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    Privacy Policy for Handwritium

    Last Updated: May 2, 2026

    Effective Date: May 2, 2026

    1. Introduction and Philosophy

    Welcome to Handwritium (https://handwritium.org/). Handwritium is a personal, non-commercial project founded by Resteer John L. Lumbab. Our mission is to provide a sanctuary for reading publicly available books and data without the intrusion of invasive advertising or data-harvesting practices.

    We believe that privacy is a fundamental human right. Because we do not allow account creation or user registration, we minimize the collection of “Hard PII” (Personally Identifiable Information). This policy describes the limited technical data we collect and our commitment to your digital safety.

    2. Data Controller Information

    For the purposes of global data protection laws, the Data Controller responsible for your information is:

    3. Categories of Data Collected

    Even though you cannot create an account, certain data is processed automatically when you interact with our WordPress-hosted site:

    A. Technical Log Data

    Our servers automatically record information that your browser sends whenever you visit. This includes:

    • IP Address: Your Internet Protocol address (which we attempt to anonymize).

    • Browser Metadata: Your browser type, version, and language settings.

    • Referring URLs: The website you visited immediately before coming to Handwritium.

    • Page Activity: The specific pages you visit, the time spent on those pages, and the sequence of your navigation.

    B. Cookies and Tracking

    Handwritium uses “Cookies”—small text files stored on your device.

    • Essential Cookies: WordPress may set technical cookies to ensure the site loads correctly and maintains security (e.g., protecting against cross-site request forgery).

    • Analytics Cookies: We use Google Analytics to gather aggregate, non-identifying data about our readership.

    4. Third-Party Service: Google Analytics

    We use Google Analytics to understand how our library is being used.

    • Data Processed: Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit this site, what pages they visit, and what other sites they used prior to coming to this site.

    • Google’s Use of Data: Google’s ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics about your visits to this site is restricted by the Google Analytics Terms of Use and the Google Privacy Policy.

    • No Cross-Site Profiling: We do not use Google Analytics “Advertising Features” (such as Remarketing or Demographics reporting) to ensure your reading habits are not used for ad-targeting.

    5. Legal Basis for Processing

    • Legitimate Interests: We process log and analytics data based on our legitimate interest in maintaining a secure, functional, and optimized website for our readers.

    • Consent: By continuing to browse our site, you acknowledge the processing of data as described in this policy. You may withdraw consent at any time by utilizing the protection tools listed in Section 10.

    6. Data Retention

    • Analytics Data: Data sent to Google Analytics is retained for a maximum of 14 months.

    • Server Logs: Internal server logs are typically overwritten or deleted every 30 to 60 days to protect user privacy.

    7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

    We do not sell your data. We only disclose information if:

    • Required by Law: If we receive a valid legal request or subpoena.

    • Service Providers: We may share data with technical providers (like our web host or Google Analytics) solely to maintain site operations.

    8. International Data Transfers

    Handwritium is operated globally. Your information, including technical log data, may be transferred to—and maintained on—computers located outside of your state or country, including the United States, where privacy laws may differ.

    9. Your Rights (GDPR/CCPA/Global)

    Regardless of your location, we honor the following rights:

    • Right to Access/Portability: You can request information about the types of data we process.

    • Right to Erasure: You can request the deletion of any log data associated with your IP address.

    • Right to Object: You have the right to object to our use of Google Analytics.

    How to Protect Your Privacy

    Because Handwritium does not use accounts, your primary privacy risk on the modern web is browser fingerprinting and cross-site tracking. Below is a detailed guide on how you can protect yourself while visiting Handwritium or any other website.

    1. Master Your Browser Settings

    Your browser is your first line of defense.

    • Enable “Do Not Track” (DNT): Most browsers have a “Do Not Track” setting. While not all sites honor it, Handwritium respects your preference for privacy.

    • Block Third-Party Cookies: Go to your browser settings (Privacy & Security) and set it to “Block third-party cookies.” This prevents sites from tracking you as you move across the web.

    • Auto-Clear History: Set your browser to “Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows.”

    2. Use Privacy-Focused Extensions

    We recommend the following open-source tools to “harden” your browser:

    • uBlock Origin: The gold standard for blocking not just ads, but the hidden trackers that follow you between sites.

    • Privacy Badger: Created by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), it automatically learns to block invisible trackers that don’t respect DNT signals.

    • Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on: Specifically prevents your data from being used by Google Analytics scripts on any website.

    3. Mask Your Identity

    • Use a VPN: A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your connection and masks your IP address, making it much harder for server logs to identify your physical location.

    • Tor Browser: For maximum anonymity, the Tor Browser routes your traffic through three layers of encryption, making you virtually untraceable.

    4. Understand “Fingerprinting”

    Websites can sometimes identify you by your screen resolution, installed fonts, and browser version. To combat this:

    • Avoid Maximizing Windows: Keeping your browser window at a non-standard size makes your “digital fingerprint” less unique.

    • Use “Incognito” Mode: While it doesn’t make you invisible to your ISP, it ensures that no cookies or history are saved on your device after you close the session.

    5. Secure Your DNS

    Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can see every website you visit via your DNS queries. You can protect this by:

    • Using DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH): Enable this in your browser (Chrome/Firefox) to encrypt your website requests so your ISP cannot “snoop” on your reading list.

    11. Contact Us

    If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please reach out:

    Email: support@handwritium.org

    Owner: Resteer John L. Lumbab

    Note