Privacy Policy 🔒

1. Introduction 👋

Welcome to DEV Talk ("we", "us", or "our"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit https://dev-talk.com (the "Site"), how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have.

By using the Site, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site.

2. Information We Collect 📋

a) Information you provide to us 👤

We only collect personal information that you choose to give us, for example when you:

• 📬 Subscribe to our newsletter – your email address and, optionally, your name.
• ✉️ Contact us – your name, email address, and the content of your message.
• 💬 Leave a comment – your display name, email address, and the comment itself.

b) Information collected automatically ⚙️

When you visit the Site, we and our service providers may automatically collect:

• 🌐 IP address and approximate location (country/city level)
• 🖥️ Browser type, version, and operating system
• 📱 Device type and screen resolution
• 📄 Pages visited, time spent on pages, and links clicked
• 🔗 Referring website or search terms that brought you here
• 🕒 Date and time of your visit

This information is used in aggregate and does not, on its own, identify you personally.

c) Reading statistics 📖

When you read an article, our own reading statistics record anonymously how long the article was on your screen while you were reading, how far down you scrolled, your approximate country (worked out from your browser's time zone, not from your IP address), your device type (mobile, tablet or desktop) and the website you came from. We use this only to see which articles are useful and to improve them.

These statistics do not store your IP address, do not use cookies and cannot identify you. Visitors are counted with a code that changes every day and cannot be traced back to you. If you decline cookies (see below), no reading statistics are recorded for you.

3. Cookies and Similar Technologies 🍪

We use cookies (small text files stored on your device) and similar technologies to make the Site work and to understand how it is used. These include:

• ✅ Essential cookies – required for core features such as security, session management, and remembering your preferences (e.g. dark mode).
• 📊 Analytics cookies – help us understand which articles are popular and how visitors navigate the Site.
• 📢 Advertising cookies – may be used by ad partners to show relevant ads and measure their performance.

When you first visit, a banner lets you Accept or Decline. If you decline, analytics and advertising cookies are turned off and our reading statistics are not recorded. You can change your choice at any time with Cookie settings at the bottom of every page.

You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling some cookies may affect how the Site works.

4. How We Use Your Information 🔍

We use the information we collect to:

• 🛠️ Operate, maintain, and secure the Site
• 🚀 Improve our content, features, and performance
• 💬 Respond to your questions, feedback, and support requests
• 📢 Send newsletters and updates you have subscribed to (you can unsubscribe at any time)
• 🛡️ Detect and prevent spam, abuse, fraud, and technical issues
• ⚖️ Comply with legal obligations

5. Legal Basis for Processing (EEA/UK Visitors) 🇪🇺

If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Consent – for newsletters and non-essential cookies.
• Legitimate interests – to run, secure, and improve the Site.
• Legal obligation – where processing is required by law.

6. Sharing Your Information 🤝

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share it only:

• 🔧 With service providers who help us operate the Site (as described above)
• ⚖️ When required by law, subpoena, or other legal process
• 🛡️ To protect the rights, property, or safety of DEV Talk, our readers, or others
• 🏢 In connection with a merger, sale, or transfer of the Site, with notice to you

7. Data Retention ⏳

We keep personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

• Newsletter data – until you unsubscribe
• Contact messages – up to 12 months after your inquiry is resolved
• Comments – for as long as the comment is published, unless you ask us to remove it
• Analytics data – according to the retention settings of our analytics provider
• Reading statistics – 13 months, then deleted automatically

8. Security of Your Information 🔐

We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards, including HTTPS encryption, to protect your data. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Privacy Rights 🛡️

Depending on where you live (for example under the GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, or Sri Lanka's Personal Data Protection Act), you may have the right to:

• 👁️ Access the personal data we hold about you
• ✏️ Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• 🗑️ Request deletion of your data
• ⛔ Object to or restrict certain processing
• 📦 Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• ↩️ Withdraw consent at any time (without affecting prior processing)
• 📣 Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise any of these rights, email us at info@dev-talk.com. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Children's Privacy 🧒

The Site is not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

11. International Data Transfers 🌍

Our service providers may store or process data in countries other than your own. When we transfer data internationally, we take reasonable steps to ensure it remains protected in line with this policy.

12. Third-Party Links 🔗

Our articles may link to external websites, tools, and resources. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those sites, so please review their privacy policies before sharing information with them.

13. Changes to This Policy 🔄

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes take effect when posted on this page, and we will update the "Last updated" date above. For significant changes, we may also notify newsletter subscribers by email.

14. Contact Us 📞

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, reach out:

• ✉️ Email: info@dev-talk.com
• 🌐 Website: https://dev-talk.com