# Privacy Policy

> Privacy policy for jayptl.me, the personal portfolio of Jay Patel. Last updated: January 15, 2025.

Your privacy is important to me. This policy explains how I handle data on this portfolio website.

## Quick summary

- **Cookies**, Only essential cookies for theme preferences and analytics consent. No tracking cookies without permission.
- **Analytics**, Google Analytics only with your explicit consent. Anonymized data to improve user experience.
- **Personal data**, No personal information is collected or stored. No email signup, no contact forms that store data.
- **Purpose**, Data is used solely to understand how visitors interact with the portfolio to improve user experience.

## What information we collect

### Information we DON'T collect

- Names, email addresses, or any personal identifiers
- Exact location or IP addresses
- Keystrokes or form inputs
- Cross-site browsing activity
- Sensitive personal information
- Financial information

### Information we MAY collect (only with your consent)

- **Page views**, Which pages you visit and how you navigate the site
- **Time on site**, How long you spend viewing different sections
- **Device information**, Browser type, screen resolution, and device type (anonymized)
- **Geographic region**, Country and region (not exact location)
- **Referral source**, Which website or search engine brought you here
- **Interaction events**, Clicks on navigation, theme changes, scroll depth

## How we use information

Any data collected is used exclusively for: portfolio improvement, user experience optimization, technical performance, and content strategy.

We will never: sell your data to third parties; use data for advertising or marketing; share data with anyone except as required by law; profile you across other websites; store personally identifiable information.

## Cookies and local storage

- **Essential cookies (always active)**, Theme preference (dark or light mode) and consent choice (your analytics consent decision).
- **Analytics cookies (only with consent)**, Google Analytics 4 cookies for usage tracking and session understanding.

You can clear all cookies anytime through your browser settings or by using the privacy settings button on this website.

## Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors interact with the site. Analytics is only activated with your explicit consent. When enabled it tracks page views, navigation patterns, time on site, anonymized device/browser information, country-level geography, referral sources, and custom events (theme changes, scroll depth).

Privacy-first configuration: IP anonymization enabled, advertising features disabled, data sharing with Google minimized, cookie flags set to SameSite=Lax;Secure, no cross-site tracking. You can opt out at any time via the privacy settings on this website or the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

## Your rights

- **Consent control**, Enable or disable analytics at any time using the privacy settings button.
- **Data deletion**, Clear all stored preferences and tracking data through your browser or privacy settings.
- **Access**, No personal data is stored, so there's nothing to access or download.
- **Portability**, Theme and consent preferences are stored locally in your browser.
- **Objection**, You can object to any data processing by disabling analytics.

## Data security

All connections are encrypted with SSL/TLS (HTTPS). No personal data is stored on our servers. Google Analytics follows industry-standard security practices. Preferences are stored locally in your browser.

## Third-party services

- **Google Analytics**, When enabled, this site uses GA4. Review Google's Privacy Policy for how Google processes data.
- **Hosting**, This website is hosted on a secure hosting platform. Server logs may temporarily contain IP addresses for security and performance monitoring, but these are not linked to any personal information.

## Children's privacy

This website does not knowingly collect any information from children under 13.

## Changes to this policy

This policy may be updated from time to time. Changes are posted on this page with an updated "Last modified" date; significant changes affecting your rights get prominent notice on the website.

## Legal basis for processing (GDPR)

For visitors from the European Union: analytics data is processed only with your explicit consent (consent), and essential functionality such as theme preferences relies on legitimate interest for website operation. You may withdraw consent at any time through the privacy settings on this website.

## Contact

Questions about this policy: hello@jayptl.me.