Privacy Policy

This policy explains what data is collected when you visit ellisbarrett.com, why it is collected, and what your rights are. This site is operated by Ellis Barrett and is intended for visitors based in the UK and worldwide.

What is collected and why

Google Analytics (GA4)

This site uses Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors navigate it — for example, which pages are popular and how long people read blog posts. This data helps improve the content and experience.

• What is collected: page views, approximate location (country/city level derived from IP address), device type, browser, and referring source. Your IP address is processed by Google but is not stored in its full form.
• Cookies set: _ga (2-year lifetime) and _ga_WPYCM03BWP (2-year lifetime). These are used to distinguish unique visitors across sessions.
• Data is sent to: Google LLC, based in the United States. Google acts as a data processor under a Data Processing Agreement. See Google's Privacy Policy for details on how Google handles this data.
• Legal basis: consent (UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(a) / PECR Regulation 6) for anything stored on your device — analytics cookies are not set unless you click Accept in the cookie banner. The cookieless page views described below store nothing on your device and are sent on the basis of legitimate interests (UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)) in understanding how the site is used.
• Data retention: 2 months within Google Analytics (the minimum GA4 allows).

Before you choose: Google Analytics loads with the page and sends one page view to Google before you have accepted or declined. That transmission contains a randomly generated identifier, the page address and title, and your IP address. Nothing is written to your device at this stage, so the identifier does not persist between page loads and cannot be used to recognise you on a later visit.

Accepting enables storage and sets the cookies listed above. Declining permanently prevents that storage — but it does not stop these cookieless page views, which continue to be sent as you browse. To stop them as well, use the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on linked below.

To opt out or withdraw consent: click Decline on the cookie banner (first visit), or use the button below at any time. Withdrawing reloads the page, clears your stored choice and shows the banner again, so you can make a new one. You can also install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Buy Me a Coffee widget

This site includes a floating “Buy Me a Coffee” button that lets you support the site if you find it useful. The widget (a third-party script from buymeacoffee.com) is only loaded after you accept cookies. If you decline, the button is not shown and no data is sent to Buy Me a Coffee.

When the widget is loaded it may set its own cookies and send your IP address to Buy Me a Coffee's servers. See the Buy Me a Coffee Privacy Policy for details.

Feedback form

The Feedback page carries a form you can use to send a few words about working together. Submitting it is entirely voluntary — you can read the page and leave without sending anything.

• What is collected: your name, email address, your relationship to me (for example colleague or manager), and your message. Only what you type into the form is submitted.
• Data is sent to: Netlify, which hosts this site and processes form submissions on my behalf as a data processor. Submissions are held in the Netlify dashboard until deleted. See Netlify's Privacy Policy for details on how Netlify handles this data.
• Legal basis: consent (UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)) — you choose to send the form, and you are free not to.
• Data retention: submissions are deleted once actioned — either replied to, or added to the feedback shown on the site — and deletion can be requested at any time.

What is not collected

• No account registration, login, or comments system is present.
• No advertising networks or social media tracking pixels are used.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of any personal data held about you, and to withdraw consent at any time using the button above. To also remove data already collected, request deletion directly from Google Analytics; the browser add-on linked above prevents future collection across all sites.

For any questions or requests, contact: ellis.gene.barrett@gmail.com.

Changes to this policy

If anything material changes, the “Last updated” date above will be revised. This is a personal portfolio site with no commercial activity.