Last Updated: 22 December 2024

1. Introduction

This privacy policy explains how Witch of the East ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit our website at aerishoulihan.com (the "Site"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data is:
Aeris Houlihan / Witch of the East
Email: contact@aerishoulihan.com

3. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal data:

• Email Address: When you subscribe to our mailing list through Email Octopus.
• Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our Site, including pages visited, time spent, and browser information.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and serve relevant advertisements.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Email Marketing: To send you updates, exclusive content, and promotional offers (you may unsubscribe at any time).
• Site Functionality: To provide and improve the features and services available on our Site.
• Analytics: To understand how visitors use our Site and improve user experience.
• Advertising: To serve relevant advertisements through Google AdSense.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect and process your personal data:

5.1 Google AdSense

Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our Site or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our Site and/or other sites on the internet. You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or aboutads.info.

5.2 Email Octopus (Newsletter Service)

When you subscribe to our mailing list, your email address is stored and processed by Email Octopus, a third-party email marketing platform. Email Octopus is GDPR-compliant and processes data in accordance with UK data protection laws. For more information, see Email Octopus Privacy Policy.

5.3 Sanity.io (Content Management)

Our blog ("The Clinic") is powered by Sanity.io, a headless content management system. Sanity.io may collect technical data related to content delivery, such as IP addresses and usage analytics. For more information, see Sanity.io Privacy Policy.

6. Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyse site traffic, and serve personalised advertisements. By using our Site, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with this policy.

You can control and/or delete cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our Site.

7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure: You can request that we delete your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
• Right to Restriction: You can request that we restrict the processing of your personal data.
• Right to Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used format.
• Right to Object: You can object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw consent at any time (e.g., unsubscribe from emails).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@aerishoulihan.com.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law. Email addresses are retained until you unsubscribe from our mailing list.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. International Data Transfers

Some of our third-party service providers (e.g., Google, Cloudflare) may process your data outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA). Where this occurs, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with UK GDPR.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us immediately.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us at:
Email: contact@aerishoulihan.com