Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy outlines how Engine Explained (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit our WordPress-based website www.engineexplained.com (“Website”). It is designed to comply with:

  • The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
  • The UK Data Protection Act 2018
  • The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
  • The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)
  • Other applicable US and UK data privacy laws

By accessing this Website, you agree to this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

We collect and store information in the following ways:

a) Data You Provide:

  • Contact Form submissions (via plugins like WPForms, Contact Form 7, etc.)
  • Comments (WordPress native comment system)
  • Newsletter signup (via Mailchimp, MailPoet, or similar plugins)
  • User profiles (if you register or submit content)

b) Automatically Collected Data:

  • IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs
  • WordPress session cookies
  • Pageviews, clicks, scroll behavior
  • Error logs and performance data

c) Third-Party Sources:

  • Google Analytics (if enabled)
  • Google AdSense (see Section 6)

Embedded social plugins (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter)

How We Use Your Information

  • To maintain and improve the website
  • To analyze user behavior and optimize performance
  • To display personalized or contextual advertising
  • To respond to your contact form submissions or comments
  • To detect spam, fraud, or abuse
  • To comply with applicable laws

Legal Basis for Processing (UK / EU Users)

We rely on the following legal bases under the UK GDPR:

  • Consent – for cookies, marketing, and optional forms
  • Legitimate Interests – analytics, site security, comment moderation
  • Contractual Necessity – if you register or subscribe
  • Legal Obligation – in response to legal requests or audits

Google AdSense & Advertising

We use Google AdSense on this WordPress website to serve ads. Google uses cookies and data to:

  • Show personalized or contextual ads
  • Measure ad performance
  • Detect fraudulent behavior

Google AdSense Technologies:

  • DoubleClick cookie
  • Web beacons and device identifiers
  • Cross-site ad tracking

Your Options:

  • Manage ad preferences: https://adssettings.google.com
  • Read Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
  • Use ad opt-out tools: https://optout.aboutads.info

We display non-personalized ads to visitors in the UK, EU, and EEA unless explicit consent is given.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on our posts:

  • We collect the data shown in the comments form, IP address, and browser user agent string.
  • WordPress may use a Gravatar (if available).
  • We use anti-spam plugins like Akismet to prevent abuse.

Cookies

Our WordPress site uses cookies for:

  • User session management
  • Commenter name/email storage
  • Analytics (Google Analytics, WP Statistics)
  • Advertising (Google AdSense)
  • Performance (caching plugins like WP Rocket)

When you first visit, a cookie consent banner will ask for your permission to use non-essential cookies.

You can manage cookies in your browser or via our Cookie Policy.

Embedded Content

Articles may include embedded content (e.g., YouTube videos, social media posts).
These platforms may collect your data as if you were visiting their site directly.
Please review their privacy policies for more information.

Data Sharing

We may share your data with:

  • Hosting providers (e.g., SiteGround, Bluehost, etc.)
  • Email marketing services (e.g., Mailchimp, MailPoet)
  • Plugin developers (only if needed for technical support)
  • Advertising and analytics providers (e.g., Google AdSense, Google Analytics)

We do not sell your data.

Data Retention

Comments: indefinitely unless manually deleted

Contact forms: typically 6–12 months

Analytics: Google stores usage data up to 26 months

Newsletter subscriptions: until you unsubscribe

Cookies: from session-based to 2 years depending on type

Your Rights

UK/EU Users:

  • Right to access your data
  • Right to correct or delete it
  • Right to restrict or object to processing
  • Right to data portability
  • Right to withdraw consent

California Users (CCPA/CPRA):

  • Right to know what personal info is collected
  • Right to delete your data
  • Right to opt-out of “sale”/”sharing”
  • Right to correct inaccurate info

To exercise your rights, contact us at [your@email.com]. Identity verification may be required.

Data Security

We follow industry best practices to protect your data:

  • SSL encryption (HTTPS)
  • Strong admin passwords and 2FA
  • Security plugins (e.g., Wordfence, iThemes Security)
  • Regular backups and software updates

Third-Party Links

We may link to other websites. We’re not responsible for their content or privacy practices. Review their privacy policies independently.

Children’s Privacy

Our Website is not intended for users under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we learn we have, we will delete it promptly.