Privacy Policy

Scope and contact

Last updated: October 3, 2026

This notice explains information handled by the Steams Online blog. It supplements our main Privacy Policy; it does not describe student records, tuition payments, or subscriber accounts in the Steams platform. For privacy questions or requests, use our contact page.

Information used by this blog

When you request an article, the blog counts the request and classifies recognizable crawler names using technical request information. The blog’s reporting files store article identifiers, dates, aggregate counts, and recognized crawler labels, not raw IP addresses or complete browser user-agent strings. Host and security-provider logs may separately contain IP addresses and request details. Request totals include automation and are not a count of people.

If you allow optional analytics, we assign a random browser identifier and record an article view after the page runs in your browser. Reporting uses a keyed hash of that identifier to estimate unique visitors. This is pseudonymous, not identification by name, and it is not proof of a human visit. Different browsers or cleared cookies can cause duplicate visitor estimates.

If you allow feedback storage and vote Helpful or Not helpful, we keep your choice, the article, dates, and a keyed hash of a random feedback identifier so your browser can change its vote instead of adding another vote. Feedback totals are visible to the blog administrator, not published as a list of individual readers.

Cookies and your choices

Cookie Settings in the footer lets you accept or reject optional analytics, feedback storage, and external video players separately. Optional categories start off. Refusing them does not prevent reading articles. Your preference cookie lasts up to 180 days. Analytics and feedback identifier cookies last up to 90 days. Cookies are limited to this blog path. Administrative sign-in uses a separate session cookie.

You can change your choices at any time. Turning off analytics or feedback clears the corresponding identifier cookie and stops future collection through that feature; it does not undo prior aggregate counts. The blog also treats Global Privacy Control as a restriction on its optional analytics and external media. A preference recorded here governs this blog’s own features, not unrelated scripts or cookies on the main website.

Videos, links, and service providers

External YouTube or Vimeo players load only after you allow external media. Once loaded, the video provider receives connection information and may use its own storage under its policies. A direct video link is available without enabling an embedded player. Normal social icons are links; those sites receive information when you visit them.

Our hosting and security providers process technical information to deliver and protect the website. Blog article generation and publishing may use Distribb; this blog integration does not send reader analytics or feedback to Distribb. This update does not install advertising pixels or send its reader metrics to advertising networks. Additional tools, if introduced, require an updated notice and appropriate choices.

Purposes, retention, and security

We use this information to operate and secure the blog, measure readership, and improve articles. Where required, optional storage and analytics rely on consent. Necessary operation and security processing may rely on legitimate interests or another applicable legal basis.

The blog retains daily analytics and feedback records for a rolling 90 days, purged during subsequent analytics or feedback activity. Older aggregates are not kept by this feature. Backups and hosting or security logs can have separate retention schedules. Access to the reporting interface requires administrator sign-in. We use access controls and other safeguards, but no system is entirely secure.

Your rights and international access

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, or restriction, object to processing, withdraw consent, or complain to a supervisory authority. Contact us to make a request. We may need reasonable information to locate records and verify a request; we may be unable to link a name to a random browser identifier. Where personal data is processed across borders, applicable transfer safeguards must be used.

Updates

We may revise this notice as the blog changes. We will update the date and request new choices when appropriate.

Newsletter subscriptions

If you subscribe, we store your email address, first name, subscription status, confirmation dates and the consent choices you make. We send a confirmation message and newsletters through the email provider selected by Steams. The provider processes messages and addressing information to send email. Each newsletter includes an unsubscribe link.

Optional newsletter link reporting is separate from website cookies. It is off unless you opt in on the signup form. If enabled, a unique link lets us associate a click with your subscription for up to 90 days; automated email scanners may also trigger clicks. We do not use email open-tracking pixels. You can turn off link reporting using the preferences link in each newsletter. That also removes retained click details for your subscription.

Active subscriber records are kept until you unsubscribe or request removal. Unconfirmed signups expire after seven days. After unsubscribe, we remove your name and retain your email and opt-out status to avoid emailing you again. Sending and click records are retained for up to 90 days, cleaned during newsletter activity. Hosting logs and private backups have separate retention. Links contain random identifiers, not your email address. Contact the reply-to address in a newsletter for access, correction or deletion requests.