Last updated: 7 October 2026

This policy explains what personal data is processed when you visit startwoodworkingnow.com, why, on what legal basis, who receives it, and what your rights are. It is written to meet the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

1. Who is responsible for your data

The controller of your personal data is Adrian Tapu, the owner and author of Start Woodworking Now.
Contact for any privacy question or request: adrian@startwoodworkingnow.com

2. Summary

• You can read the whole site without giving me your name or email.
• Advertising and analytics cookies are only used if you agree to them in the consent banner. You can change your choice at any time.
• I do not sell your personal data.
• Some service providers I use (Ezoic, Google, Amazon) are based in the United States. Section 7 explains how those transfers are protected.

3. What data is processed, why, and on what legal basis

3.1 Visiting the site (server and security logs)

When you load a page, the server records technical data: IP address, browser and device type, the page requested, the referring page, and the date and time. My hosting provider’s security system (Imunify360) uses this data to block malicious bots and attacks.

Purpose: delivering the site, keeping it secure, preventing abuse.
Legal basis: legitimate interest in running a secure website (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
Retention: server logs are kept for 30 days by SITEBUNKER, then deleted.

3.2 Advertising (Ezoic and its partners)

This site shows ads through Ezoic Inc. If you consent, Ezoic and its advertising partners may use cookies, pixels and similar technologies to show ads and measure them. Depending on your choices, they may process your IP address, device and browser information, language, approximate location, advertising identifiers, and how you use the site. They may use this data to show personalised ads and to build audience segments.

Purpose: funding the site through advertising.
Legal basis: your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), collected through the consent banner, which follows the IAB Transparency & Consent Framework. If you refuse, you may still see ads, but they will be non-personalised.
More information: Ezoic privacy policy and the list of partners below.

3.3 Analytics (Google Analytics)

If you consent, Google Analytics 4 collects data on how visitors use the site: pages viewed, time on page, device and browser type, approximate location, and how you arrived. Google Analytics 4 does not store full IP addresses. I only see aggregated reports, never data that identifies you.

Purpose: understanding which articles are useful, so I can improve them.
Legal basis: your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).
Retention: event data is kept for [2 / 14] months (the Google Analytics retention setting).
More information: Google privacy policy; you can also use the Google Analytics opt-out add-on.

3.4 Amazon affiliate links

Some articles contain links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When you click one of these links, you go to Amazon’s website, and Amazon records that you came from this site so it can credit the referral. I do not send Amazon your name, email or any other personal data. What Amazon collects after the click is governed by Amazon’s own policy: Amazon.com Privacy Notice. Amazon reports to me only aggregated, anonymous sales figures.

Legal basis: legitimate interest in earning referral fees (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Amazon is responsible for the data it processes on its own site.

3.5 Comments

If you leave a comment, the name, email address, website (optional), comment text, IP address and browser user agent are stored, the last two to help detect spam. The email address is never published.

An anonymised string created from your email address (a hash) may be sent to the Gravatar service (Automattic Inc.) to check whether you have a profile picture there. If you do, it is shown next to your comment. Automattic privacy policy.

Legal basis: your consent, given by submitting the comment (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), and legitimate interest in moderating comments (Art. 6(1)(f)).
Retention: comments and their data are kept as long as the comment is published. Ask me and I will delete your comment and its data.

3.6 Contacting me

If you email me or use the contact form, I receive your name, email address and message.

Legal basis: legitimate interest in answering your message (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
Retention: up to [24] months after the conversation ends, then deleted.

3.7 Embedded content

Articles may include embedded content from other sites (for example videos). Embedded content behaves exactly as if you had visited the other site: that site may collect data about you and set cookies, under its own privacy policy.

4. Cookies

Advertising and analytics cookies are only set after you consent in the banner. To change or withdraw your consent at any time, use the privacy / consent settings link at the bottom of every page. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that happened before.

You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking strictly necessary cookies may break parts of the site.

5. Who receives your data

• SITEBUNKER: hosting and security (data processor).
• Ezoic Inc. and its advertising partners: advertising, only with consent.
• Google LLC / Google Ireland Ltd.: analytics, only with consent.
• Automattic Inc.: Gravatar, for comments only.
• Amazon: only what Amazon records itself when you click an affiliate link.
• Public authorities, only when the law requires it.

I do not sell your personal data, and I do not share it for any purpose other than those listed here.

6. How long data is kept

Each retention period is listed in section 3. When a period ends, the data is deleted or anonymised.

7. Transfers outside the European Economic Area

Ezoic, Google, Automattic and Amazon may process data in the United States. These transfers rely on the EU–US Data Privacy Framework where the company is certified under it, or on the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.

8. Your rights

Under the GDPR you have the right to:

• access the personal data I hold about you;
• correct inaccurate data;
• erase your data (“right to be forgotten”);
• restrict processing;
• data portability: receive your data in a common format;
• object to processing based on legitimate interest;
• withdraw consent at any time, without affecting earlier processing.

To use any of these rights, email adrian@startwoodworkingnow.com. I will reply within one month.

9. Children

This site is not aimed at children under 16, and I do not knowingly collect their personal data.

10. Visitors from California

You can visit this site anonymously. The site does not respond differently to “Do Not Track” browser signals; use the consent banner and your browser settings to control tracking. Any change to this policy is published on this page.

11. Changes to this policy

When this policy changes, the new version is published on this page with a new “Last updated” date. Significant changes are also announced on the site.