Privacy Policy

Last updated: 20 October 2026

This policy explains what personal data Cloudy with Games (cloudy.games) collects, why, and what you can do about it. We have tried to keep it short and in plain English.

Who we are

Cloudy with Games is an independent games news site run by Duncan Baxter (trading as One2escape), based in the United Kingdom. Duncan is the “controller” of your personal data under UK data protection law (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018).

You can reach us about anything in this policy through our Contact page.

The short version

  • We don’t sell your data, and we don’t run ads.
  • We use Google Analytics to count visits and see which articles people read.
  • If you play an embedded YouTube video, YouTube (Google) may set its own cookies.
  • If you comment, we store what you submit so the comment can appear on the site.
  • You have rights over your data, and you can complain to the ICO.

What we collect and why

1. When you visit the site
Our host, Hostinger, keeps standard server and security logs: your IP address, browser type, the pages you request and when. These are used to keep the site running, secure and fast. Our caching tool, LiteSpeed Cache, stores copies of pages so they load quickly. It does not build a profile of you.
Lawful basis: legitimate interests (running a secure, working website).

2. Analytics (Google Analytics 4)
We use Google Analytics, connected through Google’s Site Kit plugin, to understand how the site is used. It tells us which pages are read, roughly where visitors come from (country or city level), what device and browser they use, and how they found us. It also records some interactions, such as clicks and scrolling. Google Analytics sets cookies (named _ga and _ga_<ID>) to tell visits apart. We don’t use it to identify you personally, and we have not enabled advertising features.
Data is kept for the retention period set in our Google Analytics account (no longer than 14 months).
Lawful basis: consent where required for the cookies, and legitimate interests for the statistics.

3. Embedded YouTube videos
Many articles include videos from our YouTube channel. They are embedded from youtube.com, so when a page with a video loads or you press play, YouTube (Google) may set cookies and collect information such as your IP address and viewing activity. If you are signed in to Google, that viewing may be linked to your account. This is governed by Google’s Privacy Policy.

4. Comments
If you leave a comment we store your name, email address, website (optional), the comment itself, your IP address and your browser user agent. Your email address is never published.

  • Comments are checked for spam by Akismet (run by Automattic).
  • Your email address may be turned into a scrambled code (a hash) and sent to Gravatar (also Automattic) to see if you have a profile picture. If you do, it appears next to your comment.
  • If you tick “Save my name, email, and website”, your browser stores cookies with those details for about a year, so you don’t have to type them again.
  • Comments stay on the site until they are deleted. Ask us and we will remove yours.

Lawful basis: legitimate interests (publishing comments and keeping out spam), and consent for the optional comment cookies.

5. Newsletter (if you sign up)
If we offer a newsletter and you subscribe, your email address is stored with our email provider, Hostinger Reach, and used only to send you that newsletter. Every email has an unsubscribe link.
Lawful basis: consent.

6. When you email us
If you contact us using the details on our Contact page, we use your name, email address and message to reply. We keep it only as long as needed to deal with your message.
Lawful basis: legitimate interests (answering you).

7. Search Console
We use Google Search Console to see how the site appears in Google Search. It gives us anonymous, combined figures (such as search terms and clicks). It doesn’t identify visitors.

Cookies at a glance

Cookie Set by Purpose How long
_ga, _ga_<ID> Google Analytics Counts visits and sessions Up to 2 years
YouTube cookies (e.g. YSC, VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE) YouTube / Google Video playback, preferences, stats Session to about 6 months
comment_author_* WordPress Remembers your comment details (only if you tick the box) About 1 year
wordpress_*, wp-settings-* WordPress Only for people logged in to manage the site Session to 1 year

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. The site will still work, although embedded videos may not play.

Who we share data with

We only share data with services that help run the site:

  • Hostinger (web hosting, CDN, newsletter)
  • Google (Analytics, Search Console, YouTube)
  • Automattic (Akismet spam checks, Gravatar)

We don’t sell or rent personal data, and we have no advertising or affiliate partners.

International transfers

Some of these providers, such as Google and Automattic, process data in the United States or other countries outside the UK. When that happens, they use safeguards recognised under UK law, such as the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or the UK International Data Transfer Addendum.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you can:

  • ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • ask us to correct it
  • ask us to delete it
  • object to, or ask us to restrict, how we use it
  • ask for your data in a portable format
  • withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent

To use any of these rights, get in touch through our Contact page. We will reply within one month.

If you’re unhappy with how we handle your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. We’d appreciate the chance to sort it out first.

Children

This site is aimed at a general audience and isn’t designed for children under 13. We don’t knowingly collect their data.

Changes to this policy

If we change how we use data, we will update this page and the “Last updated” date at the top.