Privacy and Cookies Policy

The Selebian — selebian.com

Last updated: 20 August 2026

1. Introduction

This policy explains how The Selebian ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you use our website (selebian.com) and our app. We are committed to handling your data responsibly and in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

If you have questions about this policy, contact us at [insert contact email].

Data controller: [Insert your name / company name and registered address]. [If you are registered with the ICO, insert your ICO registration number here.]

2. What data we collect

The Selebian does not require you to create an account, and we do not offer email newsletter sign-up. As a result, we collect very little personal data directly from you. The main sources are:

Server and technical logs When you visit our website or use our app, our hosting infrastructure automatically logs standard technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and timestamps. This is used for security, troubleshooting, and keeping the site running reliably, and is kept only as long as necessary for those purposes.

Analytics data (Umami) We use Umami, a self-hosted, privacy-focused analytics tool, to understand how many people visit The Selebian and which articles are popular. Umami does not use cookies and does not collect personal data that identifies you individually — it records aggregated, anonymised statistics (such as page views and general location derived from IP address, with the IP address itself not stored). Because this data stays on our own servers and isn't shared with a third party, and doesn't identify you, it doesn't require cookie consent under PECR.

Advertising data (Google AdSense / Google Ad Manager) We display adverts through Google AdSense and Google Ad Manager. These services may collect and use data about your visit to show you relevant adverts — see Section 4 below for details.

We do not collect payment information, account credentials, or newsletter sign-up details, because these features don't currently exist on The Selebian.

3. How we use your data

We use the limited data described above to:

• Operate, secure, and maintain the website and app
• Understand overall readership trends (via anonymised Umami analytics)
• Allow Google to serve adverts, which funds the free running of The Selebian
• Comply with legal obligations where relevant

4. Cookies and similar technologies

What cookies we use

The Selebian itself does not set cookies for analytics purposes, since Umami is cookieless. The main cookies on our site come from our advertising partner:

Cookie source	Purpose	Type	Consent required?
Google AdSense / Google Ad Manager	Selecting and serving adverts, including personalised ads based on browsing behaviour, measuring ad performance, and preventing fraud	Third-party advertising cookie	Yes (except strictly necessary ones)
Umami (self-hosted analytics)	None — no cookies are set	N/A	No

Google may set several different cookies depending on the ad formats shown and whether you have consented to personalised advertising. These can include cookies used for ad delivery, frequency capping, and measuring ad interactions. Some of these cookies may be placed even for non-personalised ads, for purposes like fraud prevention and aggregate reporting, as permitted under PECR.

Managing cookie consent

Because most UK visitors will encounter advertising cookies, we display a cookie consent banner allowing you to accept or reject non-essential cookies before they are set. You can change your preferences at any time via [insert link to your cookie preference tool, e.g. "Cookie Settings" link in your footer].

You can also control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Note that blocking all cookies may affect how adverts (and therefore site revenue) are shown, though it won't affect your ability to read articles.

Google's own disclosures

Because Google Ad Manager/AdSense cookies are controlled by Google, not by us, we recommend reviewing Google's own explanation of how it uses data when you use publisher sites, available at Google's Advertising Privacy & Terms page. You can manage personalised advertising across Google services at Google Ads Settings.

5. Legal basis for processing (UK GDPR)

• Server/technical logs: Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) — keeping our site secure and functioning.
• Umami analytics: Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) — understanding readership, using an anonymised, privacy-preserving method with minimal impact on you.
• Advertising cookies: Consent (Article 6(1)(a)), obtained via our cookie banner, as required by PECR for non-essential cookies.

6. Sharing your data

We don't sell your personal data. We share limited data with:

• Google (AdSense/Ad Manager), to the extent necessary to serve and measure adverts, where you've consented to advertising cookies.
• Our hosting provider, which processes technical/server data as part of running the site.

We do not share data with any other third parties for marketing purposes.

7. International transfers

Google's advertising services may involve transferring data outside the UK, including to the US. Where this happens, Google relies on its own approved safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) — see Google's privacy documentation linked above for details.

8. Data retention

• Server logs are retained only as long as needed for security and troubleshooting purposes, typically no more than [insert retention period, e.g. "30 days"].
• Umami analytics data is aggregated and anonymised, so it does not identify you and can be retained indefinitely for trend analysis.
• Advertising cookie data is controlled by Google under its own retention policies.

9. Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Be informed about how your data is used (this policy)
• Access any personal data we hold about you
• Request correction or deletion of your data
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw cookie consent at any time

Since we hold very little personal data about individual readers (no accounts, no newsletter), most requests will relate to cookie consent (see Section 4) or to Google's handling of advertising data, which you can manage directly via your Google account settings.

To exercise any rights regarding data we do hold directly, contact us at [insert contact email]. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe your data has been mishandled.

10. Children's privacy

The Selebian is a general news publication not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time, for example if we introduce new features (such as accounts or a newsletter) or change our advertising setup. The "last updated" date at the top will reflect the most recent version. We recommend checking back periodically.

12. Contact us

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle data, contact us at:

Email: info@selebian.com