Privacy Policy

This policy explains what information DBS Guy collects when you visit this site, why we collect it, who else receives it, and the choices you have. It is written in plain language on purpose.

Who we are

DBS Guy is an independent publication operating the website dbsguy.com, run by David James. For questions about this policy or about your information, email hello@dbsguy.com.

What we collect

Information collected automatically. Like almost every website, our servers and the services we use record technical details each time a page loads: your IP address, browser and device type, operating system, screen size, the pages you view, how long you stay, and the page or app that referred you to us. This happens whether or not you interact with anything.

Information you give us. We only receive personal details if you choose to send them — for example when you email us, leave a comment, or subscribe to email updates.

We do not ask for, and have no use for, sensitive information such as financial details, government identifiers, or health records. Please do not send them to us.

Cookies and similar technologies

Cookies are small files stored by your browser. This site uses them in three ways:

Essential cookies that let the site function — for example remembering your comment details or keeping a session consistent.
Analytics cookies that tell us how many people read a page and how they arrived.
Advertising cookies and device identifiers, set by Google and its advertising partners, used to select ads, limit how often you see the same one, and measure whether an ad was seen.

You can delete existing cookies and block future ones in your browser settings. Blocking advertising cookies does not remove the ads — it means you see less relevant ones.

Advertising

DBS Guy is funded by display advertising. Ads on this site are delivered through Google Ad Manager, which allows Google and approved third-party advertising vendors to bid on the ad space on a page.

Google and its partners use cookies and mobile advertising identifiers to serve ads based on your visits to this and other websites.
How Google handles data from sites that use its services is described in Google’s privacy and terms policy.
You can turn off personalised advertising from Google at Google Ad Settings.
To opt out of personalised advertising across many vendors at once, use YourAdChoices (aboutads.info), the NAI opt-out, or Your Online Choices in Europe.

We do not have access to the individual profiles advertising vendors build, and we cannot see who you are from them.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand which articles are read and which are not. It reports to us in aggregate — numbers of readers, countries, devices, and pages — not as a list of individuals. Google’s own description of this data is in the policy linked above, and you can block it entirely with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Comments

If you leave a comment, we store the name, email address, and website you entered, along with your IP address and browser details, which help us catch spam. Your name and comment are published; your email address and IP address are not. Comment avatars are provided by Gravatar, which receives a scrambled version of your email address to look up an image. You can ask us to delete your comment and the details attached to it at any time.

Email updates

If you subscribe to email updates, we use the address you give us for exactly that and nothing else. We do not sell, rent, or share subscriber lists. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can also ask us to remove you by replying to any message.

Who else receives your information

We do not sell your personal information. Information is shared only with the service providers that make this site work, each of which processes it under its own privacy terms:

Our web host, which keeps server logs.
Google, for advertising and analytics as described above.
Gravatar, for comment avatars.
Our email provider, if you have subscribed to updates.

We will also disclose information where the law requires it, or where it is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of others.

How long we keep it

Comments and their details are kept for as long as the comment is published. Email addresses are kept until you unsubscribe or ask to be removed. Analytics data is retained on Google’s systems under its own retention settings. Server logs are kept for a short period by our host for security and troubleshooting.

Your rights in the UK and Europe

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have the right to ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, to have it corrected or deleted, to object to or restrict how it is used, and to withdraw consent for anything you previously agreed to. You may also complain to your national data protection authority. Email hello@dbsguy.com and we will act on your request within one month.

Where we rely on consent — for advertising and analytics cookies — you can withdraw it at any time through the links in the advertising section above or your browser settings. Essential site functions rely on our legitimate interest in operating a working website.

Your rights in the United States

Depending on your state, you may have the right to know what personal information is collected, to request its deletion or correction, and to opt out of its sale or of targeted advertising. We do not sell personal information for money. However, personalised advertising can be treated as “sharing” or “targeted advertising” under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act. To opt out, use Google Ad Settings and the industry opt-out links above, or email us and we will process the request. We will not treat you differently for exercising any of these rights.

This site does not respond to browser “Do Not Track” signals, because there is no agreed standard for them. The opt-out routes above are the reliable way to limit personalised advertising.

Children

This site is written for adults and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 13, or under 16 where local law sets that threshold. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, email us and we will delete it.

Links to other sites

Our articles link to other websites, and ads on this site lead to third parties. Once you follow a link, you are covered by that site’s privacy policy, not this one. We have no control over how they handle your information.

Security

This site is served over an encrypted connection, and access to it is restricted to the people who run it. No website can promise perfect security, but we hold very little about you in the first place, which is the most effective protection available.

Changes to this policy

If we change the services we use or the way information is handled, we will update this page and change the date below. Significant changes will be noted at the top of the page.