Sharon Sciammas

Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how Sharon Sciammas ("I", "me", or "my") collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you visit sharonsciammas.com (the "Website"). I am committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Data Controller

Sharon Sciammas is the data controller responsible for your personal data. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact me at sharon@sciammas.com.

Information I Collect

Information You Provide

  • Newsletter Subscription: When you subscribe to my newsletter, I collect your email address. This is processed through ConvertKit, my email service provider.
  • Contact Form: When you use the contact form, I collect your name, email address, and the message you send.

Information Collected Automatically

  • Analytics Data: With your consent, I use Google Analytics to collect anonymized information about how visitors use the Website, including pages visited, time spent, and general location (country/city level).
  • Server Logs: My hosting provider (Vercel) automatically collects standard server logs including IP addresses, browser type, and access times for security and performance purposes.

How I Use Your Information

  • To send you newsletters and updates you've subscribed to
  • To respond to your inquiries via the contact form
  • To understand how visitors use the Website and improve its content
  • To ensure the security and proper functioning of the Website

Legal Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, I process your data based on:

  • Consent: For newsletter subscriptions and analytics cookies
  • Legitimate Interest: For responding to contact form inquiries and maintaining website security

Cookies

This Website uses cookies to enhance your experience. When you first visit, you'll see a cookie consent banner where you can choose to accept or decline non-essential cookies.

  • Essential Cookies: Required for the Website to function properly. These cannot be disabled.
  • Analytics Cookies: Used by Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with the Website. Only set if you consent.

You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clearing your browser's cookies and revisiting the Website.

Third-Party Services

I use the following third-party services that may process your data:

Data Retention

  • Newsletter subscribers: Your email is retained until you unsubscribe
  • Contact form data: Retained for up to 2 years to maintain conversation history
  • Analytics data: Retained according to Google Analytics default settings (26 months)

Your Rights Under GDPR

As a resident of the European Union, you have the following rights:

  • Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data I hold about you
  • Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate personal data
  • Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
  • Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of how I use your data
  • Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a portable format
  • Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interest
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (for newsletter, unsubscribe via the link in any email)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me at sharon@sciammas.com. I will respond within 30 days.

Data Security

I take reasonable measures to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction. The Website uses HTTPS encryption, and I only use reputable third-party services that maintain appropriate security standards.

International Data Transfers

Some of the third-party services I use (Google Analytics, ConvertKit, Vercel) are based in the United States. These services use appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses to ensure your data is protected when transferred outside the EU.

Changes to This Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. For significant changes, I may notify subscribers via email.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact me at: sharon@sciammas.com

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe your data has been processed unlawfully.