Privacy Policy

Last Updated: February 16, 2025

Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains what information jasonthorsness.com (the “Site”) collects, how we use that information, and what choices you have. We are committed to keeping your personal information safe and secure. This personal blog is not supported by advertising, and we do not sell or share your information with third parties. By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

We collect only the minimum information necessary to operate and improve the Site. This information falls into the following categories:

Information You Provide to Us: If you create an account or log in via a third-party OAuth service (such as Google, GitHub, or X/Twitter), we receive basic information from that service – for example, your name, email address, and public profile ID. We do not receive or store your passwords for those third-party accounts. If you subscribe to our newsletter or voluntarily contact us (such as by email or a contact form), we collect the information you choose to provide, like your email address and any other details you include in your message. We do not collect any sensitive personal details that you do not explicitly give us.
Information Collected Automatically (Analytics & Fraud Prevention): When you visit the Site, we gather anonymized analytics data using Fathom Analytics, which does not use cookies or tracking scripts. This data includes aggregated metrics such as which pages are visited, session duration, browser type, and general geographic location (e.g., country or city). Your full IP address is only briefly processed and then anonymized. No personal identifiers are stored.

In addition, we use automated monitoring for security and fraud prevention. This includes temporary logs of login attempts, IP addresses for spam filtering, and unusual account behavior detection. These logs are retained only as long as necessary for security purposes and are permanently deleted after review.
We do not collect behavioral tracking data across third-party websites and do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect only for the following purposes:

To Provide and Maintain the Site: We use account information to enable logins, manage access to personalized content, and ensure site functionality.
To Prevent Fraud and Abuse: We use temporary security logs to detect and mitigate spam, unauthorized access attempts, and malicious activity. These logs are deleted once they are no longer needed.
To Communicate with You: If you provided your email for newsletters or inquiries, we will use it solely for those purposes. You may opt out at any time.
To Analyze and Improve the Site: Aggregated analytics help us understand visitor behavior, improve content, and optimize user experience. No individual user is identified in this process.

We do not use your personal data for advertising, tracking, or resale.

Cookies and Tracking

We do not use tracking cookies on this Site. The only cookies that may be used are essential cookies (e.g., for session management when you log in). These cookies do not track your activity outside the Site.

If you disable cookies in your browser, some features (such as login sessions) may not function correctly.

Third-Party Services

We rely on a few third-party services for essential site functionality:

Fathom Analytics – Used for privacy-focused, cookie-free site analytics. Data is collected in aggregate and does not include personal identifiers. Learn more.
OAuth Login Providers – If you log in via Google, GitHub, or X/Twitter, those services provide us with your name and email for authentication. We do not share any data back with them except what is necessary for verification.
Email Service Provider (Mailgun or Similar) – Used to send newsletters and email responses. Your email address is stored securely and never shared with third parties for marketing.

These services are selected with privacy in mind, and we ensure they do not retain or misuse your data beyond their intended function.

Data Storage, Security, and Breach Notification

We take reasonable measures to protect the security of your information:

Encryption & Secure Storage: User data (such as email addresses) is stored securely and encrypted where applicable.
Access Control: Only authorized personnel have access to personal information.
Data Retention Limits: Security logs are automatically deleted after 30 days, and account-related data is retained only as long as necessary for functionality.
Breach Notification: In the event of a data breach affecting your personal data, we will notify affected users within 72 hours via email and post a notice on the Site, in compliance with applicable laws.

Data Retention

We only keep data as long as needed:

Account Data: Retained as long as your account is active. Deleted upon request.
Newsletter Subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe. Deleted immediately upon request.
Security Logs: Retained for up to 30 days for fraud detection and then deleted.
Analytics Data: Stored in aggregate form only without identifying users.

We do not store personal data longer than necessary for operational, security, or legal compliance purposes.

Your Rights and Choices

You have control over your personal information:

Access & Correction: You can request details of your stored data and correct any inaccuracies.
Account Deletion: You can request your account and associated data be deleted.
Unsubscribe: Opt out of newsletters at any time via the unsubscribe link or by contacting us.
Do Not Track Compliance: We do not track users across third-party websites and respect browser Do Not Track (DNT) signals.

For California & EEA residents, you may request a copy of your data or request deletion in compliance with CCPA and GDPR regulations.

Third-Party Sharing

Third-Party Marketing or Tracking

We do not sell or share your personal information with third parties for their own marketing or tracking purposes. Data collected on this Site stays with us and is used only as outlined in this policy.

If we ever need to change this, we will request explicit consent before sharing any personal data.

Third-Party Data Processing

Some Site features (including LLM-powered tools) will send your input data to third-party services (such as OpenAI) for processing. These features are clearly marked on the Site. By using them, you acknowledge and consent to the transmission of your data to these third parties. We advise reviewing the privacy policies of these services to understand how they handle your data.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. If a significant change occurs, we will:

Post a clear notice on the Site.
Notify users via email (if you have an account or newsletter subscription).
Update the “Last Updated” date at the top.

Your continued use of the Site after a policy update constitutes acceptance of any changes.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about your privacy, contact:

📧 Jason Thorsness
📩 Email: termsandprivacy@jasonthorsness.com
🔗 Social: Contact links available on the Site (email preferred for privacy inquiries).

We take privacy seriously and will respond to all inquiries promptly.

Thank you for trusting jasonthorsness.com with your data!