Privacy policy

This site collects as little as possible. Here is exactly what is collected, why, and how to get it removed. Last updated September 2026.

Who runs this site

startyourowntravelblog.com is run by Aghosh Babu (Matsio), Kerala, India. Contact: contact page or [email protected].

What is collected and why

• Analytics. Google Analytics 4 (via gtag.js and Google Tag Manager) records anonymised page views, approximate location, device and referrer so I can see which guides help people. IP addresses are not stored by GA4. You can opt out with a browser extension such as Google’s Analytics opt-out add-on.
• Forms. If you use the contact or “email me this guide” form, your name, email, message and IP address are stored in this site’s database so I can reply, and emailed to me via Amazon SES. I delete help requests once they’re resolved, normally within 90 days.
• Comments. Name, email and comment text are stored so the comment can be displayed. Your email is never shown. A Gravatar image may be requested from Gravatar.com using a hash of your email.
• Security logs. The server and the Wordfence security plugin log IP addresses and requests to block attacks. Cloudflare sits in front of the site and does the same. These logs are kept for a short period.
• Affiliate links. When you click a hosting link, the merchant’s affiliate network (for example Impact for Bluehost) sets a cookie on their site to track that the visit came from here. I don’t see who clicked.
• Embedded videos. YouTube videos only load after you press play, and then load from youtube-nocookie.com.

Cookies

The site itself sets no cookies for ordinary visitors. Google Analytics sets its own cookies once its script loads (after your first interaction with the page). If you leave a comment, WordPress may offer to remember your name and email in a cookie for next time.

Your rights

You can ask me what data I hold about you, ask for it to be corrected or deleted, or object to it being processed, at any time via the contact page. If you’re in the EU/UK you also have the right to complain to your data protection authority.

Children

This site isn’t aimed at children under 16 and I don’t knowingly collect their data.

Changes

If this policy changes, the date at the top changes with it.