This Privacy Policy explains how Sharkfin Media (“we”, “us”) collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit secretsofcornwall.com. We are committed to handling your data responsibly and in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

1. Who We Are

Secrets of Cornwall is operated by Sharkfin Media. If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at [email protected].

2. What Data We Collect

We collect minimal data. Here is what may be collected when you use this site:

Data type	How collected	Purpose
Browser and device information (IP address, browser type, OS)	Automatically via web server logs and analytics	Site security and performance monitoring
Pages visited and time spent on site	Analytics cookies (if consented)	Understanding how visitors use the site to improve it
Questions typed into Ask Cornwall	Entered directly by you	Generating an AI response via the Anthropic API. Not stored by us.
Email address	Entered by you via newsletter signup	Sending our email newsletter via EmailOctopus. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Location data (if you grant permission)	Browser geolocation API (optional, only if Near Me feature is used)	Surfacing nearby places. Not transmitted to our servers.

We do not collect your name, email address, or any other contact information unless you choose to subscribe to our newsletter or contact us directly.

3. Cookies

We use cookies to help the site function and to understand how it is used. These fall into two categories:

Strictly necessary cookies

Required for the site to work correctly (e.g. security, caching). These do not require your consent.

Analytics cookies

Used to measure site traffic and visitor behaviour. These are only set with your consent. You can accept or decline via the cookie banner when you first visit the site, and you can change your preference at any time by clearing your browser cookies.

Advertising cookies

Some pages on this site (specifically our weather, tide, and environmental data pages) display advertisements via Google AdSense. Google AdSense uses cookies and similar technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our website and other websites on the internet. These cookies are only activated with your consent.

You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out of third-party vendor cookies by visiting www.aboutads.info.

For more information about how Google uses data when you use our site, visit Google’s Privacy & Terms page.

4. Third-Party Services

This site uses the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policy:

• Anthropic (Claude AI) — powers the Ask Cornwall feature. Questions you type may be processed by Anthropic’s API. See Anthropic’s Privacy Policy.
• Google AdSense — displays advertisements on our weather, tide, and environmental data pages. Google may use cookies to serve personalised ads. See Google’s Privacy Policy.
• EmailOctopus — delivers our email newsletter. Your email address is stored by EmailOctopus when you subscribe. See EmailOctopus Privacy Policy.
• Open-Meteo — provides surf, wave, and weather data. No personal data is sent. See Open-Meteo Terms.
• WorldTides — provides tide time data. No personal data is sent. See WorldTides Privacy.
• Komoot — provides interactive walking route maps via embedded iframes on walk pages. Komoot may set its own cookies. See Komoot’s Privacy Policy.
• WordPress / WP Engine hosting — server-level processing and caching. Data stored within the UK and EU.

5. How Long We Keep Your Data

Web server logs are retained for up to 30 days for security purposes, then deleted. Analytics data (if consented) may be retained for up to 26 months in aggregate, anonymised form.

6. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Object to or restrict processing of your data
• Lodge a complaint with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) at ico.org.uk

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including SSL encryption (HTTPS), server-level firewalls, and regular security scanning via Defender Pro.

8. Children’s Privacy

This site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal data to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. We recommend checking back periodically.