// PRIVACY.TXT
Privacy.
This is a personal site. I collect as little as I can, and this page lists all of it.
Last updated:
Who I am
I'm Yahiya Jasem, based in Istanbul, Türkiye, and I run this site myself. I decide what gets collected here and what happens to it. If you have a question about your data, or want to use any of the rights below, email my privacy inbox or use the contact form.
What I collect and why
Analytics
I use Google Analytics to see which pages people read and roughly where visitors come from. It records things like the pages you view, the site that sent you, your device and browser type, and an approximate location. Google works this out from your IP address. I use it to understand what's worth writing more of. I don't use it to identify you, and I don't run ads.
Contact form
When you use the contact form, you send me your name, email address, country, message, and an optional subject. It arrives in my inbox as an email so I can read it and reply. I only use it to answer you.
Newsletter
If you sign up for the newsletter, I store your first name, your email address, and the fact that you ticked the box agreeing to get emails from me. I use them to send you the newsletter and a one-time welcome email. Every email has an unsubscribe link, and one click takes you off the list.
Server logs
Like every website, the servers that deliver this one see technical details of each request, such as your IP address, browser, and the page asked for. My hosting provider uses them to run the site and keep it secure.
Fonts
The site's fonts load from Google Fonts, so your browser asks Google's servers for them. That request includes your IP address, like any request to another server.
Cookies and local storage
Google Analytics sets its own cookies (their names start with _ga) so it
can tell a returning visitor from a new one. The site itself sets no cookies.
The site does keep a few preferences in your browser's local storage: your theme (light, dark, or auto), window style, wallpaper, and whether you prefer the desktop or plain website view. It also remembers, for the current tab only, that you've already seen the boot animation. These stay on your device and are never sent to me. You can change them on the settings page or clear them in your browser.
Who else handles your data
I use a small number of services to run the site. Each one only gets what it needs:
- Cloudflare hosts the site and handles its traffic. If a bot check appears on the contact form, that's Cloudflare Turnstile.
- Google provides the analytics (Google Analytics) and the fonts (Google Fonts).
- Resend delivers contact form messages to my inbox, stores the newsletter list, and sends the newsletter.
These companies may process data outside your country. I don't sell your data, and I don't share it with anyone else unless the law requires it.
Links to other sites, like YouTube, Spotify, or Steam, are just links. Once you follow one, that site's own privacy policy applies.
How long I keep it
- Contact messages stay in my inbox for up to two years, then I delete them. Ask and I'll delete yours sooner.
- Newsletter details stay until you unsubscribe or ask me to delete them.
- Analytics data is kept by Google Analytics for two months, then deleted by Google.
- Server logs are kept by Cloudflare under its own retention rules.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, privacy laws such as the GDPR in the EU, the UK GDPR, and the UAE's data protection law give you rights over your personal data. Wherever you are, I'll honor these on request:
- Access. Ask what I hold about you and get a copy.
- Correction. Ask me to fix anything that's wrong.
- Deletion. Ask me to delete your data.
- Unsubscribe. Leave the newsletter at any time with the link in any email.
- Objection. Ask me to stop using your data for a particular purpose.
To use any of these, email my privacy inbox (button below) or use the contact form, and I'll reply within one month. You can also block analytics yourself with your browser's settings or a content blocker. If you think I've handled your data badly, you can complain to the data protection authority where you live, though I'd like the chance to fix it first.
Children
This site isn't aimed at children, and I don't knowingly collect data from anyone under 16. If you think a child has sent me their details, tell me and I'll delete them.
Changes
If what the site collects changes, I'll update this page and the date at the top. I won't start using your data in a new way without saying so here first.