This Privacy Policy explains how Packed Journal (“we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses and protects information when you visit packedjournal.com (the “site”). By using the site, you agree to the practices described here.

Information you give us

We collect information you choose to share with us, such as:

• Comments. When you leave a comment, we collect the name, email address and website you enter, plus your comment. WordPress also records your IP address and browser details to help catch spam.
• Contact form messages. When you use our contact page, we collect your name, email address and the message you send.
• Email updates. If we offer a newsletter in the future, we will only add your email address when you sign up yourself, and every email will include a way to unsubscribe.

Information collected automatically

Like most websites, our hosting provider automatically logs basic technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, the pages you view, the page that sent you here and the date and time of your visit. This helps us keep the site secure, fix problems and understand which pages are useful.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use them for a few reasons:

• Essential cookies that make the site work, such as cookies that remember your name and email for future comments if you tick that box.
• Analytics cookies that help us understand how visitors use the site (see below).
• Advertising cookies that may be set by ad partners if we show ads (see below).

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you block essential cookies, some parts of the site may not work as expected.

Analytics

We may use analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to see how many people visit, which pages they read and how they found us. These tools use cookies and collect information like pages viewed and time on the site. You can opt out of Google Analytics with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Advertising

We may show ads from third-party advertising partners. These partners may use cookies and similar technologies to show ads based on your visits to this and other websites, to limit how often you see an ad and to measure how well ads perform.

You can opt out of personalized advertising through the Digital Advertising Alliance, Your Online Choices (for visitors in Europe) or the advertising settings on your phone. If we start working with an ad network, we will name it on this page.

Affiliate links

Some links on Packed Journal are affiliate links. When you click one, the store or booking site may set a cookie so it knows the visit came from us. If you buy something, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We do not receive your name, address or payment details from these companies. Read more in our Disclaimer.

Embedded content from other sites

Some articles include content from other websites, such as videos, maps, Pinterest pins or Instagram posts. Embedded content behaves the same way as if you visited the other website. Those websites may collect data about you, use cookies and track your interaction with the embedded content.

How we use information

We use the information we collect to:

• run, maintain and protect the site;
• reply to your messages and moderate comments;
• understand which guides are helpful so we can improve them;
• show ads and measure how they perform, if we display ads;
• meet our legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information for money.

When we share information

We only share information with companies that help us run the site, such as our web host, email provider, analytics provider and advertising partners, and only as needed for them to provide their services. We may also share information if the law requires it, to protect our rights or the safety of others, or as part of a sale or transfer of the site.

How long we keep information

• Comments and their details are kept so we can recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically.
• Contact form messages are kept for as long as we need them to reply and follow up.
• Server logs are kept by our hosting provider for a limited time for security reasons.

Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, to correct it, to delete it or to object to how we use it.

Visitors in the UK and European Economic Area: we process personal information based on your consent (for example, analytics and advertising cookies where consent is required), our legitimate interests in running and improving the site, or to meet legal obligations. You can withdraw consent at any time and you have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.

Visitors in California and other US states with privacy laws: you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion and to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for targeted advertising. We do not sell personal information for money. To opt out of ad-related sharing, use the opt-out links in the Advertising section.

To make any request, send us a message through our contact page. We will respond within the time required by law.

Children’s privacy

Packed Journal is written for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 16 in the European Economic Area). If you believe a child has sent us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

Security

We use reasonable measures to protect the information we hold, including a secure (HTTPS) connection. No website or online service is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

International visitors

Our service providers may store and process information in countries other than the one you live in. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for these transfers.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example when we add new features or work with new partners. When we do, we will change the “last updated” date at the top of this page.

Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please reach out through our contact page.