Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to omerbalyali.com ("Website"). This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use, and protect information that is collected on my Website.

Ömer Balyali ("I", "me", or "my") operates this Website as a personal blog and is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

2. Information I Collect

2.1 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit the Website, I automatically collect certain information about your device and your interaction with the Website:

• IP address (anonymized in accordance with GDPR requirements)
• Browser type and version
• Device type and screen information
• Operating system
• Time and date of your visit
• Pages you visit
• Referring websites
• Country of origin
• Language preferences
• General geographic location (city/region level)

2.2 How I Collect This Information

This information is collected via my service providers who help with:

• Website hosting and content delivery
• Domain name system (DNS) services
• Security and performance optimization
• Analytics services

My analytics are server-side based and do not use cookies to track visitors.

3. How I Use Your Information

• Website functionality: To deliver the content of the Website correctly
• Security: To protect the Website from abuse and unauthorized access
• Analytics: To understand how visitors interact with the Website, which pages are popular, and how visitors find the Website
• Performance optimization: To improve the speed and functionality of the Website
• Legal compliance: To comply with legal obligations

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the legal basis for processing the information described above is:

• Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR): It is in my legitimate interest to analyze website usage to improve content and user experience, ensure security, and optimize website performance. This processing is necessary for these purposes and has minimal privacy impact due to the limited and anonymized nature of the data collected.

5. Data Processors and International Transfers

5.1 Service Providers

I use Cloudflare as my service provider for website hosting, DNS services, and analytics. They process personal data as outlined in their privacy policy: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/

International Transfers: My service provider may process information on servers located outside the European Economic Area (EEA). They provide appropriate safeguards for international data transfers through:

• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
• Implementation of additional technical and organizational measures
• Compliance with privacy frameworks like the EU-US Data Privacy Framework

For more information about my service provider's data protection practices, please visit: https://www.cloudflare.com/trust-hub/gdpr/

5.2 Data Sharing with Third Parties

At present, I do not share any personal data collected through this Website with third parties beyond the service providers mentioned in section 5.1 who assist with website functionality and analytics.

Should this change in the future, I will update this Privacy Policy accordingly to provide details about any new data sharing practices, including the recipients, purposes, and legal bases for such sharing.

6. Data Retention

The information collected is retained as follows:

• Analytics data is retained for up to 6 months to allow for trend analysis and performance monitoring
• Server logs and security-related data may be retained for up to 12 months to ensure proper website security and investigation of potential security incidents

After these periods, the data is either deleted or fully anonymized.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

Under the GDPR, if you are an EU resident, you have the following rights:

• Right to information about the processing of your personal data
• Right of access to your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate personal data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restriction of processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Please note that due to the nature of the data collected (primarily anonymized technical data necessary for website functionality), some of these rights may have limited applicability.

To exercise your rights, please contact me using the contact details provided above.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

This Website does not use cookies for analytics purposes. My analytics are server-side based and do not require cookies to track visitors.

My service providers may use some technical cookies that are strictly necessary for security and website functionality. These are exempt from the consent requirement under GDPR.

9. Analytics Opt-Out

As this Website uses cookie-free analytics that processes anonymized data on the server side rather than in your browser, there is no traditional "opt-out" mechanism available. The analytics system does not track individual users but rather aggregates anonymous data.

However, you can use various privacy tools and browser settings to limit your online tracking in general:

• Use a VPN service
• Enable "Do Not Track" in your browser
• Use privacy-focused browser extensions

10. Children's Privacy

This Website is not intended for children under the age of 16. I do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date at the top.

12. Supervisory Authority

If you are resident in the European Union and you believe I am unlawfully processing your personal information, you have the right to complain to your local data protection supervisory authority. In Germany, this is:

Die Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI)
Graurheindorfer Str. 153
53117 Bonn
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)228 997799 0
Website: https://www.bfdi.bund.de

Impressum / Legal Notice

An Impressum (legal notice) is required under German law. Please visit my Legal Notice / Impressum page for details about the website operator.