Elvin is a free, independent blog written by a small group of people. We don't sell products, run ads, or have investors to please. This privacy policy reflects that: short, plain, and honest.
What we collect
We collect very little personal information. When you visit Elvin, Google Analytics 4 collects anonymous usage information such as pages viewed, approximate location (country or city level), device type, browser, and how you arrived at the site. We use this information only to understand which articles people read and how the site is performing. We do not attempt to identify individual visitors.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand aggregate traffic trends and improve the site. Google Analytics uses first-party cookies to measure visits, page views, engagement, and basic usage statistics. We do not use Google Analytics for advertising, personalized marketing, or cross-site profiling. We only access aggregated reports and do not sell or share visitor data.
The contact form
When you submit the contact form, your name, email address, and message are sent directly to our email inbox. We use this only to respond to you. We do not store this data in any database, and we do not share it with anyone.
Signing in and your account
If you choose to sign in with Google, we store your name, email address, and profile picture URL to identify you across visits. We use this to let you bookmark posts, leave comments under your name, and remember your theme preference. We do not use this information for marketing or share it with third parties.
Cookies
Elvin uses a small number of first-party cookies created by Google Analytics. These cookies help us understand how people use the site - for example, which pages are most popular and how visitors navigate between them. They are not used to show advertising or track you across unrelated websites. See our Cookies page for a full statement.
Third-party links
Our essays frequently link to external websites. Once you follow a link off Elvin, you are subject to that site's own privacy policy. We have no control over, and take no responsibility for, the privacy practices of third-party sites.
Children
Elvin is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children.
Changes to this policy
If we ever materially change how we handle your data - for example, if we add a newsletter or any new tool that collects information - we will update this page. Continued use of the site after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Get in touch. We read everything.