Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

PsySymbol is operated by RM Technologies LLC ("we", "us", "PsySymbol"). For privacy questions, contact hello@psysymbol.com. We act as the data controller for the personal data described below.

2. What we collect

• Server logs (Netlify hosting): IP address, user agent, requested URL, timestamp, and HTTP referrer. Retained by Netlify per their policy.
• Privacy-friendly analytics (Plausible): aggregated pageviews, referrer domains, country (not city), browser, and OS. No cookies are set, no personal data is collected, and no individual is identifiable. See section 5a.
• Local storage on your device: consent choice, interface preferences, and recent searches/notes. This data never leaves your browser unless you choose to share it.
• Cookies and identifiers from third parties — only if you accept the cookie banner. See section 5.

3. How we use your data

• To operate and secure the site (legitimate interest).
• To display advertisements through Google AdSense (your consent).
• To remember your settings on your own device (legitimate interest; data does not reach us).

4. Legal basis (UK GDPR / EEA)

We rely on your consent for advertising cookies and analytics. We rely on legitimate interest for basic site operation and security logs.

5. Cookies and Google AdSense

If you accept the cookie banner, we load Google AdSense (publisher ID ca-pub-3857946786580406). Google and its partners may use cookies and similar technologies to serve personalised or non-personalised ads, measure performance, and prevent fraud. Google's data practices are described at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

You can withdraw consent at any time by clearing your browser's site data for psysymbol.com, which resets the banner.

For EEA / UK / Swiss visitors, Google uses Consent Mode v2 signals derived from your choice. Until consent is granted, no advertising cookies are set and Google receives only anonymised, aggregated signals.

5a. Plausible Analytics

We use Plausible Analytics to understand which of our pages are useful to readers. Plausible is a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics, hosted in the EU (Germany), and is GDPR / CCPA / PECR compliant by design:

• No cookies are set.
• No personal data is collected. We do not see your IP address — Plausible hashes it server-side immediately and discards the original.
• You are not tracked across sites, sessions, or visits.
• We see only aggregated metrics: pageviews per URL, referring domain, country-level location, device type.

Because Plausible does not store personal data, no consent is required under GDPR for this analytics. Plausible's own data practices are described at plausible.io/data-policy.

6. Recipients and processors

• Netlify, Inc. — site hosting and CDN.
• Plausible Insights OÜ — privacy-friendly analytics (EU-hosted, no cookies). See section 5a.
• Google LLC / Google Ireland Ltd — advertising (AdSense), only after consent.
• Anthropic, PBC — Claude Haiku 4.5 API for the "Deep Read" feature, only when you click the Deep Read button. Your input is sent to Anthropic for the duration of the request and is not retained by us. Anthropic's data handling is described in their privacy policy.
• name.com — domain registration and authoritative DNS.

We do not sell personal data. We do not transfer data to any party beyond these processors.

6a. Affiliate links (Amazon Associates)

PsySymbol participates in the Amazon EU Associates Programme and Amazon Associates UK. Some links on the site — typically "Related reading" book recommendations below our interpretation pages — route to Amazon UK via our affiliate identifier psysymbol-21. If you click such a link and subsequently make a qualifying purchase on Amazon, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

We only recommend books and products we have read or used. The commission does not influence which books we recommend, and we do not change recommendations in response to higher or lower commission rates. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Amazon's use of your data when you visit their site is governed by Amazon UK's Privacy Notice.

7. International transfers

Our processors operate globally, including in the United States. Where personal data leaves the UK or EEA, transfers rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent safeguards offered by each processor.

8. Retention

• Server logs: per Netlify's retention policy.
• Local storage: indefinitely on your device until you clear it.
• AdSense cookies: per Google's policies, typically up to 13 months.

9. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to: access your data, request correction or deletion, restrict or object to processing, request portability, and withdraw consent. To exercise any of these rights, email hello@psysymbol.com. We aim to respond within 30 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your national supervisory authority — for example, the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

10. Children

PsySymbol is not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have, please contact us and we will delete it.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as our practices evolve. Material changes will be reflected in the "Last updated" date above.