Last updated: 31/01/2026
Who we are
Our website address is: https://cloudandclear.uk
Cloud and Clear UK is a technology blog focused on cloud computing, providing educational content, tutorials, and insights on Microsoft Azure, AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. This site is operated by Paul Cheyne and is based in the United Kingdom.
Contact Information:
- Website: https://cloudandclear.uk
- Email: cloudandclearuk@gmail.com
- Contact Form: https://cloudandclear.uk/contact/
What personal data we collect and why we collect it
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.
An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
We retain comment data indefinitely so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
Contact forms
When you use our contact form, we collect:
- Your name
- Email address
- Subject line
- Message content
- Phone number (if provided)
- IP address and timestamp
This information is used solely to respond to your inquiry and is retained for up to 2 years for customer service purposes.
Media
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.
Newsletter and Email Communications
If you subscribe to our newsletter or email updates, we collect:
- Email address
- Name (if provided)
- Subscription preferences
- Email engagement data (opens, clicks)
You can unsubscribe at any time using the link provided in our emails.
Analytics and Website Usage
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our website. This service collects:
- IP address (anonymized)
- Browser type and version
- Device information
- Pages visited
- Time spent on site
- Referring websites
- Geographic location (country/city level)
This data helps us improve our content and user experience. Google Analytics privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Advertising and Monetization
This website uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google AdSense may collect and use information about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you.
Google AdSense uses cookies and web beacons to collect this information. You can learn more about Google’s advertising practices and opt out of personalized advertising by visiting: https://www.google.com/policies/technologies/partner-sites/
Affiliate Links and Partnerships
This website may contain affiliate links to cloud service providers and technology products. When you click on these links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products and services we believe will be valuable to our readers.
Cookies
If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.
If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.
Third-Party Cookies
- Google Analytics: Used for website analytics and performance monitoring
- Google AdSense: Used for advertising personalization and measurement
- Social Media Platforms: When you share content via social media buttons
You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect website functionality.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Common embedded content includes:
- YouTube videos
- Social media posts
- Cloud service documentation
- Code repositories
Legal basis for processing (GDPR)
We process your personal data under the following legal bases:
- Consent: When you subscribe to newsletters, leave comments, or contact us
- Legitimate Interest: For website analytics, security, and improving our services
- Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations
Who we share your data with
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal data to third parties, except in the following circumstances:
- Service Providers: We may share data with trusted third-party services that help us operate our website (hosting, email services, analytics)
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information when required by law or to protect our rights
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
Third-Party Services Used:
- Web Hosting: Site Grounds
- Email Services: Site Grounds
- Analytics: Google Analytics
- Advertising: Google AdSense
- CDN/Security: Site Grounds
How long we retain your data
- Comments: Retained indefinitely for spam prevention and moderation
- Contact Form Submissions: 2 years
- Analytics Data: 26 months (Google Analytics default)
- Newsletter Subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe
- Cookies: As specified in the cookies section above
What rights you have over your data
If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
Your Rights Include:
- Access: Request a copy of your personal data
- Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
- Erasure: Request deletion of your data
- Portability: Request transfer of your data
- Objection: Object to processing of your data
- Restriction: Request limitation of data processing
- Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time
To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided above.
Where we send your data
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), including the United States, where our service providers are located. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers.
How we protect your data
We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:
- SSL encryption for data transmission
- Regular security updates and monitoring
- Access controls and authentication
- Regular backups
- Secure hosting infrastructure
Data breach procedures
In the event of a data breach that poses a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach. We will also notify the relevant supervisory authority as required by law.
What third parties we receive data from
We may receive data from:
- Social media platforms (if you interact with our social content)
- Google Analytics and other analytics providers
- Email service providers
- Hosting and security services
Automated decision making and profiling
We do not engage in automated decision making or profiling that produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you.
Industry regulatory disclosure requirements
As a technology blog covering cloud computing services, we may be subject to various industry regulations. We comply with applicable data protection laws including GDPR, UK GDPR, and other relevant privacy regulations.
Children’s Privacy
Our website is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.
International Transfers
Some of our service providers are located outside the UK/EEA. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place for international data transfers, including adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, or other approved transfer mechanisms.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new privacy policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, your data, or your rights, please contact us:
- Email: cloudandclearuk@gmail.com
- Contact Form: https://cloudandclear.uk/contact/
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK: https://ico.org.uk/
