I delete them.
- Contact messages: on this site and in my email for as long as the conversation is useful.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law (UK GDPR) you can ask to see the information I hold about you, have it corrected or deleted, object to how it is used, or ask for a copy to take elsewhere. Most of this you can do yourself from your account, including deleting everything in one step. For anything else, email hello@paulobrien.com and I'll reply within a month.
If you're unhappy with how I've handled your data, please tell me first. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Changes to this page
If I change what the site collects, I'll update this page and the date at the top.