At The Tea Gatherer, I value your privacy and want to explain how I collect, use, and protect your information.
Our website address is: https://theteagatherer.com
The Tea Gatherer is a personal blog created and maintained by an individual content creator. If you have any questions about this privacy policy, you can contact me at:
Email: admin@theteagatherer.com
What Personal Data We Collect and Why
I collect personal data only when you voluntarily provide it or when standard website technologies automatically collect it.
This data may include:
- your name and email address
- your IP address and browser information
- your comments and interactions on posts
- cookie and analytics data
I use this information to:
- improve user experience
- respond to inquiries or comments
- prevent spam and abuse
- analyze site performance and traffic
- maintain website functionality
I do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data such as health or financial information.
Comments
When you leave a comment on the site, I collect the data shown in the comments form, along with your IP address and browser user agent string to help detect spam.
In addition, I may send an anonymized string (also called a hash) created from your email address to the Gravatar service to check if you use it. You can review the Gravatar privacy policy here: https://automattic.com/privacy/
After I approve your comment, your profile picture becomes visible to the public alongside your comment.
WP Recipe Maker – Comment Ratings
If recipe ratings are enabled, WP Recipe Maker stores the rating you give along with the personal data WordPress already stores. This helps display ratings properly and prevent abuse.
Media
If you upload images to the website, avoid uploading images that include embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Otherwise, other visitors may download those images and extract location data from them.
Contact Forms
When you contact me through a contact form, I collect the information you provide, such as your name and email address, only to respond to your inquiry.
I do not use contact form submissions for marketing purposes. However, I may keep submissions for a limited time for customer service purposes.
Cookies
If you leave a comment on the site, you may choose to save your name, email address, and website in cookies. These cookies make your experience more convenient and last for one year.
When you visit the login page, the site may set a temporary cookie to check whether your browser accepts cookies. This cookie does not contain personal data and is removed when you close your browser.
After you log in, the site sets cookies to save your login information and screen display preferences. Login cookies last for two days, while screen option cookies last for one year. If you select “Remember Me,” your login stays active for two weeks.
If you edit or publish an article, the site saves an additional cookie in your browser. This cookie simply shows the post ID of the article and expires after one day.
WP Recipe Maker Cookies
When recipe ratings are enabled, WP Recipe Maker stores a cookie (WPRM_User_Voted_%recipe%) to record that you have already voted on a recipe. As a result, this helps prevent rating spam and may last for up to 30 days.
Embedded Content from Other Websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content such as videos, images, or articles. This content behaves the same as if you visited the other website directly.
Because of that, those websites may collect data about you, use cookies, add third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with the content.
Analytics
I may use analytics tools to better understand how visitors use the website. For example, these tools may collect anonymized information such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited.
You can opt out of analytics tracking through your browser settings or through tools provided by analytics services.
Who I Share Your Data With
I do not sell, trade, or rent your personal data.
However, I may send visitor comments through an automated spam detection service. In addition, if you request a password reset, the email will include your IP address.
Third-Party Services
Some plugins and services used on this site may process limited technical data.
For example:
- WP Recipe Maker stores recipe ratings locally
- Smush may process images through WPMU DEV servers for optimization
- LiteSpeed Cache / QUIC.cloud may process temporary caching data to improve site performance
You can review QUIC.cloud’s privacy policy here: https://quic.cloud/privacy-policy/
How Long I Retain Your Data
I keep comments and their metadata indefinitely so I can recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically.
I may retain contact form submissions for a limited time.
I store recipe rating cookies for up to 30 days.
If users register on the site, I store their information in user profiles. Users can view, edit, or delete their information at any time.
What Rights You Have Over Your Data
If you have an account or have left comments, you may request:
- a copy of the personal data I hold about you
- deletion of your personal data
However, this does not include data I must keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
Where Your Data Is Sent
I may send visitor comments through automated spam detection services.
In some cases, third-party providers may process data outside the European Union. However, these providers must follow applicable data protection standards.
How I Protect Your Data
I take reasonable steps to protect your data. For example, I use:
- secure hosting
- regular updates to WordPress, themes, and plugins
- limited access to administrative areas
Data Breach Procedures
If a data breach occurs, I will investigate the issue, secure the website, and notify affected users when required by law.
Third-Party Data Sources
I do not receive personal user data from third-party sources.
Automated Decision-Making
I do not use automated decision-making or profiling with user data.
Industry Regulatory Disclosure
The Tea Gatherer is not part of a regulated industry requiring additional disclosures.