What we collect, and how to switch it off.

What we collect

We use Google Analytics 4 to see how the site is used: which pages are read, how people arrive (a search engine, X, Telegram, a link), roughly where they are (country and city level), and what kind of device and browser they use. Google Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses.

It sets two small cookies in your browser, _ga and _ga_MSK4BDKPNC, so a return visit is not counted as a new visitor. We have set them to expire after about 13 months rather than Google's default of two years.

That is the only tracking on the site. There is no sign-in, no comment system and no form, so we hold nothing else about you. If you follow a link to X or Telegram, those services have their own privacy policies.

Why, and what we do not do

• Statistics only. We use it to find out which pages are useful and what to improve, such as which course guides people read and whether the tips page loads well on phones.
• No advertising. Analytics is not linked to any advertising account, Google Signals is switched off and nothing is used to build a profile of you or follow you around the web.
• Not shared. Google processes the data on our behalf to produce the reports. We do not sell it or pass it to anyone else.

The legal basis is the statistical-purposes exception in the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, and our legitimate interest in understanding how the site is used under UK GDPR.

How long it is kept

Google Analytics keeps the detailed event data for no more than 14 months, after which only aggregated totals remain. The cookies in your browser expire after about 13 months, or straight away if you switch analytics off above or clear your cookies.

Your rights

You can switch analytics off at any time with the button above, and you can delete the cookies yourself in your browser settings. Under UK GDPR you can also ask what we hold, ask us to delete it, or object to it. Because analytics is anonymous at our end, in practice switching it off is the most effective step.

To get in touch, email [email protected]. If you are unhappy with how we handle your data you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.