What data is collected?
- Contact form: name, email address, and the message you submit. This is the only personally identifiable information I intentionally collect.
- Articles waitlist: email address only. The form auto-generates the message body so you do not have to type it, but the request is processed exactly like the contact form.
- Essential analytics: Cloudflare Web Analytics records anonymized counts of page views, referrers, device-type, and approximate country so I can understand which parts of the portfolio people actually read. Cloudflare truncates IP addresses and never sets cookies.
- Server logs: Cloudflare Pages records standard web metadata (IP address, user agent, requested URL) to protect the site from abuse. I do not combine these logs with other data.
- No tracking cookies: there are no marketing pixels, cross-site trackers, or ad networks embedded on this site.
How the forms work
Whether you use the contact modal or the articles waitlist, the payload is validated in your browser (including a hidden honeypot field to reject most bots) and then sent directly to Web3Forms over HTTPS. They securely relay the message to my inbox, and I use your details only to reply or confirm the waitlist—never selling or sharing them with advertisers.
- Included fields: name, email address, your message (or the auto-generated waitlist message), IP address, user agent, and the timestamp of the submission. I keep this metadata purely for security review and context while replying.
- Web3Forms: stores the payload only long enough to send the email to the destination address configured for my account.
- Proton Mail: stores the delivered email so I can reply and keep a conversation history. Proton encrypts mail at rest and is hosted in Switzerland.
Web3Forms holds the payload only long enough to deliver it via email, and the honeypot fields are discarded immediately when legitimate visitors submit the form.
Third-party services
The following services help me run the site:
- Cloudflare Pages & CDN: Hosts the site, serves assets over HTTPS, and keeps short-lived logs (IP, user agent, requested path) to block abuse.
- Cloudflare Web Analytics: Provides anonymous page view and performance metrics without cookies. Cloudflare aggregates counts (page URL, referrer, country, device type) so I can see which sections are popular.
- Web3Forms: Receives validated form payloads (name, email, message, timestamp, request metadata) over HTTPS and then forwards them to my inbox without needing custom SMTP infrastructure.
- Proton Mail: Encrypted inbox where I read and respond to messages. Data is stored in Switzerland under Proton’s privacy policy.
- GitHub: Optional outbound link; their own privacy practices apply once you click through.
- LinkedIn: Optional outbound link; their own privacy practices apply once you click through.
When you follow outbound links (for example to GitHub or LinkedIn) their respective privacy policies apply.
Data retention & your rights
I keep emails only as long as they are relevant to ongoing work or conversations. You can request deletion of your messages at any time by replying to the thread or emailing privacy@ciaranwhiteside.com. I will remove the conversation from Proton Mail within a reasonable timeframe.
If you live in the UK or EU, you also have the right to request a copy of the personal data I hold about you and to ask for corrections if anything is inaccurate.
Client-side preferences
The site stores small preferences in localStorage so you do not have to reconfigure things every visit. Specifically:
- Projects/articles sort and filter choices.
- Your preferred theme (light, dark, or system) so the interface matches what you last picked.
- Timestamp of the last contact or waitlist submission to prevent rapid repeats (this never leaves your device).
These values never leave your device and can be cleared by wiping browser storage. Keyboard shortcuts, the command palette, and on-site search all run entirely inside your browser—they use static data that ships with the site and do not send keystrokes or queries to my servers.
Questions
If you have any questions about this policy or need a copy of your data, contact me via the form or email privacy@ciaranwhiteside.com.