// Draft · Not yet final
Privacy policy
Last updated: 16 October 2026
Who we are
This website (thehackerzone.com) promotes the novel Hacker Zone by Stephen E.J. Ryan (S.E.J. Ryan). The data controller is Stephen E.J. Ryan, operating Hacker Zone. Contact for privacy questions: steve@intrench.com.
What data we collect
Newsletter ("Transmissions From The Hacker Zone"). If you sign up through "Join the cell", your email address is sent directly to our newsletter provider, Buttondown, together with the date and time you gave consent and the version and wording of the consent you agreed to. Buttondown then emails you a confirmation link (double opt-in); you are only subscribed once you click it. Buttondown also records your confirmation and basic email activity. We do not keep a separate copy of the subscriber list on this website.
Contact. If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you choose to include in your message.
Technical data. Like most websites, our hosting provider processes basic technical information (such as your IP address and browser type) to deliver and secure the site.
Visitor statistics. We use the visitor analytics built into our hosting platform, Lovable, to understand how much traffic the site receives. It processes information about your visit, such as the pages you view, the time and length of your visit, the website that referred you, your device and browser type, and your approximate country (derived from your IP address). We see only overall totals, not information identifying individual visitors.
Why we use it (lawful basis)
Newsletter emails are sent only with your consent (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(a)). Replying to messages and keeping the site secure, and measuring overall visitor traffic, rely on our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)).
Who we share it with
We do not sell your data. We use these service providers, who process data on our behalf:
- Website hosting: Lovable, which delivers the site from servers around the world, close to each visitor, and also provides the visitor statistics described above. This website does not run its own database and stores no subscriber data.
- Video: YouTube (Google). The Transmission 002 video loads from YouTube only when you press play; YouTube may then set cookies and receive your IP address under its own privacy policy.
- Fonts: Google Fonts (Google may receive your IP address when fonts load)
- Newsletter: Buttondown (Buttondown, LLC, USA), which stores subscriber details and sends newsletter emails. Data is processed in the United States Transfers from the UK are protected by the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (Module 2), supplemented by the UK Information Commissioner's International Data Transfer Addendum, as set out in section 8 of Buttondown's data processing agreement.
Links to Amazon take you to Amazon's own website, which has its own privacy policy. We do not receive data about your purchases.
How long we keep it
Newsletter data is kept while your subscription remains active, subject to periodic review and deletion where appropriate. When you unsubscribe we delete it or keep only what is needed to respect your opt-out. Emails you send us are normally kept for up to 24 months after our last meaningful interaction, unless we need to keep them longer for legitimate legal or business purposes.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you can ask to access, correct or delete your data, object to processing, or withdraw consent at any time — every newsletter email includes an unsubscribe link, handled by Buttondown, which removes you immediately. To exercise these rights, contact us using the details above. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk, 0303 123 1113).
Cookies
This site itself does not set advertising or tracking cookies. Playing the embedded YouTube video may allow YouTube to set its own cookies. Our hosting provider's visitor statistics may use limited technologies on your device to count visits; any that are not strictly necessary will only be used where the law allows.