Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2025  |  Version 1.2

This Privacy Policy describes how The Tech Brief ("we", "us", or "our"), operated at thetechbrief.in, collects, uses, and protects information when you visit our website at https://allroundertechbrief.github.io/TheTechBrief/ (the "Site"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and processing your data in accordance with applicable data protection laws including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK GDPR.

1. What Information We Collect

We collect minimal personal data. The categories of data we may process are:

• Usage data: Pages visited, time on site, referral source, browser type, operating system, and approximate geographic location (country/region level). This data is collected in aggregate and is not used to identify individuals.
• Cookie data: We set cookies for essential functionality (e.g. remembering your cookie consent preference) and, where you consent, for analytics and affiliate attribution. See Section 4 for full details.
• Contact form data: If you use our contact form, we collect your name, email address, enquiry type, and the content of your message. This data is processed solely to respond to your enquiry.
• Advertising data: If Google AdSense is active on the Site, Google may collect data to serve personalised advertisements. See Section 6.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the data we collect for the following purposes:

• To operate and maintain the Site and ensure it functions correctly.
• To analyse aggregate traffic patterns and improve content quality.
• To respond to enquiries submitted via our contact form.
• To manage affiliate link attribution where applicable.
• To comply with legal obligations.

3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Under GDPR, we process personal data on the following legal bases:

• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): Analytics cookies and personalised advertising are only activated with your explicit consent via our cookie banner.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): Essential cookies required for site functionality (e.g. cookie consent preference storage) are placed under our legitimate interest in providing a functional website.
• Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b)): Contact form data is processed to respond to your messages.

4. Cookies

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Required for basic site functionality. These cannot be disabled without breaking the site experience. Example: cookieConsent — stores your cookie preference (value: 'yes' or 'no'; expires after 365 days).
• Analytics cookies (consent required): If you accept cookies, we may use analytics tools to understand aggregate traffic patterns. Data collected is anonymised and not linked to individual users.
• Affiliate/advertising cookies (consent required): We participate in affiliate programmes. If you click an affiliate link, a cookie may be set to attribute any resulting purchase. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
• Google AdSense cookies (consent required): Google's advertising cookies may be set if AdSense is active. See Section 6.

You can withdraw your cookie consent at any time by clearing your browser's local storage or cookies for this domain. You can also manage cookies at browser level — see your browser's help documentation for instructions.

5. Third-Party Services

Our Site links to external articles hosted by third-party publishers (e.g. TechCrunch, Wired, ZDNet). These sites have their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites.

If you submit a contact form, your message is processed via Formspree, which acts as a data processor under our instruction. Formspree is GDPR-compliant and stores form data only for the duration needed to deliver it to us.

The Site is hosted on GitHub Pages (GitHub, Inc. / Microsoft). GitHub may process server log data including IP addresses for security and operational purposes. See GitHub's Privacy Statement.

6. Google AdSense & Advertising

We may display advertisements served by Google AdSense. Google uses cookies (including the DoubleClick cookie) to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google's Ad Settings, or by visiting aboutads.info.

Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet. Google's privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.

7. Data Retention

We retain data for the minimum period necessary:

• Analytics data: Aggregate data retained for up to 26 months (industry standard for trend analysis).
• Contact form messages: Retained for up to 12 months after the matter is resolved, then deleted.
• Cookie preference: Stored in your browser's local storage for 365 days, or until you clear it.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are located in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with equivalent data protection laws, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data, where we have no overriding legal obligation to retain it.
• Right to restriction: Request that we restrict the processing of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a portable format where technically feasible.
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time for consent-based processing (e.g. analytics cookies) without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@thetechbrief.in. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your relevant supervisory authority (e.g. the Information Commissioner's Office in the UK, or your national Data Protection Authority in the EU).

9. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal data to us, please contact us at privacy@thetechbrief.in and we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

11. Contact

For any privacy-related enquiries, requests, or complaints, contact us at: