Data and Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2025

The Bottom Line

I built this site to share practical legal tech insights with fellow solo counsels and small legal teams. I've chosen privacy-conscious tools where possible, but I want to be transparent about what data gets collected and how it's used.

Quick summary: I collect minimal data, store it securely in the EU, and don't sell anything to anyone. The main data collection happens when you subscribe to my newsletter or when social media embeds load (which I can't control).

What Data We Collect

Website Analytics (Ghost Pro Built-in)

I use Ghost Pro's privacy-focused analytics powered by Tinybird. This collects:

Page views and which posts you read
General location (country/region, not specific address)
Device type and browser (to ensure the site works properly)
How you found the site (search, direct, referral)

Why this matters: This data is anonymized, encrypted, and processed in real-time. Unlike Google Analytics, it doesn't track you across other websites or build advertising profiles.

When you subscribe to my newsletter, I collect:

Your email address
Subscription date and preferences
Open/click tracking (to see what content is useful)

Email service: I use Mailgun (Ghost Pro's email provider) which stores data in the EU and is GDPR compliant.

Contact Forms

If you contact me directly, I obviously have whatever information you choose to share (email, name, message content).

When I embed Twitter or LinkedIn posts, those platforms may collect data when you view those pages. I can't control this—it's how social media embeds work. If you're concerned about this tracking, consider using privacy-focused browser extensions.

Standard Web Server Data

Like any website, my hosting provider (Ghost Pro) automatically logs:

IP addresses (for security and spam prevention)
Browser and device information
Access times and pages visited

How I Use This Information

Website improvement: Analytics help me understand which content is most valuable so I can write more of what actually helps solo counsels and small legal teams.

Newsletter delivery: Your email is used solely to send you my newsletter. I don't share subscriber lists or send promotional emails for third parties.

Communication: If you contact me, I'll use your information to respond and potentially follow up on legal tech discussions.

Security: IP addresses and access logs help prevent spam and security issues.

What I Don't Do

No selling or sharing: I don't sell, rent, or share your data with third parties for marketing purposes
No cross-site tracking: Unlike many analytics platforms, Ghost's system doesn't track you across other websites
No advertising profiles: I don't build behavioral advertising profiles or use your data for ad targeting
No unnecessary retention: Data is only kept as long as needed for the purposes described

Your Rights and Choices

Unsubscribe: Use the link in any newsletter email
Update preferences: Contact me at houfu@alt-counsel.com to modify what you receive

Data Access and Control

Under GDPR, the PDPA and similar privacy laws, you can:

Access: Request a copy of what data I have about you
Correct: Ask me to fix any incorrect information
Delete: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal requirements)
Port: Get your data in a portable format
Object: Opt out of certain processing activities

Analytics Opt-Out

While Ghost's analytics are privacy-focused, you can still opt out by:

Using browser settings to block analytics scripts
Installing privacy-focused browser extensions
Contacting me to exclude your visits from analytics

Technical Details

Data Storage and Security

Location: All data is stored in the EU through Ghost Pro's infrastructure
Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit and at rest
Access controls: Only I have access to subscriber and analytics data
Retention: Newsletter data kept until you unsubscribe; analytics data aggregated and anonymized over time

Website analytics: Legitimate interest in understanding site performance
Newsletter: Your consent when subscribing
Contact communications: Legitimate interest in responding to inquiries

Third-Party Services

Ghost Pro: Hosting and analytics (EU-based, GDPR compliant)
Mailgun: Email delivery (EU region, GDPR compliant)
Social media platforms: When embeds are viewed (governed by their privacy policies)

Changes to This Policy

I'll update this policy if my data practices change. For significant changes, I'll notify newsletter subscribers via email.

Why I wrote this in plain English: Too many privacy policies are written like they're trying to hide something. As someone who drafts contracts for a living, I believe legal documents should be understandable by the people they affect.

Contact Information

Questions about this privacy policy or your data?

Email: houfu@alt-counsel.com
Response time: I typically respond within 2-3 business days

For technical issues with the website: Contact Ghost Pro support directly through their platform.

This privacy policy reflects my commitment to transparency and practical legal implementation. It's written to be actually useful, not just legally compliant.