Privacy Policy

Welcome to Matt’s Next Steps!

Your privacy is incredibly important, and I am committed to protecting the personal information you share with me. This privacy policy explains how I collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you visit my website [https://mattsnextsteps.com], subscribe to my newsletter, or interact with me in other ways.

By using this site, you agree to the terms outlined in this privacy policy. Please take a moment to read it carefully to understand how I collect and handle your data.

What Data We Collect (and Why)

We collect both personal and non-personal information when you interact with my website. This helps me improve your user experience and offer relevant content.

Personal Information:

  • Email Address: When you subscribe to my newsletter, contact me through forms, or interact in other ways.
  • Name: If you leave a comment, submit a contact form, or subscribe to my blog.
  • Location: If you provide location details for travel-related queries or content (voluntary).
  • Other Identifiable Information: Any personal information you provide directly through forms or interactions with me.

Non-Personal Information:

  • Browser Type and Device Information: We collect information about your device, such as browser type, operating system, and screen resolution.
  • IP Address: We may collect your IP address for website security and analytics purposes.
  • Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience (explained in detail below).

How we collect data

We collect information in the following ways:

  • Direct Collection: When you subscribe to my newsletter, leave a comment, fill out a contact form, or otherwise engage with me on my website.
  • Automated Collection: Through cookies and other tracking technologies used on my website. This helps me understand how you navigate my site and tailor the content accordingly.
  • Third-party Services: I may collect data via third-party services like Google Analytics or advertising networks.
    • We use Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors interact with Matt’s Next Steps. This tool collects information such as the pages you visit, how long you spend on the site, and the type of device you’re using. All data is collected anonymously and helps us improve the blog by analysing trends, user behaviour, and overall performance. For more information on how Google Analytics handles your data, you can review Google’s Privacy Policy, then if you want to opt out of Google Analytics tracking, you can use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

How we use your data

We use your information for the following purposes:

  • To Provide Content: To improve your user experience by tailoring content to your interests and preferences.
  • To Communicate: If you subscribe to my newsletter or contact me, I may use your email address to send updates, offers, or respond to your inquiries.
  • To Improve My Website: I use analytics to understand how visitors interact with my site, helping me optimise and enhance its functionality.
  • Spam detection: When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.
  • For Advertising: If applicable, I may use your information for personalised advertising, such as through Google AdSense or affiliate marketing programs.

An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

How long we retain your data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

How We Protect Your Data

I take your data security seriously and implement reasonable measures to protect your personal information. However, please keep in mind that no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. While I strive to protect your personal data, I cannot guarantee its absolute security.

  • Encryption: I use SSL encryption for secure data transmission.
  • Data Retention: I retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy.

Data Breach Procedures:

In the event of a data breach, we will act quickly to identify and contain the issue, assess its impact, and notify affected users as soon as possible. We’ll also report the breach to relevant authorities if required and implement corrective measures to prevent future incidents, ensuring your data remains as secure as possible.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and other similar technologies to collect information about your browsing behaviour, which helps improve this website and personalise your experience. Cookies are small data files stored on your device.

Types of Cookies We Use:

  • Essential Cookies: These are necessary for the basic functioning of my website (e.g. login or form submission).
  • Performance Cookies: These help us analyse website traffic and improve functionality.
  • Advertising Cookies: These are used to show you relevant ads (e.g. through Google AdSense or affiliate marketing).

Managing Cookies:

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. However, please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some features on my website.

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

Sharing Your Data

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. However, we may share your data in the following circumstances:

  • With Service Providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers (e.g. email marketing platforms, hosting services, or analytics tools) to help manage my website and business. Visitor comments may also be checked through an automated spam detection service.
  • For Legal Compliance: If required by law, we may disclose your information to comply with legal obligations or protect my rights or the rights of others.

Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access and Correction: If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can request corrections if it’s inaccurate or you can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you (however this does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes).
  • Opt-out: You can opt out of receiving marketing emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any email I send or by contacting me directly.
  • Cookie Preferences: You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.

If you’re in the European Union (EU) or California (USA), you may have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Please refer to these regulations for more information.

While Matt’s Next Steps is a personal travel blog, we strive to comply with applicable industry standards and regulations (like GDPR). If required by law, we will disclose any necessary information to regulatory authorities or affected users to remain transparent.

Children’s Privacy

This website is not intended for children under the age of 13 (or 16 in some jurisdictions). I do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe I have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact me, and I will take steps to delete that information.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

This privacy policy may be updated occasionally to reflect changes in practices, services, or legal requirements. Any updates will be posted on this page. Please review this policy regularly to stay informed about how I am protecting your personal information.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy policy or how I handle your data, feel free to contact me.