Last updated: 26 August 2026
This policy explains exactly what TechSMK (techsmk.com) collects, who else receives it, and what you can do about it. It is written for this site specifically — every service named below is one this site actually uses.
1. Who we are
TechSMK is an independent website published by Sajid, based in Pakistan. For any question about this policy or about your data, contact techsmkofficial0@gmail.com. We are the data controller for the information described here.
2. What we collect
Information you give us
- Email correspondence. If you email us, we keep the message and your address for as long as needed to deal with it and to keep a record of corrections.
- Comments. If commenting is enabled and you leave one, WordPress stores the name, email address, comment text, your IP address and browser user-agent string. The IP and user-agent are used for spam filtering.
- Contributor submissions. If you pitch an article, we keep your name, email and the material you sent.
Information collected automatically
- Usage data through Google Analytics 4 — pages viewed, approximate location (country/city level), device and browser type, referring site, and time on page. Analytics is configured to use IP anonymisation.
- Server logs kept by our hosting provider, including IP address and request time, for security and troubleshooting.
- Advertising data collected by Google AdSense — see section 4.
We do not ask for or store payment details, government identifiers, or health information. We do not sell personal information to anyone.
3. Cookies and similar technologies
A cookie banner (CookieAdmin) appears on your first visit and records your choice. The cookies in use fall into three groups:
- Strictly necessary — your cookie-consent choice, WordPress session and security cookies, and caching cookies set by LiteSpeed Cache. These cannot be switched off without breaking the site.
- Analytics — Google Analytics 4 cookies (
_ga,_ga_*), typically expiring after two years, used to count visitors and see which guides get read. - Advertising — cookies set by Google and its partners to serve and measure ads, described below.
You can withdraw or change consent at any time through the cookie banner, and you can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking analytics and advertising cookies does not affect access to any article on this site.
4. Advertising and Google AdSense
TechSMK carries display advertising served by Google AdSense. This is our only source of revenue.
- Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on this site.
- Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to this and other sites on the internet.
- You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
- You can opt out of third-party vendor cookies for personalised advertising at aboutads.info/choices.
- Third-party vendors and ad networks may serve ads on this site and use their own cookies; we do not control those cookies and you should consult their privacy policies.
Where required by law, personalised advertising is only enabled after you consent through the cookie banner. If you decline, Google serves non-personalised ads, which still use a cookie for frequency capping and fraud prevention.
Google’s own explanation of how it uses data from sites that use its services is here: policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.
5. Other third parties
- Google Search Console — aggregate search performance data. No personal data reaches us through it.
- Akismet — comment content, IP and user-agent are sent to Automattic for spam classification when a comment is submitted.
- Gravatar — if you comment, a hash of your email may be sent to Gravatar to display an avatar.
- Our hosting provider — stores the site and its server logs.
6. Legal basis for processing (UK/EU visitors)
- Consent — analytics cookies, advertising cookies, and any marketing communication.
- Legitimate interests — site security, spam prevention, and keeping records of correspondence.
- Legal obligation — where we must retain something to comply with law.
7. How long we keep things
- Comments and their metadata: retained indefinitely so follow-up replies can be recognised, unless you ask for removal.
- Email correspondence: up to 24 months, unless it forms part of a correction record.
- Google Analytics data: retained for 14 months, then deleted automatically.
- Server logs: as set by our host, typically a few weeks.
8. Your rights
If you are in the UK or EEA (GDPR)
You have the right to access the personal data we hold about you, to have it corrected or erased, to restrict or object to processing, to withdraw consent at any time, and to data portability. You also have the right to complain to your national data protection authority.
If you are in California (CCPA/CPRA)
You have the right to know what personal information is collected and how it is used, to request deletion, to correct inaccurate information, and to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising. We do not sell personal information. To opt out of personalised advertising, decline advertising cookies in the banner. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.
How to exercise a right
Email techsmkofficial0@gmail.com with “Data request” in the subject line. We respond within 30 days and may ask one question to verify that the request is really yours.
9. Children
This site is written for adults and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has sent us personal data, email us and it will be deleted.
10. Security
The site runs over HTTPS, login attempts are rate-limited, and access to the admin area is restricted to the site owner. No website can promise perfect security, and we do not.
11. External links
Articles link to vendor documentation and other outside sites. Once you follow a link, this policy no longer applies and the destination site’s own policy takes over.
12. Changes to this policy
When this policy changes, the “last updated” date at the top changes with it. Material changes — a new advertising partner, a new category of data — will be announced on the site itself, not made quietly.