Who I am
Age On Your Terms is run by Matthew Short, based in the United Kingdom. For data protection law, I'm the "data controller" for the personal information collected through this website.
If you have any questions about this policy or your information, email me at matt@ageonyourterms.com.
What information I collect
When you browse the site
If you agree to analytics cookies, the site uses Google Analytics to understand how people use it: which pages are read, roughly where visitors are in the world, what device and browser they use, and how they found the site. This information is grouped together and I can't use it to identify you personally. Google Analytics doesn't run unless you accept it in the cookie banner.
When you leave a comment
If you comment on an article, the site stores what you enter in the comment form: your name, email address, any website you add, and the comment itself. It also stores your IP address and browser details to help catch spam. Your email address is never shown publicly.
If you choose to, the site can save your name and email in a cookie so you don't have to type them in again. That cookie lasts one year.
When you email me
If you email me, I'll have your email address and anything you include in your message. I only use it to reply to you.
Email newsletter
If you sign up for the newsletter, I collect your email address (and your name, if you choose to give it). I use it to send you the weekly newsletter with new articles and videos. That's all.
The newsletter is sent through MailerLite, an email service. When you sign up, you'll get an email asking you to confirm, so nobody can sign you up without your say-so. MailerLite also records whether an email is opened and which links are clicked, which helps me see what's useful.
Every email has an unsubscribe link at the bottom, so you can leave any time with one click. If you'd also like your details deleted completely, just email me.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files stored on your device. The site uses:
- Essential cookies: needed for the site to work properly and to remember your cookie choices. These don't need your consent.
- Analytics cookies (Google Analytics): only set if you accept them.
- Comment cookies: only set if you tick the box to save your details when commenting.
- Embedded content cookies: see below.
You can change your cookie choices at any time using the cookie settings button at the bottom of the page, or by clearing cookies in your browser.
Embedded videos and content
Articles may include embedded YouTube videos. Embedded content behaves exactly as if you'd visited YouTube directly, so YouTube (owned by Google) may collect data about you, use cookies and track how you interact with the video. Where possible, videos are embedded in YouTube's "privacy-enhanced mode", which limits tracking until you press play. See Google's privacy policy for details.
Affiliate links
Some articles may contain affiliate links. If you click one and buy something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. When you click an affiliate link, the retailer or affiliate network may set a cookie to record that you came from this site. I don't receive any personal information about you from them, only that a sale or click happened. Their own privacy policies apply once you're on their site.
Affiliate links are always clearly marked in the article where they appear.
Why I use your information
- Analytics: your consent, which you give through the cookie banner and can withdraw at any time.
- Newsletter: your consent, which you give when you sign up and confirm, and can withdraw at any time by unsubscribing.
- Comments: my legitimate interest in running a discussion area and keeping it free of spam.
- Replying to emails: my legitimate interest in answering you.
I never sell your personal information, and I don't use it for automated decision-making or profiling.
Who else handles your information
A few trusted services help run the site and may process data on my behalf:
- Hostinger, which hosts the website and its database
- Google (Google Analytics and YouTube)
- MailerLite, which stores newsletter subscribers' details and sends the newsletter
- CookieYes, which runs the cookie banner and records your cookie choices
Some of these companies, like Google, may store data outside the UK, including in the United States. When that happens, it's protected by approved safeguards such as the UK-US Data Bridge or standard contractual clauses.
How long I keep information
- Analytics data: Google keeps detailed event data for 2 months and user-level data for 14 months, then deletes it automatically.
- Newsletter: kept until you unsubscribe. After that you won't get any more emails, and I'll delete your details completely if you ask.
- Comments: kept for as long as the article is online, unless you ask me to remove them.
- Emails: kept only as long as needed to deal with your message.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
- ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you
- ask me to correct anything that's wrong
- ask me to delete your information
- object to, or ask me to limit, how I use it
- withdraw your consent at any time (for example, to analytics cookies)
To use any of these rights, email matt@ageonyourterms.com. I'll reply within one month. There's no charge.
If you're unhappy with how I've handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator, or call them on 0303 123 1113. I'd appreciate the chance to put things right first, so please get in touch with me before you do.
Children
This site is written for adults and isn't aimed at children under 13. I don't knowingly collect information from children.
Changes to this policy
I'll update this page if anything changes. The "last updated" date at the top will always show when it was last changed.