The short version
In plain terms
- We don’t ask you to create an account, and we don’t want your personal details.
- The only information you actively give us is an email address, and only if you subscribe to the newsletter.
- We use analytics to see which guides get read. Nothing there identifies you personally.
- We don’t sell your data. There is no circumstance in which we would.
- You can unsubscribe or ask us to delete your data at any time, and we’ll do it.
Who we are
LifestyleRoot is a publication reachable at the address in the contact section below. In this policy, “we” and “us” mean LifestyleRoot; “you” means anyone visiting the site.
This policy covers lifestyleroot.com and nothing else. If you follow a link from here to another website, that site’s policy applies once you arrive, not ours.
What we collect
Information you give us
There is only one thing you can actively give us: your email address, when you subscribe to the newsletter. We don’t ask for a name, and there’s no account to create.
If you email us directly — a correction, a question, a pitch — we receive whatever you put in that email, including your address. We keep those messages so we can reply and so we have a record of corrections.
Information collected automatically
Like nearly every website, our server records basic technical information when a page loads:
- Your IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device type and operating system
- The page you requested and the page you came from
- Date and time of the request
This is standard server logging. It happens on every site you visit, and it’s what allows a web server to function and to be secured against abuse.
Analytics
We use a website analytics service to understand which guides are read, how people arrive at the site, and where they stop reading. This tells us what to write more of.
We look at this data in aggregate — page totals, traffic sources, rough locations at country level. We don’t attempt to identify individual readers, and the analytics data isn’t linked to your newsletter subscription or to any email you send us.
What we deliberately don’t do
We don’t build advertising profiles, we don’t run cross-site tracking pixels for third-party advertisers, and we don’t sell, rent or trade personal information to anyone. If that ever changes, this page will say so before it happens.
Why we collect it
Each piece of data has one purpose:
| What | Why | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | To send the newsletter you asked for | Your consent |
| Emails you send us | To reply, and to track corrections | Legitimate interest |
| Server logs | To run the site and prevent abuse | Legitimate interest |
| Analytics | To see which guides are useful | Legitimate interest, or consent where required |
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file a website stores in your browser. We keep them to a minimum.
We don’t set advertising cookies and we don’t use cookies to track you across other websites. The cookies present on this site are those needed to make it work and, if analytics is enabled, those set by the analytics service described above.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time. Every major browser supports this, and doing so will not break this site.
Third parties
A few services handle data on our behalf. Each has its own privacy policy, and each is used for one narrow purpose:
- Web host — stores the site’s files and serves pages to visitors.
- Email newsletter provider — stores subscriber addresses and sends the newsletter.
- Analytics provider — processes the usage data described above.
- Google Fonts — serves the two typefaces this site uses. Fonts are requested from Google’s servers, which means Google receives your IP address as part of that request.
We share information with these providers only to the extent they need it to do their job. None of them are permitted to use it for their own purposes.
We may also disclose information where the law requires it — a valid court order, for instance. If that happens and we’re legally permitted to tell you, we will.
How long we keep it
- Newsletter email addresses — until you unsubscribe. Unsubscribing removes you from the list.
- Emails you send us — typically two years, so we can refer back to corrections and previous conversations.
- Server logs — usually a short rolling window set by our host, commonly around 30 days.
- Analytics data — retained in aggregate according to the provider’s default retention period.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have specific legal rights over your data — the GDPR in the UK and EU, the CCPA in California, and similar laws elsewhere. Rather than work out which applies to you, we extend the following to everyone who asks:
- Access — ask what we hold about you.
- Correction — ask us to fix it if it’s wrong.
- Deletion — ask us to delete it.
- Withdraw consent — unsubscribe at any time, using the link at the bottom of every newsletter or by emailing us.
- Object — tell us to stop processing your data for a given purpose.
Email the address below and we’ll action it. We aim to respond within 30 days, and there’s no charge.
Unsubscribing takes one click
Every newsletter has an unsubscribe link at the bottom. You don’t need to email us, explain yourself, or log in anywhere. One click and you’re off the list.
Children
This site is written for adults and isn’t directed at children. We don’t knowingly collect information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has given us their information, contact us and we’ll delete it.
Changes to this policy
We’ll update this page when our practices change — most likely if we add advertising or affiliate links. When we do, we’ll change the “last updated” date at the top and describe what changed.
For anything significant, we’ll say so in the newsletter rather than making a quiet edit and hoping nobody notices.
Contact
Questions about this policy, or a request about your data, go to contact page