Last updated: 23 April 2025
Who we are
This is the personal website and blog of Benjamin Merrick. The site address is: https://benjaminmerrick.co.uk, and it’s powered by WordPress.
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help with spam detection.
An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you’re using it. The Gravatar service Privacy Policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy. After your comment is approved, your profile picture becomes publicly visible in the context of that comment.
Media
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images posted here.
Cookies
If you leave a comment on the site, you may opt in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience, so you don’t have to fill in your details again next time. These cookies will last for one year.
If you visit our login page, we’ll set a temporary cookie to determine whether your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we’ll set up several cookies to save your login information and screen display preferences. Login cookies last for two days, and screen option cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out, login cookies will be removed.
If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This one includes no personal data and simply records the post ID of the article you edited. It expires after one day.
Newsletter & Email Subscriptions
If you subscribe to receive blog updates or newsletters, we collect your email address and (optionally) your name. This data is used exclusively to send you blog content — no marketing nonsense, no third-party spam.
We use a plugin called The Newsletter Plugin to manage subscriptions. Your data is stored securely on this site’s web server, hosted by IONOS in the UK/EU. It is never sold, shared, or used for anything beyond what you’ve signed up for.
Each email includes an unsubscribe link. You can opt out at any time, and I won’t take it personally. You may also contact me directly to request data deletion in line with your rights under the UK GDPR.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor had visited the other website.
These sites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that content — especially if you have an account and are logged in to those services.
Who we share your data with
No one. Ever. Unless we’re legally required to — and even then we’ll do a very good eye-roll about it.
If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.
How long we retain your data
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically rather than holding them in moderation.
For users that register on our website (if any), we store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except for their username). Website administrators can also view and edit that information.
What rights you have over your data
If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you’ve provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you.
This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
Where your data is sent
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
How to contact me
To request access to or deletion of your data, or if you have any privacy-related concerns, you can contact me directly using the contact form.
