---
author: "Umesh Malik"
canonical: "https://umesh-malik.com/privacy"
description: "How umesh-malik.com handles data: first-party and Google Analytics 4 usage analytics, what cookies are set, and your rights."
title: "Privacy Policy - Umesh Malik"
tokens: 555
generator: "scripts/generate-page-markdown.mjs"
---

# Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 26, 2026

This site is a personal portfolio and blog. It does not sell your data and runs no advertising. It uses first-party analytics I host myself plus Google Analytics 4 (see below), which does set cookies.

## What is collected

I run my own first-party, privacy-friendly analytics to understand which content is useful. It records anonymous, aggregate signals only: the page path, the referring site, and a random session identifier kept in your browser's `sessionStorage` for the duration of a visit. No names, emails, IP-based profiles, or cross-site identifiers are stored.

This site also uses **Google Analytics 4** to understand traffic and how content performs. Google Analytics sets cookies in your browser and may process your IP address and general location. Google's use of this data is governed by [Google's Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy). You can opt out using the [Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on](https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout) or by blocking cookies/scripts from `google-analytics.com` and `googletagmanager.com` in your browser.

## Cookies and browser storage

Your theme preference (light/dark) is saved in `localStorage` so the site remembers it. The first-party analytics session identifier lives in `sessionStorage` and is cleared when you close the tab — neither is a cookie. Google Analytics 4 does set its own cookies (e.g. `_ga`, `_ga_*`) to distinguish visitors across sessions; see above for how to opt out.

## Third-party services

The site is hosted on Cloudflare, which may process request metadata (such as IP address) to deliver and secure the site, as described in Cloudflare's own privacy policy. It uses Google Analytics 4, as described above. Outbound links (e.g. GitHub, LinkedIn, X) are governed by those services' policies.

## Your rights

Under regulations such as the GDPR and CCPA you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of any personal data. Because this site stores no personal data tied to your identity, there is typically nothing to retrieve — but you are welcome to ask.

## Contact

Questions about this policy? Email [ask@umesh-malik.com](mailto:ask@umesh-malik.com).