Privacy policy

Last updated: 17 October 2026

Who I am

I’m Neil Martin and this is my personal website, neilmartin.me. In data protection terms, I’m the “controller” of any personal details collected here. That just means I decide how they’re used, and it’s my job to look after them. The rules I follow are the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Questions about any of this? Email me at privacy@neilmartin.me.

The short version

• I only collect what I need to reply to you or to send you something you asked for.
• I never sell your data, rent it out or share it for anyone else’s marketing.
• I don’t track you. No analytics, no advertising trackers. If I add analytics, I’ll update this page first.
• You can ask to see, correct or delete your data at any time.

What I collect and why

Contact form

When you use the contact form I collect your name, your email address and your message. The form emails them to me so I can read and reply. It doesn’t keep a copy on the website itself.

The legal bit: “legitimate interests”. You got in touch, so I need your details to reply.

How long I keep it: only as long as I need it for our conversation and any follow-up. Then I delete it.

Newsletter

If you sign up for my newsletter I collect your email address and, if you give it, your first name. I use them to send you the newsletter and nothing else.

The newsletter runs on Kit (formerly ConvertKit), which stores your details and sends the emails for me. Like most email services, Kit may record whether an email was opened or a link was clicked.

The legal bit: your consent, which you give when you sign up.

How long I keep it: until you unsubscribe. Every email has an unsubscribe link, or just email me. After you unsubscribe, Kit may keep your email address on a “do not send” list so you aren’t added again by mistake.

Comments

If comments are switched on and you leave one, WordPress stores your name, your email address, your website (if you give one), your comment, and your IP address and browser details (to help spot spam). Your name, website and comment are shown publicly. Your email address is not.

WordPress may also send a scrambled version of your email address (a “hash”) to the Gravatar service, to show your profile picture if you have one.

The legal bit: “legitimate interests”. I need these details to show your comment and keep spam off the site.

How long I keep it: as long as the comment is on the site. Ask me and I’ll remove it.

Embedded Spotify and YouTube players

Some pages include Spotify playlists and YouTube videos. These players are loaded from Spotify and YouTube (Google), not from my site. When a player loads, and especially when you press play, those companies may set cookies and collect information about your device and how you use the player. If you’re logged in to them, they may link it to your account.

That’s covered by their privacy policies, not mine, and I don’t get that data. See Spotify’s privacy policy and Google’s privacy policy.

Hosting and security

This site is hosted by Kualo, a UK hosting company. Like every web host, their servers keep basic logs, such as IP addresses, browser details and which pages were visited. These help keep the site running and safe.

I use Cloudflare to manage the site’s domain. It can also protect the site from attacks and help it load faster. When that’s switched on, Cloudflare sees your IP address and some technical details about your connection, and may set a cookie it needs for security.

The legal bit: “legitimate interests”. I need this to keep the site working, fast and secure.

Cookies

The site itself only uses essential cookies. Embedded players and the newsletter form may set their own. The full details are on my cookies page.

Who I share it with

Only the services that help me run the site and act on my instructions: Kualo (hosting), Cloudflare (domain and security), Kit (newsletter) and my email provider (where contact form messages arrive). I’ll also share data if the law requires me to.

That’s it. I don’t sell your data and I don’t pass it to anyone for marketing.

Data sent outside the UK

Kit and Cloudflare are American companies, so your details may be stored or handled in the US. When that happens, they’re protected in the ways UK law requires, such as the UK-US “data bridge” or standard data protection contracts.

Your rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data I hold about you
• Correct anything that’s wrong or incomplete
• Delete your data
• Object to how I use it, or ask me to limit it
• Take a copy of data you gave me, in a format you can reuse
• Withdraw your consent at any time, for example by unsubscribing

To use any of these, email neil@neilmartin.me. It’s free, and I’ll reply within one month.

If you’re unhappy with how I’ve handled your data, please tell me first so I can put it right. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection watchdog, at ico.org.uk.

Keeping it safe

The site runs over a secure (HTTPS) connection, and I keep WordPress and its plugins up to date with security fixes.

Children

This site isn’t aimed at children under 13, and I don’t knowingly collect their data. If you’re under 13, please don’t use the contact form or sign up for the newsletter. If you think a child has sent me their details, email me and I’ll delete them.

Changes to this policy

If anything changes, for example if I add analytics, I’ll update this page and the date at the top.

Contact

Neil Martin
Email: neil@neilmartin.me