Privacy policy

Last updated: 21 August 2026.

This policy explains the privacy practices of The Grid Debrief, operated by Rhys Gardener, and the services used to run the site. For questions about this policy, email contact@thegriddebrief.com.

What happens when you use the site

Most visitors do not provide any information directly to The Grid Debrief. These are the limited circumstances in which a service provider handles technical information, or you choose to give us information.

Website visits and security

The site is hosted by Vercel. As with most hosting services, Vercel may process request information such as IP addresses, device and browser information, requested pages, timestamps and diagnostic or security logs to deliver the site, prevent abuse and keep it reliable. This does not create a reader account or visitor profile held by The Grid Debrief.

Privacy-focused analytics

We use Vercel Web Analytics to understand aggregate usage, including page views, referrers, approximate location, browser, operating system and device type. Vercel Web Analytics does not use cookies and records anonymised data that is not tied to an individual or IP address. Its daily visitor identifier is automatically reset after 24 hours. We see aggregate readership reports, not visitors' names, email addresses, full IP addresses or individual browsing histories.

Advertising

Visitors who are not verified ad-free members may receive advertising supplied through Google AdSense. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a visitor's previous visits to this site or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve personalised ads based on those visits. Other approved advertising vendors may also place or read cookies, or use web beacons, IP addresses or similar identifiers, as a result of ad serving on this site. The Grid Debrief does not give Google visitors' names or email addresses and does not receive a list identifying individual readers.

Where required, advertising storage and personalised advertising are controlled through Google's certified consent-management platform. You can withdraw or change your choices using Privacy and cookie settings in the footer. You can also manage personalised advertising through Google Ads Settings. Learn more about how Google uses information from partner sites.

Patreon membership

Connecting Patreon is optional. If you do so, Patreon provides your Patreon user ID, display name and current membership entitlement. Access and refresh tokens used to recheck that entitlement are kept with this information inside an encrypted, HTTP-only browser cookie. We use it only to verify whether this browser should receive the ad-free service, rather than storing it in a separate user database. We do not receive your Patreon password or payment-card details.

Contact

This only applies if you choose to email us. We use your email address and anything you include in the message to reply, and may keep the correspondence where reasonably necessary. We do not add contact details to a mailing list or use them for advertising.

Why we use this information

Depending on the activity, we process information:

• with your consent, including personalised advertising where consent is required;
• to provide a service you requested, such as connecting and verifying an ad-free Patreon membership;
• for legitimate interests in operating, securing and improving the site, understanding aggregate readership and responding to messages; and
• when necessary to comply with a legal obligation.

Services involved

Depending on which features you use, limited information may be handled by:

• Vercel, which provides hosting, delivery infrastructure and Web Analytics;
• Google and its approved advertising partners, when advertising is enabled;
• Patreon, when you choose to connect or refresh a membership; and
• professional advisers, regulators, courts or public authorities where disclosure is reasonably necessary or legally required.

These providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where applicable, they are responsible for using recognised safeguards for international transfers under their own terms and privacy notices.

How long information is kept

• The encrypted Patreon membership cookie lasts for up to 30 days and is renewed while the service is used. Disconnecting Patreon removes it from the browser.
• Temporary Patreon sign-in security cookies expire after 10 minutes.
• Vercel Web Analytics resets its daily visitor identifier after 24 hours and retains aggregate analytics under Vercel's published policies.
• Correspondence and security records are retained only for as long as reasonably needed for the purpose for which they were collected, including resolving disputes or meeting legal requirements.

Your choices and rights

Because The Grid Debrief does not maintain visitor accounts or its own visitor database, we will not normally hold information that allows us to identify someone who simply reads the site. For an ordinary visitor, there is therefore usually nothing held by us to retrieve, correct or delete.

If you have emailed us or connected Patreon, you may still have privacy rights depending on where you live, including rights relating to access, correction, deletion, objection and withdrawal of consent. Email contact@thegriddebrief.com if you have a question or request. If we do not hold any identifiable information about you, we will simply tell you that. You may also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office.

Cookies

See the cookie notice for details about essential membership cookies and advertising technologies.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when the site or the services it uses change. The latest version will always be published on this page with its revision date.