Privacy
Last updated: May 11, 2026
I want to be straight with you about what data this site collects and what happens to it. This page explains everything in plain English.
Who runs this site
Dear Agency Founder is a personal site run by Dan Gent (sole trader), based in the United Kingdom. I am the data controller for the purposes of UK GDPR.
If you have a question, want to exercise a data right, or want to complain — email me at dan@dearagencyfounder.com.
What I collect, why, and the legal basis
| What | Why | Legal basis (UK GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Your email address (only if you sign up to the newsletter) | To send you the weekly newsletter | Article 6(1)(a) — consent (double opt-in) |
| Anonymised analytics (page views, search terms, country, browser type) | To understand which articles people read | Article 6(1)(f) — legitimate interests |
| Your search query (only if you use the search box) | To return relevant articles | Article 6(1)(f) — necessary for the requested service |
| Server access logs (IP address, user agent, request timestamp) | Operational and security purposes | Article 6(1)(f) — legitimate interests |
I do not process any special-category data, do not run targeted advertising, and do not sell, rent, or share your data with anyone for marketing purposes.
Sub-processors
I use the following third-party services to operate the site. Each has its own privacy policy linked below.
| Service | What it does | Where they are |
|---|---|---|
| Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | Newsletter sending and signup form on the /newsletter/ page. On that page only, Kit stores a visitor identifier (ckid) in your browser’s local storage to attribute signups. |
United States |
| GoatCounter | Privacy-respecting analytics. No cookies. IP addresses are hashed and discarded daily. | European Union |
| Voyage AI | Converts your search query into a numerical vector so I can return matching articles. The query text is sent to Voyage; nothing about you is. Note that the query is also recorded in GoatCounter analytics (as part of the /search?q=... URL) so I can see which terms readers search for. |
United States |
| Netlify | Hosts the site. Keeps standard server access logs (IP, user agent) for ~30 days for security and operations. | United States |
International transfers to the United States happen under Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) where required.
What I don’t do
- No advertising trackers
- No social media tracking pixels
- No tracking cookies (the only browser storage is a theme preference and the Kit
ckidmentioned above) - No selling, renting, or sharing your data with anyone for marketing
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- Access the personal data I hold about you
- Rectify inaccurate data
- Erase your data (“right to be forgotten”)
- Object to processing
- Restrict processing
- Port your data (receive it in a portable format)
- Withdraw consent at any time (for newsletter subscribers, the unsubscribe link in every email stops future emails immediately; email me if you also want your address deleted)
- Lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) — ico.org.uk/concerns
To exercise any of these, email dan@dearagencyfounder.com. I’ll respond within one calendar month.
Data retention
| Data | How long I keep it |
|---|---|
| Newsletter email address | Indefinitely. Unsubscribing (via the link in any email) stops you receiving future emails but does not delete your address from Kit — email me if you want it deleted entirely |
| Server access logs | ~30 days, then deleted automatically by the host |
| Anonymised analytics | Aggregate counts only — no individual records to retain |
| Search queries | Sent to Voyage AI for the duration of the request only. Also recorded in GoatCounter analytics as part of the /search?q=... URL — kept for as long as the analytics aggregate exists |
Changes to this policy
If I make material changes, I’ll post an updated version here with a new “Last updated” date and email subscribers if the change affects them.