Privacy Policy
Last updated:
This is the privacy policy for eMpTy Theory (emptytheory.com), a blog about iOS and mobile development. We want to be upfront about what happens when you visit, so this page is intentionally short and plain.
The short version
eMpTy Theory is a read-only blog. There are no user accounts, no comments, no contact forms, no newsletter signup, no shopping cart, and nothing for sale. You do not submit any information to us directly by reading the site.
The only data collected when you visit comes from two places: Google Analytics 4 (aggregated traffic statistics) and Vercel (standard web hosting logs). Details below.
What we do NOT collect
To be specific, this site does not:
- Ask you to create an account or log in.
- Accept comments, replies, or any user-submitted content.
- Run a newsletter, mailing list, or contact form.
- Sell products, take payments, or process orders.
- Display advertising or use ad networks.
- Use third-party trackers beyond the two services listed below.
- Sell, rent, or share visitor data with anyone for marketing purposes.
Google Analytics 4
We use Google Analytics 4 (“GA4”) to understand which posts people read and how the site is performing in aggregate. GA4 is configured with its default privacy settings.
GA4 collects information such as:
- Pages you view and the order you view them in.
- The site or search that referred you (referrer URL).
- Approximate location (typically city or region) derived from your IP address.
- Browser type and version, operating system, device type, and screen size.
- A cookie-based identifier used to recognize repeat visits.
GA4 anonymizes IP addresses by default — the full IP is used briefly to determine coarse geolocation and is then discarded rather than stored. Data is retained for the GA4 default period of 14 months, after which it is automatically deleted.
For full details on what Google does with this data, see the Google Privacy Policy and How Google uses data when you use partners’ sites or apps.
Vercel hosting
The site is hosted on Vercel. Like any web host, Vercel’s servers automatically log basic request information when a page is served — typically your IP address, the URL requested, the timestamp, your user agent, and the response status. These logs are used by Vercel for security, abuse prevention, and operational reliability, and are governed by Vercel’s privacy policy.
We do not access or analyze these server logs for visitor tracking.
Cookies
The only cookies set on this site are the ones GA4 uses to count visitors and tell repeat visits apart (typically _ga and _ga_<container-id>). No other first-party or third-party cookies are set by us.
You can clear or block these cookies at any time through your browser settings. Doing so will not affect your ability to read anything on the site.
How to opt out of analytics
If you would rather not be counted in GA4, you have several options:
- Install Google’s official Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
- Block or delete cookies for emptytheory.com in your browser settings.
- Use a content blocker or privacy-focused browser that blocks third-party analytics scripts.
Third-party services
The complete list of third parties that touch your data when you visit this site:
| Service | Purpose | Privacy policy |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Aggregated visitor statistics | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Vercel | Website hosting and server logs | vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy |
That’s the whole list.
Children’s privacy
This site is not directed at children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect information from them.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights under laws such as the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) — for example, the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal data, the right to data portability, and the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority.
Because this site does not maintain accounts or a database of visitor records, most personal data associated with your visit lives only in Google Analytics and Vercel’s logs. The most effective way to exercise these rights is to use the opt-out methods above and, where applicable, contact Google or Vercel directly through the links in this policy.
Changes to this policy
If we change how the site collects or handles data, we will update this page and revise the “Last updated” date at the top. Material changes will be noted at the top of the page for a reasonable period.